Leonidas was a warrior king of Sparta, one of the most dominant ancient Greek cities. He was not destined by birth to become king at all, and did so only because his older half-brother Cleomenes died without male issue. During his reign, King Xerxes of Persia sought to conquer all of Greece, after his father’s failed attempt. By 480 BC, Xerxes had built up an enormous army of some one hundred and fifty thousand men and a navy of six hundred ships. The invasion led to the Battle of Thermopylae, which is considered one of the most famous battles in European ancient history. Unlike other battles, however, it was not a victory for the Greeks, but a defeat. Its fame is derived from being one of the most courageous last stands by the vastly outnumbered defending army of Greek city states led by King Leonidas of Sparta against the invading Persians under King Xerxes. The Greek fo...