Thermopylae Dbq Analysis
The Spartans did not sacrifice themselves to save Western Civilization at Thermopylae because they did not choose to stay behind and fight, they were simply ambushed and defeated in battle. According to Document B, the author Ctesias writes that “Thus, using the two Greeks as their guides, a Persian army of 40,000 men came through and snuck up behind the Spartans. Thus were the Spartans surprised, surrounded, and unable to retreat.” This quote is saying that the Spartans were ambushed and surrounded, thus making it impossible for them to retreat. If you’re unable to retreat, that means you have no other choice but to fight. So it wasn’t that the Spartans chose to sacrifice themselves, it was that there was no other route for them to take. While
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In Document C, Tom Holland, claims that “The legacy of democracy passed on to modern Europe and America would have vanished (disappeared). It is likely, had the Greeks been conquered during Xerxes’ invasion, that there never would have been such a thing as Western Civilization at all.”. Some say that the Spartans saved Western Civilization by defending democracy, but the evidence reveals that the Spartans were an oligarchy. They couldn’t defend something that they didn’t live by. In Document D, Cyrus Kar says that “Sparta was not even democratic. It was an oligarchy (rule by a small group of people) at best, and a cruel tyranny at worst.” Holland’s quote suggests that the Spartans themselves saved democracy due to their sacrifice, but Kar says that Spartans weren’t even democratic. In addition, the Spartans didn’t save the entirety of Greece, in fact, they actually lost the battle. They were Greek extremists, making them poor examples of Western Civilization. Since the Spartans did not save all of Greece, democracy could have still been passed on to Europe and America. In addition, this evidence is reliable because Cyrus Kar is a college professor who wrote about the factual inaccuracies of the movie 300 in his article. However, he may have been slightly biased since he is of Persian descent. He also slightly
In Document C, Tom Holland, claims that “The legacy of democracy passed on to modern Europe and America would have vanished (disappeared). It is likely, had the Greeks been conquered during Xerxes’ invasion, that there never would have been such a thing as Western Civilization at all.”. Some say that the Spartans saved Western Civilization by defending democracy, but the evidence reveals that the Spartans were an oligarchy. They couldn’t defend something that they didn’t live by. In Document D, Cyrus Kar says that “Sparta was not even democratic. It was an oligarchy (rule by a small group of people) at best, and a cruel tyranny at worst.” Holland’s quote suggests that the Spartans themselves saved democracy due to their sacrifice, but Kar says that Spartans weren’t even democratic. In addition, the Spartans didn’t save the entirety of Greece, in fact, they actually lost the battle. They were Greek extremists, making them poor examples of Western Civilization. Since the Spartans did not save all of Greece, democracy could have still been passed on to Europe and America. In addition, this evidence is reliable because Cyrus Kar is a college professor who wrote about the factual inaccuracies of the movie 300 in his article. However, he may have been slightly biased since he is of Persian descent. He also slightly