Memorial to Leonidas and 300 Spartans — Attraction in Lamia Municipality

Thermopylae, Greece Location of the legendary battle that took place during the second Persian invasion of Greece, occurring in August (or September) of 480 BC.

The modern Memorial at Thermopylae and Leonida's Monument stands opposite the historical hill of Kolonos and represents Leonidas in full armour. It was designed by B. Phalereus, and was erected in the 1950s at the expense of the Greek-American diaspora.

The monument was built to commemorate the battle at Thermopylae, and is located at the centre of the pass, where the final phase of the battle took place, as is attested by the accumulation at the foot of the hill of iron and bronze spearheads dated to the 5th century BC.

The sculptural synthesis consists of the brass statue of Leonidas with his spear and shield in the centre, while on the right and left and in a lower height we have the marble figures of the personified Taigetos, which is the highest mountain in the Peloponnese and the personified Evrotas which is a river flowing through the whole district of Laconia/Sparta. The figure of King Leonidas was based on an ancient warrior that was found in the excavation conducted by the British Archaeological School in 1920 and was identified as Leonidas.

Leonidas' sacrifice along with his 300 comrades and the 4,000 Greeks (or 7,000) has become a timeless symbol of resistance against a much greater foe (Modern historians suggest 130,000 Persians. Herodotus and other ancient Greek authors mentioned millions of Persians as part of the Achaemenid army which nowadays is considered an exaggeration), a fight against all odds. In the location where Leonidas and his comrades died, ancient Greeks erected a momument bearing the well-known epigram : Ὦ ξεῖν’, ἀγγέλλειν Λακεδαιμονίοις ὅτι τῇδε κείμεθα, τοῖς κείνων ῥήμασι πειθόμενοι...which can be translated to "Go, tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, That here, obedient to their laws, we lie".

After the battle in Thermopylae a stone lion was built for everyone to remember the name of the King that died in this location. His body was sent to be buried in Sparta in 440 BC. In our day, neither the rock lion nor the inscription of the epigram is saved. A copy of the epigram has been placed on the top of the Hill of Kolonus opposite the Heroon, where the last scene of the...

Near Athens lies this historic monument of Leonidas and the 300 Spartans it is a must go if you love Greece nevertheless the real treasure lies just a couple of hundred meters nearby.It is a thermal spa that is absolutely fantastic ,it has mini lagoons with thermal water with the smell of sulphur it is of course clean as the waters coming constantly throught the waterfall and draining elsewhere all the time.The big event and the most at least for me must see and feel is the waterfall.It is a real marvel as the waters coming constantly with high speed and dropping from the waterfall the pressure of the water is 5 - 6 kilograms per square centimetre which is equivalent to a little less pressure from a fire hose.It is the best hydro massage i have ever made and due to the fact that it is neglected because of the smell and because the municipal doesn't take care of it most of the times you can enjoy solo the waterfall.the first time I was there it was like having a massage for 1+ hour.It is a real opportunity and a must see experience you will remember it for a long time!!!!!!The place is not so big but for 5 to 10 people is perfect,FREE OF CHARGE.Do not...

For most tourists (certainly for bus-trippers), this monument will only be a quick stop and a group photo. For me this spot was an important tick off my bucket list ; I have been reading for years about this important period in Hellenistic and European history. It does take a little imagination to picture the battlefield as it was 2,500 years ago, because the sea has retreated a couple of kilometers ; it is easier to visualize it if you cross the busy motorway and climb up the mountain flank to where the plaque "go tell the Spartans" is. The monument is only a symbolic effort to memorize this symbol of ultimate courage, sacrifice and patriotism ; I'm sure the statue is more based on the movie "300" than on the King of the Spartans. But I find that rather irrelevant. The monument is there to make you stop and think - that works for me. PS Off to the side of the larger statue of Leonidas at Thermopylae, there is a monument to the 700 Thespians who died alongside the Spartans ; go and...