Leonidas: King of Sparta, Hero of Thermopylae (opens in new tab)

Listen to Leonidas: King of Sparta, Hero of Thermopylae from The Ancients. In 480 BC, at the narrow pass of Thermopylae, a vastly outnumbered Greek force prepares to face the advancing army of the Persian king Xerxes. At its head stands Leonidas, king of Sparta, ready to make a final stand that will become one of the most famous moments in ancient history.In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Andrew Bayliss to peel back the myth and uncover the real story of Leonidas...