Episode Details

Thermopylae in Greece is the site of an iconic battle. Legend says that in 480 BC, 300 Spartan warriors - at the head of a small Greek army - died holding off a million invading Persian troops. Their courageous last stand is famous - but how much of this epic tale is true?

Today investigators hunt for the real story of the 300 and try to reconstruct the lost battlefield at Thermopylae. Weapons testing reveals the terrifying reality of ancient warfare.

Who were the Spartans and did they really face such impossible odds?

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