iled
southward and left the army to the mercy of the Persian ships.
Fortunately for Greece, thus deserted in her need, a strong ally now
came to the rescue. The gods of the winds had been implored with prayer.
The answer came in the form of a frightful hurricane, which struck the
great fleet while it lay at anchor, and hurled hundreds of ships on the
rocky shore. For three days the storm continued, and when it ended more
than four hundred ships of war, with a multitude of transports and
provision craft, were wrecked, while the loss of life had been immense.
The Greek fleet had escaped this disaster, and now, with renewed
courage, came sailing back to the post it had abandoned, and so quickly
as to capture fifteen vessels of the Persian fleet.

While this gale prevailed Xerxes and his army lay encamped before
Thermopylae, the king in terror for his fleet, which he was told had been
all destroyed. As for the Greeks, he laughed them to scorn. He was told
that a handful of Spartans and other Greeks were posted in the pass, and
sent a horseman to tell him what was to be seen. The horseman rode near
the pass, and saw there the wall and outside it the small Spartan force,
some of whom were engaged in gymnastic exercises, while others were
combing their long hair.

The great king was astonished and puzzled at this news. He waited
expecting the few Greeks to disperse and leave the pass open to his
army. The fourth day came and went, and they were still there. Then
Xerxes bade the Median and Kissian divisions of his army to advance,
seize these insolent fellows, and bring them to him as prisoners of war.
Forward went his troops, and entered the throat of the narrow pass,
where their bows and arrows were of little use, and they must fight the
Greeks hand to hand. And now the Spartan arms and discipline told. With
their long spears, spreading shields, steady ranks, and rigid
discipline, the Greeks were far more than a match for the light weapons,
slight shields, and open ranks of their foes. The latter had only their
numbers, and numbers there were of little avail. They fell by hundreds,
while the Greeks met with little loss. For two days the combat
continued, fresh defenders constantly replacing the weary ones, and a
wall of Persian dead being heaped up outside the wall of stone.

Then, as a last resort, the Immortals,--the Persian guard of ten
thousand,--with other choice troops, were sent; and these were driven
back with the