The Battle of Thermopylae is famous for the stand the Spartans made against a huge Persian army. Everyone knows that all 300 of Leonidas’ men were killed in the battle. But it was actually not all 300. After holding off the Persians for several days, a Greek traitor told Persian Emperor Xerxes about a path that would take Persian soldiers around the pass to the rear of the Spartans. Knowing they would be trapped, the Spartans decided to stand their ground and die where they stood. Before the inevitable slaughter, Leonidas told two of his men to return home due to disability. Eurytus had an eye disease that left him blind and Aristodemus had an unspecified problem that exempted him from the battle. Leonidas ordered them to return to Sparta. Unfortunately for Aristodemus, Eurytus changed his mind and turned around to join his mates in their glorious deaths. If not for that, the two would have reached Sparta and could justify their survival as being ordered by the king. Since Eurytus had sacrificed himself, this made Aristodemus look like a coward. Or as the Spartans called a soldier who fled from a battle, a “trembler”. He was considered a non-person. No Spartan would have anything to do with him. He was humiliated. It was a fate worse than death. One year later, Aristodemus was with the army at the Battle of Plataea. He charged the enemy alone to prove his bravery and was killed in the process. Ironically, the Spartans frowned on such obviously suicidal attacks, so Aristodemus did not completely redeem himself. But at least he didn’t have to continue living in shame. I need to mention a third Spartan named Pantites. Pantites was not at the battle because Leonidas had sent him as an emissary to Thessaly to ask for support. He did not get back in time for the battle. In spite of this legit excuse, he was treated the same as Aristodemus. He committed suicide.
Categories: Anecdote
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