Xerxes probably believed the presence of his superior force would be enough to scare the Greeks into submission. The overconfident Xerxes decided stall his attack for four days — probably to allow his parallel traveling naval force and supply ships to catch up with his land forces.

On the fifth day he ordered his troops to attack with the condition that the Spartans be taken alive. The Spartans feigned retreat, making the pursuing Persians break ranks, then turned and fought savagely, turning back the onslaught. Xerxes sent in a second wave of troops, the crack Immortals. They met the same fate, as did a third wave.

The Greek position seemed impregnable until a local shepherd, Ephialtes, approached Xerxes with information of a goat path that circled behind the Greek position. With the aid of a full moon, a group of Persians managed to slip by the Greeks.

Realizing they had been outflanked, Leonidas ordered the retreat of the majority of the Greek force. Forming a rear guard, a force of 300 Spartans and a few thousand Thespians and Thebans remained to hold back the Persians. Although they fought bravely, they were ultimately all killed in a hail of arrows.

• Perhaps Leonidas died in an effort to appease the gods by fulfilling the prophecy of the Delphi oracle.

• During the final stages of the battle, the Spartans, having lost or broken their weapons, were reduced to hand-to-hand combat before making a final stand on a small hill.

• Xerxes had King Leonidas' corpse beheaded and crucified.

The Immortals

The Immortals were an elite, handpicked group of 10,000 of the bravest Persian soldiers who also served as Xerxes' bodyguards. They were called immortals because continuous replacements made their number never dwindle below 10,000.

Spartan life: warlike, brave, hardy, stoical, severe, frugal, highly disciplined

The life of a Spartan citizen definitely lived up to the dictionary definition. An individual brought up under this system could expect a lifetime of austere living and an existence that was dedicated to the state.

A newborn was brought before a panel of elders that would determine whether the child met Spartan physical standards. A bath in wine, which caused all but the most hardy to convulse, was the final test used chose those who would be kept and those who would be left to die on Mount Taygetos.

At age 7, boys were turned over to the state to be raised. This was the beginning of a lifestyle of segregation and discipline. A tough regimen of athletics and military training, coupled with minimal academics, followed.