此后的8年，波斯人养精蓄锐、虎视眈眈，而希腊人也丝毫不敢懈怠。他们知道，一场暴雨般的攻击将是指日可待的事情，但在如何应对这场危机的问题上，雅典内部发生了分歧。一部分人希望增强陆军的实力，另一部分人认为建立一支强大的海军才是击败波斯人的关键。支持陆军和支持海军的两派分别由阿里斯蒂里司和泰米斯托克利领导，他们彼此攻击，争执不下，而雅典的防御问题就这样徒劳的拖延着。终于，陆军派的阿里斯蒂里司在政治斗争失败后被流放，泰米斯托克利赢得了主动权。他放手大干起来，倾尽人力财力建造战船，并把比雷埃夫斯变成了一个坚不可摧的海军基地。

　　In the year 481 B.C. a tremendous Persian army appeared in Thessaly, a province of northern Greece. In this hour of danger, Sparta, the great military city of Greece, was elected commander-in-chief. But the Spartans cared little what happened to northern Greece provided their own country was not invaded, They neglected to fortify the passes that led into Greece.

　　公元前481年，一支庞大的波斯军队赫然出现在希腊北部省份色萨利地区，希腊半岛再度面临灭顶之灾。在此危急存亡的关头，英勇的军事城邦斯巴达被推为希腊联军的军事领袖。可斯巴达人对北方的战事有些漫不经心，因为他们自己的城邦还未受到攻击。在这样的心态下，他们疏忽了防守从北方通往希腊腹地的要道。

　　A small detachment of Spartans under Leonidas had been told to guard the narrow road between the high mountains and the sea which connected Thessaly with the southern provinces. Leonidas obeyed his orders. He fought and held the pass with unequalled bravery. But a traitor by the name of Ephialtes who knew the little byways of Malis guided a regiment of Persians through the hills and made it possible for them to attack Leonidas in the rear. Near the Warm Wells-the Thermopylae-a terrible battle was fought. When night came Leonidas and his faithful soldiers lay dead under the corpses of their enemies.

　　斯巴达国王李奥尼达奉命率一支小军团 去防守连接色萨利和希腊南部省份的道路。这条道路位于巍峨的高山与大海之间，易守难攻。李奥尼达指挥勇猛的斯巴达士兵以寡敌众、浴血奋战，成功地阻挡了波斯大军前进的步伐。但一个名叫埃非阿尔蒂斯的叛徒出卖了希腊人，他引导一支波斯军队沿梅里斯附近的小路穿越山隘，深入到李奥尼达的后方，从腹背发起攻击。在温 泉关附近（德摩比勒），一场血腥的战役打响了，双方从白天一直拼杀到夜幕降临。李奥尼达和斯巴达士兵全部阵亡，身边躺满了波斯士兵的尸体。