Blog Number 113 - Inaccuracy of Herodotus' number of Persians vs. '300' Spartans

Perhaps the greatest source of controversy relative to Herodotus' account of the Battle of Thermopylae is the size of the Persian army. Herodotus' wrote that the size of the Persian army was approximately 1,700,000 men, however, historians over the years have calculated that number to a much more conservative range between 150-300,000 men.

Even so, the number of Persian troops amassed at Thermopylae was still much larger than the Greek army led by King Leonidas & his 300 Spartans which consisted of approximately 7,000 hoplites.