The full moon has begun to rise over the other side of the horizon.
But even as night fell, the temperature in the narrow space of Thermopylae continued to rise.
The area where Thermopylae is located is filled with the foul smell of sweat, blood and dust.
The Spartan shield wall still stood, but it was no longer as neat and insurmountable as it had been at noon.
That's because the long and fierce fighting has caused tiny cracks and dents to appear on this steel "fortress".
"Spartans!"
"Raise your shield!"
Leonidas stood in the center of the line, his red cloak soaked with sweat and stuck to his armor.
There was a fresh scratch on his cheek, extending from his cheekbone to his jaw, the souvenir of a close combat with a fairly brave Persian officer.
The guy was very powerful, but unfortunately, in Leonidas's eyes, he was just a beast, a barbarian with talent but no professional training.
But even so, Leonidas' voice was still loud and powerful, just as it was at noon.
"Haha! The cowardly Persians finally sent a decent opponent!"
"Spears raised, Spartans!"
"Tonight, we will go to hell and have dinner together!"
The Spartan warriors immediately adjusted their posture, and the entire line was like a machine, with each part connected seamlessly.
Of course, this was their adjustment in response to the latest Persian offensive.
Because now, they were no longer facing light infantry or archers, but the heavy cavalry that the Persian Empire was proud of.
"My king! Let's send these Persians to hell first!"
"Of course eating is more fun when it's lively!"
This remark caused many Spartan warriors to laugh out loud. Even though they were feeling a little exhausted and even had to face more dangerous cavalry, they did not show any fear.
Persian cavalry wore bronze scale armor covering their entire bodies, carried spears or scimitars, and rode on war horses also covered in leather armor.
Simply put, these cavalrymen can easily charge into the infantry and easily knock them down, causing them to bleed from the head and break their hands and feet.
They are one of the core forces of the Imperial Army, specifically designed to break through the enemy's main line.
Apparently, the 300 Spartans had dealt such a heavy blow to the Persians' spirit that they chose to deploy their cavalry in such a confined space.
But the other side had not yet used their elite troops, so in Leonidas's opinion, the Persians still underestimated them.
Of course, it is also possible that they were afraid that their elite troops would also fall here, which would greatly undermine the morale of the Persians.
"They're coming! The King!"
The observer in the back row issued a warning.
Directly in front of them, more than thirty cavalrymen formed a wedge formation and galloped forward. The sound of their horses' hooves was like thunder, shaking the earth.
Their goal was clear: to break through the center of the Spartan shield wall and cut the Spartan defensive formation in half.
Or, just crush it.
"Raise your shield and move forward!"
Leonidas gave the order and the Spartans immediately formed a wedge formation.
From above, it looked like two sharp waves of force were about to confront each other directly.
But obviously, horses are different from humans. When horses see the opponent's wedge formation, they just subconsciously pass quickly from both sides of the formation.
As a result, the Persian cavalry was stunned.
"No! This way!"
“Damn it!”
Just as the cavalry charged, many Spartan warriors simultaneously extended their spears from the sides of the wedge formation, and the two sides of the wedge formation immediately had many "thorns" that could kill horses.
But in the blink of an eye, these cavalrymen were thrown off their horses and fell to the ground.
The Spartans, on the other hand, used the metal edges of their shields to precisely strike the chests of the horses of the front row of cavalry, instantly breaking their ribs.
With a terrible neighing, the first few cavalrymen were knocked to the ground along with their mounts. The remaining cavalrymen were unable to dodge in time and bumped into their fallen companions in front of them. The entire wedge formation collapsed in an instant and immediately turned into a chaotic hand-to-hand fight.
Obviously, no one here could defeat these Spartan elites in hand-to-hand combat.
"Spartans!"
"Send them to hell!"
As soon as Leonidas gave the order, more spears pierced out from the gaps in the shield wall, accurately aiming at the cavalry and horses lying on the ground.
The sharp spear tip penetrated the weak point of the bronze armor, and blood gushed out like a fountain, dyeing the land of the valley red.
A cavalryman managed to leap from his horse and charged at the shield wall, wielding a scimitar.
Leonidas rushed forward and slammed his shield into the opponent's chest, knocking him back several steps.
While the opponent was still unable to stand firm, Leonidas drew out his dagger and stabbed it into the opponent's neck like lightning.
Blood gushed from the wound, splattering on his visor, but he remained calm, quickly drawing his weapon and hacking at the flesh of another charging Persian.
"Weak right side!"
A Spartan shouted.
Leonidas quickly adjusted the formation: "Warriors in the rear, fill in immediately!"
Three fighters from the third row immediately moved sideways to fill the gap on the right flank.
Just at this moment, several escaped cavalrymen rushed to this position and ran head-on into the newly consolidated shield wall.
The result is predictable. They and their horses were knocked several meters away, fell heavily to the ground, and could never stand up again.
Of course, the Spartans holding shields were also shocked. They were a little unstable and their formation changed slightly.
"Keep in formation!"
Leonidas' voice pierced the battlefield.
"Don't chase the enemy, don't leave the line!"
Despite the fierceness of the battle, the Spartans maintained their discipline.
Every attack and defense of theirs was the result of collective action, and no one left the team without permission.
This strict discipline and tacit cooperation allowed a force of only 300 people to exert an advantage far beyond their numbers.
However, the long-term high-intensity fighting has also begun to have negative effects.
The first thing to suffer is naturally the consumption of physical strength.
After all, each Spartan warrior was carrying dozens of kilograms of equipment, and fighting for several hours in a row made their muscles sore and their reaction speed decreased slightly.
The second problem is the loss of equipment. The edges of many shields have become blunt, the tips of spears are mostly curled and deformed, and some are even broken. Those soldiers who have lost their spears can only stand in the center of the team and provide offensive support for other soldiers.
Most importantly, the Spartans began to suffer casualties.
Although the Spartans protected each other as much as possible, some enemies who successfully broke through could still cause harm to them.
"ah!"
At this moment, a Spartan fell to the ground.
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