THERMOPYLES
Thermopylae is the site of a feat engraved in the history of Greece. It all began when Xerxes, king of the Persian Empire, decided to invade Greece. He trained his troops, 1,800,000 men according to Herodotus but rather 100,000 in reality, to the Tembi Valley, which at the time was the true entrance to Greece. To face the invader, the Greeks were only 7,300, but they had an additional asset: the legendary bravery of their leader Leonidas. Xerxes had just developed an evil plan to take the Greeks on both sides. Having been aware of this project and knowing that he could not counter it, Leonidas dismissed the majority of his army and kept only a handful of 1,000 men. Leonidas and his troop fought with all their strength, deploying an unprecedented rage and vigour, but the Greek leader fell in the middle of the assault. This sacrifice of Leonidas and his family remains emblematic of the fight against the Persian invader.
However, this poorly developed site allows us to see some interesting buildings. To the left of the main highway when coming from Lamia, there is a bust without wings and the monument to Leonidas. On the way back to Lamia, turn left at the Shell petrol station to reach the Thermopylae natural springs. They have little to do with the military history of the site, but according to legend, these waters, reaching 41°C, have a great healing power: they would even have saved Hercules in the past.
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