History remembers the 300 Spartans, but their final stand at Thermopylae was not fought alone. At their side stood 700 soldiers from the city of Thespiae, and their story is one of the most profound in ancient history. Unlike the Spartans, who were a professional military caste bred for war, the Thespians were citizen-hoplites—farmers, potters, and merchants who had answered the call to defend their homeland. When King Leonidas saw the battle was lost and dismissed the other Greek allies to save