Ephialtes (Greek: Ἐφιάλτης; but Herodotus spells it without the second syllable aspiration, i.e., Epialtes, Ἐπιάλτης) was the son of Eurydemus of Malis.^[1] He showed the Persian forces a trail around the allied Greek position at the pass of Thermopylae, which helped them win the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. Ephialtes is the name of: Ephialtes, the Athenian statesman Ephialtes of Trachis, who betrayed the Spartans at Thermopylae to the Persians. ... The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the old Persian homeland, and beyond in Western Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus. ... For the clipper ship, see Thermopylae (clipper). ... For other uses, see Battle of Thermopylae (disambiguation). ... The Persian invasion of Greece in 480-479 BC May — King Xerxes I of Persia marches from Sardis and onto Thrace and Macedonia. ...

The allied Greek land forces, which Herodotus states numbered no more than 4,200 men, had chosen Thermopylae to block the advance of the vastly numerically superior Persian army. Although this gap between the Trachinian Cliffs and the Malian Gulf was only "wide enough for a single carriage" (Herodotus, Histories, 7.200), it could be bypassed by a trail which led over the mountains south of Thermopylae and joined the main road behind the Greek position. Herodotus notes that this trail was well-known to the locals, who had used it in the past for raiding their neighbor Phocians (7.215). Herodotus of Halicarnassus (Greek: HÄ“rodotos Halikarnāsseus) was a Greek historian from Ionia who lived in the 5th century BC (ca. ... Phocis (Greek, Modern: Φωκίδα, Ancient/Katharevousa: -s, also Phokida, Phokis) is an ancient district of central Greece. ...

Herodotus notes that two other men were accused of betraying this trail to the Persians: Onetas, a native of Carystus and son of Phanagoras; and Corydallus, a native of Anticyra. Nevertheless, he argues Ephialtes was the one who revealed this trail because "the deputies of the Greeks, the Pylagorae, who must have had the best means for ascertaining the truth, did not offer the reward on the heads of Onetas and Corydallus, but for that of Ephialtes of Trachis" (7.214). Carystus was a city-state that refused to join the Delian League. ... Anticyra, the ancient name of three cities of Greece, (Mod. ...

Led by Hydarnes, a detachment of the Persian army advanced along this path, encountering 1,000 Phocians stationed to block this route. Thinking that they were engaging the entire Persian army and that their aim was to attack their nearby homes in Phocis, the Phocians withdrew to defend their city-state, which allowed the Persians to continue along the trail and flank the allied Greeks (7.218). The news reached the Greeks at Thermopylae either late that day or before the dawn of the next day, who held a council to decide their next step. Phocis (Greek, Modern: Φωκίδα/Fokída, Ancient/Katharevousa: Φωκίς/Phokis; named after the Greek mythological personage Phocus) is an ancient district of central Greece and a prefecture of modern Greece located in Sterea Hellas, one of the thirteen peripheries of Greece. ... Phocis (Greek, Modern: Φωκίδα/Fokída, Ancient/Katharevousa: Φωκίς/Phokis; named after the Greek mythological personage Phocus) is an ancient district of central Greece and a prefecture of modern Greece located in Sterea Hellas, one of the thirteen peripheries of Greece. ... A city-state is a region controlled exclusively by a city. ...

Herodotus is somewhat unclear exactly what happened next. He provides one account that some of the Greek detachments began to depart for their home towns, while others pledged, despite this development, to stand by the Spartan King Leonidas; he also reports that Leonidas ordered the rest to return home, while the Spartans (who numbered slightly under 300) would stay as a rear guard. The Spartans were joined by about 700 Thespians, who fought to the death with the Spartans, and the Theban detachment, whom Leonidas held as hostages and who deserted to the Persians at their first opportunity (7.222, 235). For other uses, see Leonidas (disambiguation). ... Sparta (Doric: Spártā, Attic: Spártē) is a city in southern Greece. ... Thespiae (Greek Θεσπιαι, Thespiai) was an ancient Greek city in Boeotia. ... Thebes (Demotic Greek: Θήβα — Thíva; Katharevousa: — Thêbai or Thívai) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain. ...

Ephialtes expected to be rewarded by the Persians, but this came to nothing when they were defeated at the Battle of Salamis. He then fled to Thessaly; the Amphictyons at Pylae had offered a reward for his death. According to Herodotus he was killed for an apparently unrelated reason by Athenades of Trachis, around 470 BC; but the Spartans rewarded Athenades all the same (7.213). For other uses, see Battle of Salamis (disambiguation). ... Map showing Thessaly periphery in Greece Thessaly (Θεσσαλια; modern Greek Thessalía; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is one of the 13 peripheries of Greece, and is further sub-divided into 4 prefectures. ... The Amphictyonic League (Amphictyony) was a form of Greek religious organization that was enjoined to support specific temples or sacred places. ... Herodotus of Halicarnassus (Greek: Hērodotos Halikarnāsseus) was a Greek historian from Ionia who lived in the 5th century BC (ca. ... Suspected of plotting to seize power in Sparta by instigating a helot uprising, Pausanias takes refuge in the Temple of Athena of the Brazen House to escape arrest. ...

In fiction

Frank Miller's graphic novel, 300, and its film adaptation (in which he is played by Andrew Tiernan), feature Ephialtes as a hideously deformed hunchback born of Sparta, whose parents fled Sparta to save their deformed child from death. His father trained Ephialtes in the Spartan way and his dream is to be part of the Spartan elite and join King Leonidas and his 300 in the battle to glory. Leonidas refuses to allow him to fight because of his inability to lift his shield from thigh to neck, which in turn would create a weak spot in the Spartan phalanx. Ephialtes decides to betray the Spartans when the Persian King Xerxes tempts him with land, wealth and women. Ephialtes also asks for one more thing: a uniform. When the 300 are surrounded by the Persian troops, and Ephialtes implores Leonidas to surrender (showing that he still harbors respect for the king), Leonidas calls to him and says: "You there, Ephialtes. May you live forever." This was the greatest Spartan insult, as SPartans believed valor only came from a "beautiful death." Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American writer, artist and film director best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. ... Trade paperback of Will Eisners A Contract with God (1978), often mistakenly cited as the first graphic novel. ... 300 is a historically-inspired comic book limited series (later collected into a single hardcover volume) written and illustrated by Frank Miller with painted colors by Lynn Varley. ... 300 is a 2007 film adaptation of the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller, and is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. ... Andrew James Tiernan (born on November 30, 1965 in Birmingham, UK) is an English actor. ... Kyphosis (Greek - kyphos, a hump), in general terms, is a curvature of the upper spine. ... Leonidas can refer to: Leonidas I, king of Sparta, ruled c. ... Leonidas can refer to: Leonidas I, king of Sparta, ruled c. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Xerxes I (خشایارشاه), was a Persian king (reigned 485 - 465 BC) of the Achaemenid dynasty. ...

External links

• Herodotus 7.13 from Perseus Project.

The Perseus Project is a digital library project of Tufts University that assembles digital collections of humanities resources. ...

References