He was the son of king Anaxandridas II and the 17th king of the Agiad dynasty, a Spartan royal house which claimed descent from Heracles. Leonidas I ascended to the throne in c. 489 BC, succeeding …

May 12, 2013 · Leonidas was the Spartan king who famously led a small band of Greek allies at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE where the Greeks valiantly defended the pass through which the …

Nov 13, 2025 · Leonidas, Spartan king whose stand against the invading Persian army at the pass of Thermopylae in central Greece is one of the enduring tales of Greek heroism, invoked throughout …

Dec 2, 2009 · Leonidas (c. 530-480 B.C.) was a king of the city-state of Sparta from about 490 B.C. until his death at the Battle of Thermopylae against the Persian army in 480 B.C.

At the narrow coastal pass of Thermopylae, a Greek force of about 7,000 troops from various city-states that blocked their advance under the leadership of a Spartan king named Leonidas.

May 23, 2025 · Leonidas I was a king of Sparta, the most militaristic city-state in ancient Greece, who achieved immortal fame by leading one of history’s most celebrated last stands.

Leonidas I (ca. 530 BC-480 BC) was a Spartan king immortalized in Greek literature and legend because of his heroic last stand against Persian invaders. Leonidas is a legend without a biographer.

Leonidas I (c. 540 – 480 BCE) was a king of the Greek city-state of Sparta, best known for his leadership and heroism during the Battle of Thermopylae. His defense against the Persian forces led …

Dec 8, 2025 · Leonidas, the legendary king of the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta, is best known for leading the 300 heroic Spartans against the vast Persian army and dying alongside them in the …

Leonidas I, born around 540 BCE, was the king of Sparta and a member of the Agiad dynasty, which claimed descent from the demigod Heracles.