Reference.com

22 results for: Thermopylae

Dictionary Entries (2 more entries. View all »)
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)Cite This Source
Ther·mop·y·lae    Audio Help   [ther-mop-uh-lee] Pronunciation Key
–noun
a pass in E Greece, between the cliffs of Mt. Oeta and the Gulf of Lamia: Persian defeat of the Spartans 480 b.c.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopedia Articles (18 more entries. View all »)
Columbia Electronic EncyclopediaCite This Source


Thermopylae [Gr.,=hot gates, from hot mineral springs nearby], pass, E central Greece, SE of Lamía, between the cliffs of Mt. Oeta and the Malic Gulf. Silt accumulation has gradually widened the once-narrow pass. In ancient times it was used as an entrance into Greece from the north. There in 480 B.C., Leonidas with his Spartans and their allies lost a heroic battle to the Persians under Xerxes I (see Persian Wars). At the pass in 279 B.C., the Greeks held back the Gauls under Brennus, who ultimately broke through, and, in 191 B.C., Antiochus III of Syria was defeated there by the Romans. 
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004, Columbia University Press.
Licensed from Columbia University Press




View results from: Dictionary | Thesaurus | Encyclopedia | All Reference | the Web


Thesaurus: No results found. Would you like to search the Web for Thermopylae?








Perform a new search, or try your search for "Thermopylae" at: