I saw something about this on the History Channel last night.  Wasn't the the battle in which the Persians were led by Xerxes?  Although the account of the battle was somewhat sketchy, it seemed that the Greeks only “lost” the battle because they knowingly left about 6000 Spartans to defend themselves while the rest of the Greeks went to Sea to battle.  It seemed to be more of a tactic than an effort they were expecting to win.

Are you taking a class only in Greek history or are you just covering Greece temporarily?

Now I'm not saying it wasn't an important step, but I think the Battle of Thermopylae is overrated.  Everyone says without this delay it caused, the other Greeks wouldn't have had time to position themselves.  The battle only lasted 4 days, 5 days at the most.  Considering the others had to travel by foot, 5 days isn't nearly enough (I speculate the others were ready or nearly ready anyway).  Favorite battle is Salamis. IMO, that was the decisive turning point in the defeat of Persia.  No navy, no troops, no supplies…you lose.

My favorite Greek battle would have to be the Battle of the 300 Champions between Argos and Sparta.  I think the idea of a battle between champions rather than between armies is a fascinating idea.

I got interested in the battle when I took my Ancient History class.  I had never heard of it before either.  It is similar to the Combat of the Thirty during the Hundred Years War.  Here is an account of the Combat Verse Account of the Combat of the Thirty

This is an interesting topic. My favorite battles consist of: --Ancient--A) Battle of Leuctra: 371 BCEB) Battle of Guagamela/Arbela: 331 BCEC) Battle of Ipsus: 301 BCED) Battle of Corupedium: 281 BCEE) Battle of Cynoscephalae: 197 BCEF) Battle of Magnesia: 190 BCEG) Battle of Pydna: 167 BCEH) Battle of Cannae: 216 BCEI) Battle of Zama: 202 BCEJ) Battle of Heraclea: 280 BCEK) Battle/Siege of Alesia: 52 BCEL) Battle of Pharsalus: 48 BCEM) Naval battle of Actium: 31 BCE--Late Antiquity--Campaigns of Flavius Belisarius: 526-532 CE + 541-545 CE against the Sassanian Persians, 533-534 CE against the Vandals, 535-554 CE against the Ostrogoths:A) Siege of Rome: 537-538 CEB) Battle of CallinicumC) Battle of Tricamerum--Italian Renaissance + Early Modern Europe--A) Castruccio Castracani of Lucca: Battle of FuccechioB) Castruccio Castracani of Lucca: Battle of AltopasciaC) Castruccio Castracani of Lucca: Battle of CarmignanoD) Great Italian Wars: 1494-1559 CE (Battle of Pavia: 1525 CE)E) Thirty Years' War: 1618-1648 CE (Battles of Breitenfield + Lutzen)F) Eighty Years' War: 1568-1648 CE (Siege of Breda: 1624-1625 CE)G) Battle of Mollwitz: 1741 CEH) Battle of Hohenfriedberg: 1745 CEI) Battle of Rossbach: 1757 CEJ) Battle of Leuthen: 1757 CEK) Battle of Kesselsdorf: 1757 CEL) Battle of Fontenoy: 1757 CEM) Battle of KircholmN) Battle of Narva: 1700 CEO) Battle of Poltava: 1709 CE--Napoleonic Era--Italian Wars: 1796-1797 CE:A) Battle of MontenotteB) Battle of MillesimoC) Battle of San MicheleD) Battle of CevaE) Battle of LodiF) Battle of BassanoG) Battle of Rovento H) Battle of MondaviI) Battle of ArcoleJ) Battle of RivoliK) Battle of MantuaCoalition Wars:L) Battle of Marengo: 1800 CEM) Battle of Hohenlinden: 1800 CEN) Battle of UlmO) Battle of Austerlitz: 1805 CEP) Battle of Jena: 1806 CEQ) Battle of Auerstadt: 1806 CER) Battle of Aspern-Essling: 1809 CE S) Battle of Wagram: 1809 CE--Modern Era--A) Battle of Sedan: 1870 CE

um marothon