How Did Leonidas Affect The Results Of The Persian War

Two important individuals that had a large impact on the results of the Persian War, were Leonidas and Themistocles. Leonidas was an important individual in the battle of Thermopylae, as his decision to stay behind delayed the Persian army. Themistocles played a crucial role in the naval battles of Artemisium and Salamis, as his stratagems helped defeat the Persian navy. The outcomes of these battles, which were determined by the leaders preparation and strategic decisions, had both short term and long term effects. Better lead in needed Leonidas determined the outcome of the battle of Thermopylae with his decision to stay behind while the others retreated, by doing this he saved many lives. Before Thermopylae, Leonidas and the Spartans were prepared for

He considered it the best place for defence, as he expected that the narrow pass would funnel the Persian army toward his force. Leonidas specifically chose his Spartan army so no bloodlines would be lost, "The [...] men whom he brought [...] to Thermopylae were chosen by himself, all fathers of living sons." (Herodotus.page.487) This shows his forward-thinking and strategic mind. On arrival at Thermopylae, Leonidas heard about a mountain pass and subsequently sent 1000 Phocian troops there. At the beginning of the battle, the Greeks fought in a phalanx formation at the narrowest part of the pass. Persian forces were unable to defeat the Greeks for two days, but Ephialtes alerted Xerxes to the mountain path which led behind the Greek army. When Leonidas heard, he sent most of the allies to retreat, in order to save as many lives as possible for the continuation of the war. Leonidas and the remaining army inflicted further heavy losses on the Persians, but eventually they all perished. Due to Leonidas, the Persians were delayed, which therefore allowed sufficient time for the Athenians to flee Athens. Leonidas's choice to stay also stopped the Persians from