Hi Everyone!! This article will share The Last Stand at Thermopylae Questions & Answers.
In my previous posts, I have shared the questions & answers of The Battle of Blenheim, The Bet and A Retrieved Reformation so, you can check these posts as well.
The Last Stand at Thermopylae Questions & Answers
Question 1: What act of defiance by Athens and Sparta did Xerxes desire to avenge?
Answer: Darius, the king of Persia, had sent his heralds to the Greek cities demanding earth and water as tokens of acceptance of his power. But Athens and Sparta defend him and threw the heralds into pits and told them to take earth and water from there and carry it to their great king. Xerxes, who ascended the throne of Persia after his father, wanted to avenge their defiance by defeating them.
Question 2: What preparations did the Athenians make for the war? Who advised them?
Answer: Athens being an island, the Athenians were accustomed to life upon the sea with daring skillful sailors. So, they built a powerful fleet in preparation for the war upon the advice of a far-sighted citizen, Themistocles.
Question 3: Why did Greece send spies to Persia? How were they treated by Xerxes?
Answer: Greece sent spies to Persia to discover the war preparations there. The spies were captured but were not condemned to death; instead, they were shown Xerxes’ total army and navy strength. After this, they were sent home to report what they had witnessed.
Question 4: What was the first message the oracle of Delphi gave? How was the second message interpreted by the Athenians?
Answer: The first message received from the oracle of Delphi was frightening because they were told to leave their land and city and flee far away. They would be defeated by fire and sword and were asked to go away with sorrow in their hearts.
The second message was that when everything in the land shall be taken, the wooden wall alone shall stand unconquered, to defend them and their children. They were not to wait to be attacked but retreat and survive.
Question 5: Explain the strategies for defence at Thermopylae against the Persians? Who lead the army here?
Answer: The famous pass of Thermopylae was an appropriate place for the army; the road was a mile wide, there were hot springs and at each end there were narrow passes. The old wall across the pass was rebuilt and the army waited here for the mighty Persian host. Leonidas, the king of Sparta, led his army of three hundred soldiers.
The Last Stand at Thermopylae Questions & Answers
Question 6: Describe the first conflict between the Greeks and Persians that took place at sea. How did the Greeks prove they were wayfaring sailors immediately after this?
Answer: The Greek admirals were seized with sudden fright and sailed away southward leaving the army to the mercy of the Persian ships.
A dreadful hurricane struck the great Persian fleet and wrecked more than four hundred ships of war. The Greek fleet having escaped this disaster, returned with renewed courage, sailed back and quickly captured several vessels of the Persian fleet.
Question 7: Describe how Xerxes’ army despite outnumbering the Greeks was defeated at Thermopylae in the first combat?
Answer: Xerxes’ troops marched forward to enter the throat of the narrow pass. But their bows and arrows were of little use here because they had to fight the Greeks hand to hand. The Spartan army was suitably armed with long spears and spreading shields. Their sturdy ranks and strict discipline were far superior in warfare than the Persians with their light weapons, shield and open ranks. They were killed by the hundreds while the Greeks met with little loss. During the two days of combat, fresh defenders constantly replaced the tired ones, but as they fell, a wall of the Persian dead accumulated outside the wall of stone.
Question 8: Unable to defeat the Greek army, what means did Xerxes use to break their defense? Describe what action was immediately taken in Greek camp?
Answer: Xerxes connived with a traitor to defeat the Greek army by guiding his band of soldiers to attack the defenders of Thermopylae in the rear.
In the Greek camp, a hasty council was held and a decision to retreat was taken. But Leonidas and his gallant three hundred did not agree to the retreat. They would stand by the laws and honour of Sparta and either do or die for the country at their post.
Question 9: Referring closely to the Persian attack and the defense of Leonidas’ army, bring out the significance of the title ‘The Last Stand at Thermopylae’.
Answer: Leonidas did not wait, but marched outside the pass, attacked the Persian host, killed them in multitudes and drove them back; many were driven back to perish in the sea. Many of the Persian army chief’s succumbed to the onslaught, including two brothers of Xerxes. But the Greek numbers started to fall, tired, their best weapons gone, as they bore the body of their chief Leonidas after his death. They fought with daggers and even bare hands, until the last man’s fall, fighting for their country, suitably expressed in the title ‘The Last Stand at Thermopylae’.
Question 10: Read the lines and answer the questions:
To make war upon an island…………….a far-sighted citizen urged.
(a) What was the advantage the Athenian had on sea?
Answer: Athens was an island and the Athenians were accustomed to a commercial life upon the sea and many of them were daring and skillful sailors. Thus, they would be better equipped to fight the Persians at sea.
(b) Who is Themistocles? What did he urge to the Athenians to do?
Answer: Themistocles was a far-sighted citizen. He urged the Athenians to build a powerful fleet.
(c) What was the outcome of Themistocles far-sight and urging?
Answer: Themistocles’ far-sightedness of urging the Athenians to build a powerful fleet to meet the Persians at sea, resulted in an initial retreat of the Greek admirals, only to come back with reinforced courage to meet and defeat the Persian fleet.
(d) After Xerxes sent the Greek spies back, what did the Greeks do to reinforce their strength?
Answer: To reinforce their strength, Athens and Sparta called a congress of all the states of Greece, where they set aside their petty, feuds and combined their defence against the common foe.
The Last Stand at Thermopylae Questions & Answers
Question 11: Read the lines and answer the questions:
Here was some hope, though small………..and seek a new home afar.
(a) Explain some hope though small. Who had given them this hope?
Answer: The second message was the hope that when everything in the land shall be taken, the wooden wall alone shall stand unconquered, to defend themselves and their children. ‘Do not wait to be attacked but retreat and you shall survive’, was the sacred advice made by the priestess at Delphi.
(b) What alternative did they have?
Answer: The other alternative was that they abandon Athens forever, take to their ‘wooden walls’ and search for a new home far away.
(c) Who advised them to build ships? Describe how the Greek fleet exhibited fear and courage in two combats.
Answer: Themistocles, a far-sighted citizen, advised them to build ships.
In the first combat, the Greek admirals were seized with sudden fright on seeing the great Persian fleet and sailed away southward leaving the army to the mercy of the Persian ships.
The second combat was after a dreadful hurricane had struck the great Persian fleet and wrecked more than four hundred ships of war. The Greek navy, having escaped this disaster, returned with renewed courage, sailed back and quickly captured several vessels of the Persian fleet.
(d) The Greeks were outnumbered on sea and land, yet they stood their ground. What do you think was the underlying factor?
Answer: The Greeks were brave, fearless and a warlike race, skilled in warfare on land or sea. They were loyal and loved their country; to preserve the freedom of their country they were ready to lay down their lives.
Question 12: Read the lines and answer the questions:
In the June of 480 BC, a Greek………….the coming of mighty Persian host.
(a) Name the king of mighty Persian host. What fate had his Persian fleet met in the first combat?
Answer: Xerxes was the King of the mighty Persian host. In the fist combat with the Greeks, the Persian fleet was struck by a frightful hurricane that wrecked four hundred ships causing an immense loss of life with it. The Greek fleet having escaped this disaster returned to capture several vessels of the Persian fleet.
(b) What information had he received about the Greek army camped at Thermopylae?
Answer: The king had been told that there were a handful of Spartans and other Greeks posted in the pass. But after the news that his fleet had been devastated, he sent a horseman to check on the Greek army in the pass. The horseman reported that there was a wall and outside it a small Spartan force.
(c) Describe fate of the Persian troops as they entered the throat of the narrow pass at Thermopylae to attack.
Answer: Xerxes’ troops marched forward to enter the throat of the narrow pass but their bows and arrows were of little use here because they had to fight the Greeks hand to hand. The Spartan army was suitably armed with long spears; spreading shields; their sturdy ranks and strict discipline were far superior in warfare than the Persians with their light weapons, shields and open ranks. They were killed by hundreds, while the Greeks met with little loss. During the two days of combat, fresh defenders constantly replaced the tired ones, but they fell, a wall of the Persian dead lay piled outside the wall of stone.
(d) Why did the Greek army prove to be more than a match for the Persian when it met in a combat?
Answer: The Greek army proved more than a match for the Persians; the Spartan arms and discipline were far more superior; they had long spears, spreading shield to protect, firm formation of ranks and rigid discipline, against the light weapons, slight shields and open ranks of the Persians.
Question 13: Read the lines and answer the questions:
The defence of the pass was……………joined in by Leonidas and his Spartans.
(a) Which pass was being defended and by whom?
Answer: The narrow pass at Thermopylae was being defended by Leonidas and his three hundred Spartans, seven hundred Thespians and four hundred Thebans.
(b) What choice did they have? What decision was taken by the council?
Answer: The choice they had was either fly or be crushed. The council decided that they should retreat.
(c) Why did Leonidas refuse to accept this decision? Who all stood by him?
Answer: Leonidas refused to accept this decision because the honour of Sparta would not permit him to leave the pass which he had been sent to defend. The laws of his country required that he should combat to defend and conquer or die at his post.
(d) What action did Leonidas and his army take?
Answer: Leonidas with his three hundred soldiers did not wait but marched outside the pass, attacked the Persian host, drove them back; many perished in the sea and a large number were killed. Many of the Persian army chief’s succumbed to the onslaught, including two brothers of Xerxes. Soon, the Greek numbers started to fall, tired, their best weapons gone. As they carried the dead body of their chief Leonidas, they fought with daggers and even bare hands. The Spartans fought till the last man fell fighting for his country.
So, these were The Last Stand at Thermopylae Questions & Answers.