Leonidas I

Leonidas I (c 540 BC-480 BC) was a Greek hero-king of Sparta. His name means "son of a lion" and was believed in mythology to be a descendant of Heracles, possessing much of the latters strength and bravery.

Leonidas I (c 540 BC-480 BC) was a Greek hero-king of Sparta. His name means "son of a lion" and was believed in mythology to be a descendant of Heracles, possessing much of the latters strength and bravery.

He is notable for his leadership at the Battle of Thermopylae, where he went out to meet Xerxes army with a small force of 300 men, where he was joined by forces from other Greek city-states, who put themselves under his command.

A monument to Leonidas was erected at Thermopylae by King Paul of Greece in 1955. A sign, un der the statue reads simply: "ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ" ('Come and get them"), which is what the Spartans said when the Persians asked them to put down their weapons at the start of the Battle of Thermopylae.