Outnumbered, King Leonidas of Sparta and his valiant “300” make their legendary “last stand” against the overwhelming forces of Persian Xerxes the Great (a.k.a. Xerxes I, son of Darius I) at the narrow mountain pass of Thermopylae, off the east coast of Greece. The valiant Spartan forces lose the battle on day 3, but, presumably inspired by Leonidas and the “300,” ultimately prevail, first in the naval battle of Salamis, and then in the battle of Plataea, ending Xerxes’ expansion into Greece and Europe at large.