Why do many historians forget about the 700 Thespians who stood with the 300 Spartans?

Question

Yes, three-hundred Spartans do get all the credit for heroically standing against the Persian army, and people think that was all the Greek forces who didn't withdraw. However, 700 Thespians stood along side the Spartans and also met their deaths in that hopeless situation at Thermopylae in 480 B.C.

The Thespians, though, do have monument at the battlefield.

Oh, forgot about the 400 Thebans which brought King Leonidas' force to 1400 Greeks.

Answer 1

And well they should, I guess that people don't know about the Thespians because they didn't have the fame and notoriety of the Spartans who although brave to a fault were extremely cruel and backward in some aspects of their society. Actually the Thespians were sent to defend against the Persians who had come down behind the Greeks as a result of a betrayal. So the Thespians died at the battle as well and spent their lives as frugally as did the Spartans.

Answer 2

There were thousands of other Greeks there. Most were sent home when the Persians flanked, the Thespians refused to leave and stood and fought with the Spartans. Both were slaughtered.

But it is much more dramatic to say 300 v. 100,000 plus.

Answer 3

I thought the Thespians were sent off just when the persians were making their rear-flanking maneuver, leaving the spartans to their fate... You're right that they were with the spartans very close to the end, but I have always understood they left at the last minute.

Answer 4

I'd say there's two factors:

1. It is more dramatic to talk about the brave 300 than to talk about the brave 300, plus the other brave 700 and however many other brave hundreds were there.

2. Sparta is famous. We are generaly taught about Athens and Sparta in school. So who the heck are Thespians? Nobody cares any more, so let's just leave them out.

Answer 5

I just watched The 300 on the history chanell. They said 1000 Thespians were there?

Answer 6

yes. you are absolutely correct. I do not know either. I guess because 1) it is more dramatic to have 300 spartans.. and 2) because i think the 300 spartans were really the main fighting force in terms of quality...
but honstly i have no real excuse

Answer 7

I was a Thespian back in Highschool.

Answer 8

I think my prof said it's because there were fewer Spartans that died during the battle than anyone else, but I can't quite remember for sure.