Battle of Thermopylae (254) | |||||||
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Part of the Roman-Germanic wars | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
![]() | Goths | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Marianus Philostratus Dexippus | Unknown | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Militia | Unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | Unknown |
The Battle of Thermopylae in 254 [1] [2] was the successful defense of the pass of Thermopylae by local Greek militia under Marianus, the Roman proconsul of Achaea, during an invasion of the Balkans by the Goths. [3]
In 254 the Goths invaded and plundered Thrace and Macedonia. [1] [4] [5] In 1979, Herwig Wolfram regarded 254 as the date, while Mallan and Davenport in 2015 suggested 262. [6] [1] Goltz and Hartmann estimated 254 as the date. [2] David Potter in 2016 rejected Mallan and Davenport's estimate and dated it to either 253 or 259. [4] The Goths attempted to storm Thessalonica with close order formations and assault columns. [5] The Thessalonians mobilized to defend their city and beat off the attacks. [5] The Goths abandoned the siege and moved off to invade Greece south of Thermopylae, seeking to loot the gold and silver wealth of Greek temples. [5]
The Greeks learned of the Goths' approach and the Roman proconsul Marianus, the Athenian Philostratus, and the Boeotian Dexippus mobilized a militia to block the pass of Thermopylae. [5] The militia were armed with bronze or iron-tipped wooden pikes, small spears, axes, and assorted weapons. [5] They set to work fortifying the pass. [5] [1] [4] Marianus gave a pre-battle speech to them, emphasizing the defense of the pass by previous generations of Greeks and Romans. [5]
The Graeco-Roman forces successfully blocked the Goths' way at Thermopylae and the Goths returned home, albeit with considerable loot. [7]
A fragment of text attributed to the contemporary historian Dexippus, discovered in Vienna in 2010, provides detail on the weapons, leadership, and geography of the engagement. [8] The fragment cuts off before the battle's outcome. [5] Dexippus was used as a source by the Byzantine chronicler George Syncellus, who mentioned the blocking of the pass and the Goths' return home with plunder. [7]