What caused the Spartans to fall?

This decay occurred because Sparta’s population declined, change in values, and stubborn preservation of conservatism. Sparta ultimately surrendered its position as ancient Greece’s preeminent military power.

How were the Spartans betrayed at Thermopylae?

In the 1962 film The 300 Spartans, Ephialtes was portrayed by Kieron Moore and is depicted as a loner who worked on a goat farm near Thermopylae. He betrays the Spartans to the Persians out of greed for riches, and, it is implied, unrequited love for a Spartan girl named Ellas.

Why did 300 Spartan sacrifice themselves at Thermopylae?

After the Spartans began receiving bad omens from the gods because they impiously killed ambassadors sent by Xerxes’ father Darius, two Spartans named Sperthias and Bulis volunteered to travel to Persia to sacrifice themselves to atone for the impiety.

Who led the last stand of the 300 Spartans?

Leonidas
Battle of Thermopylae In the late summer of 480 B.C., Leonidas led an army of 6,000 to 7,000 Greeks from many city-states, including 300 Spartans, in an attempt to prevent the Persians from passing through Thermopylae.

Who conquered Sparta?

A large Macedonian army under general Antipater marched to its relief and defeated the Spartan-led force in a pitched battle. More than 5,300 of the Spartans and their allies were killed in battle, and 3,500 of Antipater’s troops.

Why did the Spartans lose the Battle of Thermopylae?

The Spartans lost because of a traitor by the name of Ephialtes of Trachis: a merchant hoping to make a quick profit. The Spartans weren’t alone in facing Xerxes’ hordes, many from all over Ancient Greece came to join Leonidas and the 300, but when Ephialtes told Xerxes of the path behind Thermopylae, it was a doomed mission.

What happened to Sparta after the Peloponnesian War?

When Sparta defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian War, it secured an unrivaled hegemony over southern Greece. Sparta’s supremacy was broken following the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC. It was never able to regain its military supremacy and was finally absorbed by the Achaean League in the 2nd century BC.

How long did it take the Spartans to defeat the Persians?

For three days they held off a Persian Army that was rumored to be up to 200,000+ strong, until the Persians found a path around and cornered the Spartans and other Greeks. They fought to the last man. According to legend, a group of Spartans defending the body of King Leonidus were the last to be killed.