THESE STATEMENTAt the time of the Persian Wars, King Leonidas viewed the Battle of Thermopylae as a way for the Greeks to delay the Persian advance into Greece.PURPOSE STATEMENTGrace Based on textual references to the Battle of Thermopylae, critical analysis and research, it is certain that the Battle of Thermopylae was intended to block the Persian forces. INTRODUCTION Given the lack of manpower in the Spartan army, they could not have chosen a better place to host this battle than at Thermopylae. . The Spartans' battle tactics helped them maintain their position throughout the duration of their fight. Despite the size of the vast Persian army, Leonidas fought to the last man. His objective was not to preserve his men but only to buy time for the rest of Greece. LOCATION IS EVERYTHING The Battle of Thermopylae could not have gone better for the Spartans. The mountainous hot springs of Thermopylae were the ideal place for the 300 people to give their lives. The landscape of Thermopylae was filled with mountains surrounding the Spartans' left and right flanks, and had an opening just wide enough for the Spartans to fight while the Persians struggled to squeeze into close quarters with their massive numbers of men . The Asopos Gorge (see Figure 1-1 and Figure 1-2) also provided active defense during wars. Burn states “it was guarded by a walled fortress of the local Greeks on top of the cliffs” (Burn 90). This gorge constituted a major obstacle for the Persians. It was the most heavily defended point leading into Greece and by far the most difficult to infiltrate. The Encyclopedia of World Biography states that "the Persian army would have to disrupt its formations to enter the mouth of the Pass and, once inside, it would... middle of paper... ready to assume the role of a militaristic Spartan. The tactics they used to confront the Persians were practiced and perfected over years of experience and training. This helped them retain their positions for the long period they held. This quote from NS Gill's article, Battle of Thermopylae, states: “The Spartan king Leonidas was the general in charge of the Greek forces attempting to hold back the vast Persian army, to delay it. . . Leonidas might have hoped to stall them long enough that Xerxes would have to wander away to look for food and water. This quote says that Leonidas had not hoped to defeat the Persians but only to hold them off until reinforcements arrived to join the war. These valiant efforts were not in vain. The 300 Spartans and Leonidas are dead. But they died knowing that their battles would one day help Greece defeat the Persians..