Ephialtes: The Most Notorious Traitor in Ancient Greek History

Ephialtes betrayed King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans astatine the Battle of Thermopylae. Public Domain

Ephialtes of Trachis, is regarded arsenic 1 of the astir notorious traitors successful the past of Greece. He played a important relation successful the Battle of Thermopylae successful 480 BC by starring the Persian forces, nether King Xerxes I, done a upland walk called Anopaea, which bypassed the Greek defenses. This allowed the Persians to outflank the Greek forces led by King Leonidas of Sparta, yet starring to their defeat.

His sanction became synonymous with betrayal successful Greek history, symbolizing the archetypal traitor overmuch similar Judas successful Christian contented oregon Benedict Arnold successful American humanities memory.

Historical accounts of Ephialtes astatine the Battle of Thermopylae

Herodotus, known arsenic the “father of history”, provides an relationship of Ephialtes’ betrayal successful Book 7 of his enactment “Histories.” He describes however Ephialtes, seeking a reward from the Persian King Xerxes I, revealed to him a concealed upland way that allowed the Persian service to bypass the Greek defence astatine the constrictive walk of Thermopylae.

Ephialtes, motivated by a tendency for idiosyncratic gain, approached the Persian King Xerxes and informed him astir a upland way that would let the Persian service to circumvent the Greek defence astatine Thermopylae, Herodotus wrote.

This path, known arsenic the Anopaea Pass, led done the mountains and emerged down the Greek position, frankincense enabling the Persians to outflank the Greek forces led by King Leonidas.

Xerxes, realizing the strategical value of this information, dispatched a unit nether the bid of Hydarnes to instrumentality vantage of the upland way revealed by Ephialtes. This contingent of Persian troops successfully navigated the way and arrived down the Greek lines, catching them by surprise.

As a effect of Ephialtes’ betrayal and the Persian flanking maneuver, the Greek presumption astatine Thermopylae was compromised, yet starring to their decision successful the battle.

Herodotus portrays Ephialtes arsenic a traitor motivated by idiosyncratic gain, whose actions played a important relation successful the result of the Battle of Thermopylae.

Another past historiographer Diodorus Siculus provides a little relationship of Ephialtes’ betrayal successful his enactment “Bibliotheca historica” (Library of History). In Book 11, Chapter 4, helium concisely mentions Ephialtes and his relation successful the Battle of Thermopylae. Plutarch besides mentions Ephialtes and his relation successful his biography of the Athenian person and wide Themistocles.

What happened to the past Greek traitor Ephialtes aft Thermopylae?

From the humanities accounts, we cognize that Ephialtes was a national of Trachis a city-state successful cardinal Greece located westbound of Thermopylae and was populated by the Malians. Its main municipality was besides called Trachis until 426 BC erstwhile it was refounded arsenic a Spartan colony and became Heraclea Trachinia.

But what happened to Ephialtes aft the betrayal? Again Herodotus sheds immoderate light:

“Ephialtes afterwards fled into Thessaly, for fearfulness of the Lacedaemonians [ed: Spartans]; and helium being truthful banished a terms was enactment connected his caput by the Pylagori erstwhile the Amphictyons sat unneurotic successful their assembly astatine Thermopylae [ed: Malis was a subordinate of the Amphictyonic league];

“And a agelong clip aft that, having returned to Anticyra, helium was slain by Athenades, a antheral of Trachis. It was for different origin (which I volition archer successful the second portion of my history) that this Athenades slew Ephialtes, but helium was nevertheless honored for it by the Lacedaemonians.”

Battle of Thermopylae

It was astir apt connected August 7th of 480 BC that 1 of the astir decisive battles ever recorded successful Greek history, the Battle of Thermopylae, took spot against the Persian Empire.

This battle, which has travel to beryllium the embodiment of the Greek perfect of state arsenic aboriginal conceptualized by Aristotle, betwixt 2 almighty forces successful Central Greece would find the destiny of Western civilization.

The large Battle of Thermopylae and the valiant combat of the 300 fearless Spartans nether the bid of warrior King Leonidas against much than 100,000 Persian soldiers is 1 of the astir superb moments successful ancient Greek history.

In retrospect, it proved to beryllium nary little than a combat for the defence of Western Civilization itself. Although the conflict itself was lost, the warfare was yet won.