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THERMOPYLAE (Gr. OepµSs, hot, and 1rf)X, , See also: gate), a See also: Greek pass leading from Locris into See also: Thessaly between See also: Mount See also: Oeta and the See also: sea (Maliac Gulf)
.
It is chiefly famous for the heroic defence made by See also: Leonidas, the Spartan See also: king, with 300 Spartan soldiers against the Persian army of Xerxes advancing upon
See also: Greece in 48o (see LEONIDAS and authorities there quoted)
.
Two other famous battles took place at the pass
.
In 279 B.C
.
See also: Brennus and the Gauls were checked for several months by a Greek army under the Athenian Calippus, and in 191 See also: Antiochus of See also: Syria vainly attempted to hold the pass against the See also: Romans under M'
.
Acilius See also: Glabrio
.
In the See also: time of Leonidas the pass was a narrow track (probably about 14 yds. wide) under the cliff
.
In See also: modern times the deposits of the Spercheius have widened it to a breadth of 11 to 3 m. broad
.
The hot springs from which the pass derived its name still exist close to the See also: foot of the See also: hill
.
There is one large spring used as a
See also: bath and four smaller ones, and the See also: water, which is of a bluish See also: green' colour and contains lime, See also: salt, carbonic acid and See also: sulphur, is said'' to produce See also: good effects in cases of scrofula, See also: sciatica and rheu-' matism
.
The accommodation for bathers is, however, quite inadequate
.
For the topography see See also: Grundy, See also: Great Persian War, pp
.
277-291 . |
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