Min Yu Wae - People like him

A person like him

About 2,500 years ago, small city-states, each with its own king and system of government, flourished on the Greek peninsula. The two most prominent of these were Athens and Sparta.

The citizens of Athens loved beauty. They valued beautiful buildings and beautiful statues. They loved literature.

The Spartans were not like that. They loved to fight. They considered it the greatest honor for a man to fight bravely in battle. They also made it a law not to retreat in battle. If he retreated, he was considered a lawbreaker and a coward. He was looked down upon as someone who did not dare to fight for his country, who did not dare to sacrifice for his country. He was despised. Therefore, the Spartans respected the law and never retreated on the battlefield. If they were defeated, they would die on the spot.

At that time, the Persian king, Xerxes, was marching against the Greek city-states. He led a vast Persian army across the mountains and forests, destroying everything in his path.

The Persian army had to cross the Thermopylae pass to reach the Greek city-states. The pass was very narrow. This was an advantage for the Greek army. It was difficult for the Greek city-states to fight the Persian army, which was much stronger than them, in the open field, and they could only resist and attack from a position of strength in the valley.

Therefore, the Greek city-states chose the Spartan king to lead the defense against the enemy at the pass. The Spartan king's name was Leonidas. He was the bravest and most skilled fighter. He, as instructed by the Greeks, led the best warriors of the Greek city-states and three hundred of his fellow Spartan warriors to the pass of Thermopylae. From there, he waited for the enemy to come.

Soon the Persian army arrived near the valley pass. Here the Persian king sent spies to investigate the situation. The spies went secretly and found the Spartan king and a small army of Greeks. The Greeks, although small in strength, were not afraid, they did not fight, they fought each other, and they were calm, stable, and even happy.

The spies reported back to the Persian king. A Persian general in the king's court said:

"The Greeks never despise war. They are always mocking before they fight, and when they do, they fight to the death. | The Greek army now on the mountain road is the Spartan king Leonidas (b) and his elite soldiers. They are the bravest and best warriors in Greece. If we can defeat them, | we can easily defeat the Greek army."

Explained.

The Persian king could not believe that the weak Greek army would resist his powerful Persian army. So he sent messengers to Leonidas, asking him to surrender.

Then Leonidas replied with a smile.

"If the invaders have the courage, let them come."

Soon the elite Persian soldiers attacked the elite Greek soldiers led by Leonidas. They were defeated at every attack. So they continued to press on. As they pressed on, they fell in pieces. Leonidas fought bravely and bravely through the narrow valley, fighting back the enemy with great fear.

After two days of fighting, the Persian king sent his most powerful bodyguard to attack. They too were unsuccessful. They were killed by the Greeks' swords and spears. The bodies of the Persian soldiers were ugly, ugly, and in a heap. Then the Persian king and the Persian soldiers began to worry that they were about to be defeated. They even began to think about whether they would be able to retreat and return.

Meanwhile, a traitor named Ephialtes appeared among the Greeks. He was cunning, wicked, and greedy, and he wanted gold and silver. So he secretly went to the Persian army and appealed to the Persian king.

"Your Majesty, there is a path that can lead to the rear of King Leonidas and his army. It is a secret passage. Some of your soldiers can advance along that path and surround King Leonidas' army from the rear. And if they attack from the front and rear, what will they do? I know that path very well. If you will reward me with gold and silver, I will show you the way, Your Majesty."

Then the Persian king was overjoyed. He could attack Leo Nidas (p. 11) from the front and from the rear. If so, would the Greeks be able to withstand him? He immediately offered the traitor gold and silver. He showed him a secret mountain pass. Thus, a large number of the Persian elite troops reached the rear of Leo Nidas (p. 11).

Leonidas was devastated when he learned that they had been betrayed. But he could not do it anymore. He divided his army into two groups. The first group included a large number of soldiers. This group was to attack the enemy in the rear. The second group included himself and three hundred Spartans. They were to defend against the enemy who would attack from the front. They were in a bad position, and no matter how hard they tried, they would not be able to repel the enemy. They were about to fall.

But they must not be defeated, nor must their fall be in vain. The longer they can fight, the more time they can gain for the rest of the Greek army to prepare and gather strength. Moreover, if they follow their example and continue to strive, the Greeks, although they may lose now, will be able to win again in the future. Moreover, out of respect for the laws of the Spartan state, should they not retreat and die? Should they not set an example for future generations?

Thus, Leonidas (S) fought back with all his might against the overwhelming force of the enemy. The enemy fell one by one. Likewise, Leonidas (S) also fell one by one. The enemy fell, but they were strong enough to recruit new soldiers. Leonidas (B) could not recruit new ones. However, they did not give up. They fought with all their might until their spears broke. They cut until their spears broke. When they finally ran out of weapons, they punched them. They kicked them. They bit them with their teeth. In this invincible and unyielding fight, Leonidas (S) and his comrades fell. They all died.

With the death of Leonidas, the Persians gained a victory over the Greeks. However, their victory was short-lived. Within a year, the Greeks, inspired by the spirit of the fallen Leonidas and his comrades, returned to attack the Persians. They defeated the Persians on both land and sea. They drove the invaders from their homeland.

After the war, the Greeks erected a large stone lion statue on the road to the valley of Thermopylae, where Leonidas and his comrades fell. It was a memorial stone statue to Leonidas who fought like a lion. At the bottom of the lion statue, the following inscription was inscribed in honor of the fallen, as if by the 13 fallen.

"Oh, traveler, when you reach Sparta, tell us that we have sacrificed our lives in honor of the laws established by the Spartans."