Thermopylae

**The Battle of Thermopylae** *An interactive adventure by D.M.* [[Go to bibliography->Bibliography]] [[Go to story->Story]]

Cartwright, Mark. “Thermopylae.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified April 16, 2013. https://www.ancient.eu/thermopylae/. Contributors, New World Encyclopedia. “Battle of Thermopylae.” New World Encyclopedia. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Battle_of_Thermopylae&oldid=996091. Strauss, Barry. “Battle of Thermopylae: Leonidas the Hero.” The Quarterly Journal of Military History, Fall 2004. http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-thermopylae-leonidas-the-hero.htm.

It is the year 480 B.C.E and you are Leonidas the on of the two kings of Sparta. Persia is on the march to try and add Greece to its immense empire. You lead a small Greek force of 7,000 sent to halt the Persian king Xerxes and his massive army of about 150,000. You choose to defend at the small pass of Thermopylae. You chose Thermopylae because it is so narrow only one chariot can pass through at a time. Because of this the Persians cannot utilize their numbers to surround you and your forces. Thermopylae has three gates for you to chose to defend from, the East Gate, the Middle Gate, and the West Gate. Now you must choose... [[Defend the East gate, the furthest from the Persians->East Gate]] [[Defend the Middle gate, which has an old wall->Middle Gate]] [[Defend the West gate, the closest to the Persians->West Gate]]

The East Gate is the furthest from the Persian camp. Your troops have plenty of time to prepare to defend the pass. Now you have to organize your troops. You have troops from a lot of different polises so you have to figure out how you organize them... [[Organize the soldiers in the phalanx by polis->Let's stick together]] [[Split up the soldiers and put the best soldiers in the front->Confusion]] (set: $splitup to true)

The middle gate is a strong choice. The thin path here lies between the sharpest mountains and the sea. The Persian force will not be able to overrun you because of this. There is an old Phocian wall here that has fallen apart and worn down. Now you must decide... [[Rebuild the wall->Wall]] [[Leave the wall in shambles->No wall]]

You choose to defend at the west gate. It is dangerously close to the Persian camp. Because of this the Persians get to you before you are ready and your forces are overwhelmed... [[Your defense is overwhelmed->Confusion]] (set:$westside to true)

You have to get to work rebuilding the wall fast so the Persians do not catch you off guard. After much work, you and your force complete the wall very quickly. Now you must decide how to utilize the wall. Should you... [[Defend in front of the wall->In front of wall]] [[Defend behind the wall-> Behind the wall]]

You and your force do not have time to rebuild the wall. So, not wanting to be exposed to the Persians you have decided not to rebuild the wall. You know that in order to stand a chance you must fight in the densely packed phalanx. This will give your soldiers an advantage in the narrow pass. Now the next decision has to be made and you must figure out how to arrange and organize the Greek force within the phalanx... [[Organize the soldiers in the phalanx by polis->Let's stick together]] [[Split up the soldiers and put the best soldiers in the front->Confusion]] (set: $splitup to true)

You organize your force by polis in front of the wall. Though the Persians outnumber your force your force is better equipped. Wave upon wave of Persians break upon your seemingly invincible. This happens for two days. On the morning of the third day you are informed of grave news. The Persians have found a way around your position. With the Persians closing in every second you must choose... [[Stay and fight the Persians until the end->Glory]] [[Leave the battle site and avoid certain death->Shame]]

You decide to put your force behind the wall. When the Persians attack the wall, the wall works for a little while. Unfortunately the Persians break through the wall and tear it down and your force is surprised as the wall topples on your men. Now chaos is ensuing and it will take a miracle to save you now... [[Try and defend->Confusion]] (set:$nowall to true)

You decide to organize the soldiers by polis. The force is fighting as one and is in perfect unison as they know those they fight with. Wave upon wave of Persians break upon your seemingly invincible. This happens for two days. On the morning of the third day you are informed of grave news. The Persians have found a way around your position. Some troops start to leave. Now you have to choose... [[Stay and fight the persians until the end->Glory]] [[Fall back with the rest of the soldiers->Shame]]

(if:$splitup is true)[You put your strongest fighters up front. The fighters though talented do not know how to fight with one another, for they are from different polises. The Persians take advantage of the lack of brotherhood and get the soldiers out of the phalanx. This causes mass chaos and your force is swiftly defeated leaving the Persian army on the rampage.] (if:$westside is true)[Your forces were taken by surprise because of the quick Persian attack. Unable to organize, your soldiers were unprepared and this provided the Persians with a quick victory. The Persians were free now to terrorize the rest of Greece... The End.] (if:$nowall is true)[The Persians tear down the wall and topple it on some of your force. This causes chaos and some of the force retreats and those that stay fight until the end. The Persians lose few men in this attack and after they rest they continue to march through Greece... The End.]

Despite knowing that staying would be certain death you decide to anyway. The Thebans, Thespians, and your Spartans stay. The Thebans surrender but the rest of the force fight until the end. When swords break, your warriors use their hands and teeth. You fall and your soldiers fight for your body. After suffering major casualties, the Persians decide to shower your warriors with arrows. Though the entire remaining soldiers die, your name and theirs will echo throughout history, for you fought until the brutal end in the face of a much larger force. This final stand gave the Greeks a huge moral boost as they get ready to fight the leftover Persians. The end.

Not wanting to risk certain death you and the entire Greek force retreat. This brings shame upon yourself and the entire Spartan polis. The Persian army continues to roll through the Greek lands seemingly unstoppable. Your decision makes people remember you by the name "Leonidas the Coward". The End.