HOW THE SPARTANS DIED AT THERMOPYLH. 151

Phocis had been stationed as a guard. These men,
surprised, and overwhelmed with a shower of arrows,
fied up the mountain-side, and left the way open to
the Persians, who pursued their course down the
mountain, and at mid-day reached the rear of the pass
of Thermopyle.

Leonidas had heard of their coming. Scouts had
brought him word. The defence of the pass was at
anend. They must fly or be crushed. A council
was hastily called, and it was decided to retreat.
But this decision was not joined in by Leonidas and
his gallant three hundred. The honor of Sparta
would not permit her king to yield a pass which he
had been sent to defend. The laws of his country
required that he should conquer or die at his post.
It was too late to conquer; but he could still die.
With him and his three hundred remained the Thes-
pians and Thebans, seven hundred of the former and
about four hundred of the latter. The remainder of
the army withdrew.

Xerxes had arranged to wait till noon, at which
hour the defenders of the pass were to be attacked
in front and rear. But Leonidas did not wait. All
he and his men had now to do was to sell their lives
as dearly as possible, so they marched outside the
pass, attacked the front of the Persian host, drove
them back, and killed them in multitudes, many of
them being driven to perish in the sea and the
morass. The Persian officers kept their men to the
deadly work. by threats and the liberal use of the
whip.

But one by one the Spartans fell. Their spears