Thermopylae, Narrow coastal pass in Lamia Municipality, Greece
Thermopylae is a narrow pass between the mountains and the sea in Lamia Municipality, Greece, where a confined coastal route once existed. The area is now crossed by a modern highway, while steep rock walls and natural thermal springs recall the ancient topography.
In 480 BC, a small Greek force led by Spartans held this passage for three days against the Persian army. The battle ended after a betrayal, when Persian troops used a mountain trail to outflank the defenders.
The site takes its name from the hot springs that emerge from the ground and have flowed here since ancient times. Visitors today see the bronze statue of the Spartan king, which has become a symbol of resistance and national identity for modern Greece.
The visitor center sits directly on the national highway between Athens and Thessaloniki and can be reached easily from both directions. Information panels across the site explain the geography and events of the ancient battle.
The original passage measured only around 12 meters (40 feet) wide between the cliffs and the water, but sediment deposits have pushed the coastline far out to sea over the centuries. What was once a natural trap is now an open plain with several kilometers of distance between the mountains and the shore.
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