This battle was fought between the invading Persian Empire and the Greek city-states of Sparta and Thebes. The Persians were led by King Xerxes I, while the Greeks were led by King Leonidas I of Sparta. The Greeks held off the Persians for three days at the narrow pass of Thermopylae, but were eventually defeated when the Persians found a secret path around the pass.
2. The Battle of Salamis (480 BC)
This battle was fought between the Persian Empire and the Greek city-states of Athens and Salamis. The Persians were again led by King Xerxes I, while the Greeks were led by the Athenian general Themistocles. The Greeks used their superior knowledge of the local waters to defeat the Persian fleet.
3. The Battle of Plataea (479 BC)
This battle was fought between the Persian Empire and the Greek city-states of Sparta, Athens, and Thebes. The Persians were again led by King Xerxes I, while the Greeks were led by the Spartan general Pausanias. The Greeks defeated the Persians and forced them to retreat from Greece.