same slaughter as the rest. The fleet in the strait
doubtless warmly cheered on the brave hoplites in the pass; but as for
Xerxes, "Thrice," says Herodotus, "did he spring from his throne, in
agony for his army."

The deed of a traitor rendered useless this noble defence. A recreant
Greek, Ephialtes by name, sought Xerxes and told him of a mountain pass
over which he could guide a band to attack the defenders of Thermopylae
in the rear. A strong Persian detachment was ordered to cross the pass,
and did so under shelter of the night. At daybreak they reached the
summit, where a thousand Greeks from Phocis had been stationed as a
guard. These men, surprised, and overwhelmed with a shower of arrows,
fled up the mountain-side, and left the way open to the Persians, who
pursued their course down the mountain, and at mid-day reached the rear
of the pass of Thermopylae.

Leonidas had heard of their coming. Scouts had brought him word. The
defence of the pass was at an end. They must fly or be crushed. A
council was hastily called, and it was decided to retreat. But this
decision was not joined in by Leonidas and his gallant three hundred.
The honor of Sparta would not permit her king to yield a pass which he
had been sent to defend. The laws of his country required that he should
conquer or die at his post. It was too late to conquer; but he could
still die. With him and his three hundred remained the Thespians and
Thebans, seven hundred of the former and about four hundred of the
latter. The remainder of the army withdrew.

Xerxes had arranged to wait till noon, at which hour the defenders of
the pass were to be attacked in front and rear. But Leonidas did not
wait. All he and his men had now to do was to sell their lives as dearly
as possible, so they marched outside the pass, attacked the front of the
Persian host, drove them back, and killed them in multitudes, many of
them being driven to perish in the sea and the morass. The Persian
officers kept their men to the deadly work by threats and the liberal
use of the whip.

But one by one the Spartans fell. Their spears were broken, and they
fought with their swords. Leonidas sank in death, but his men fought on
more fiercely still, to keep the foe back from his body. Here many of
the Persian chiefs perished, among them two brothers of Xerxes. It was
like a combat of the Iliad rather than a contest in actual war. Finally
the Greeks, worn out, reduced in numbers, their bes