Page:General History of Europe 1921.djvu/117

The Repulse of Persia 73 and eighty triremes. The Greeks were then ready for the first time to oppose the Persian advance by both sea and land. The design of Themistocles was to meet the Persian fleet first and fight a decisive naval battle as soon as possible. If victorious, the Greek fleet commanding the ^gean would then be able to sail up the eastern coast of Greece and threaten the communications and supplies of the Persian army. An effort to unite all the Greek states against the Persian invasion was not successful. Indeed, Themistocles was able to induce the Spartans to join with Athens only on condition that Sparta be given command of the allied Greek fleets. 108. Battles of Thermopylae and Artemisium (480B.C.). In the summer of 480 B.C. the Asiatic army was approaching the pass of Thermopylae, just opposite the westernmost point of the island of Euboea (see map, p. 50). Their fleet moved with them. It is supposed that the Asiatic host numbered over two hundred thousand men, with as many more camp followers, while the enor- mous fleet contained about a thousand vessels, of which two thirds were warships. Of the latter the Persians lost a hundred or two in a storm, leaving about five hundred warships available for action. The Spartan king Leonidas led some five thousand men to check the Persians at the pass of Thermopylse while the Greek fleet of less than three hundred triremes was endeavoring to strike the Persian navy at Artemisium, on the northern coast of Eubrea. This brought the land and sea forces of both contestants face to face. After several days' delay the Persians advanced to attack the Greeks on both land and sea. All day the dauntless Leonidas held the pass of Thermopylae against the Persian host. Meantime the Persians were executing two flank movements by land and by sea. The flank movement by sea failed, but the flanking of the pass was successful. Taken in front and rear, the heroic Leonidas died fighting at the head of his small force, which the Persian host completely annihilated. The death of Leonidas stirred all Greece. With the defeat of the Greek land forces and the advance of the Persian army, the Greek fleet, seriously damaged, was obliged to withdraw to the south. It took up its position in the Bay of