3. Thermopylae
The legendary site of the battle of the 300 Spartans (Another story we have Herodotus to thank for!). It was at this site that Leonidas I, his 300 Spartans, and a few thousand other Greeks stood against the horde of Xerxes King of Kings. Although the Greeks eventually lost due to treachery, They held out long enough to allow the rest of the Greek world time to rally against their new foe. Xerxes final defeat came only a year later at the twin battles of Plataea and Mycale. The site today is no longer a narrow mountain pass due to the sea retreating a few miles further out. A statue to Leonidas stands vigil marked with the defiant phrase the Spartan King uttered when asked to hand over his weapons: Come and take them…
Chris Black Writes 