Atlas of Battles

battle, major, ancient

Battle of Thermopylae

Battle of Thermopylae was a battle fought in 191 BC at Thermopylae, in what is now Greece. It was part of the Roman–Seleucid War, which ran from 192 BC to 188 BC. The recorded result: Roman victory. Recorded strength: 25,000 to 30,000; 15 war elephants against 12,500 Seleucids; 16 war elephants; 600 Aetolians.

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The Seleucid Empire in 200 BC. Author: Thomas A. Lessman. Source URL:https://www.worldhistorymaps.info/images/East-Hem_200bc.jpg. Image was created by me (Thomas Lessman) based on my map of Eastern He
The Seleucid Empire in 200 BC. Author: Thomas A. Lessman. Source URL:https://www.worldhistorymaps.info/images/East-Hem_200bc.jpg. Image was created by me (Thomas Lessman) based on my map of Eastern He. Thomas Lessman (Contact!), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought191 BC
WhereThermopylae, Greece38.800N, 22.533E
OutcomeRoman victory
BelligerentsRoman RepublicagainstSeleucid Empire; Aetolian League
Casualties and lossesUnknownand12,000 killed; 16 war elephants
Part ofRoman–Seleucid War192 BC to 188 BC

Where it sits in the Roman–Seleucid War

Battle of Thermopylae, 191 BCCapture of Pherae, 191 BCBattle of Corycus, 191 BCBattle of Magnesia, 190 BCBattle of the Eurymedon, 190 BCBattle of Myonessus, 190 BCBattle of Panhormus, 190 BCCapture of Phocaea, 190 BC191 BC190 BCBattle of Thermopylae, 191 BC
8 placed engagements of the Roman–Seleucid War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date191 BC (year precision)
PlaceThermopylae, Greece
38.800N, 22.533E
KindBattle, ancient
Strength25,000 to 30,000; 15 war elephants12,500 Seleucids; 16 war elephants; 600 Aetolians
Casualties and lossesUnknown12,000 killed; 16 war elephants
Commanders
  • Manius Acilius Glabrio (consul 191 BC)
  • Cato the Elder
  • Lucius Valerius Flaccus (consul 195 BC)
Battle of ThermopylaeBattle of ThermopylaeBattle of ThermopylaeBattle of ThermopylaeBattle of ScarpheiaBattle of Thermopylae (254)Battle of Thermopylae 279 BCEBattle of ThermopylaeAthensPatraLarissaIoaninaAgrinioChalkidaPirgosVolos100 km38.800N, 22.533E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Thermopylae
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 50 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Thermopylae today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2023-07-22. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2023.

The recorded site stands at about 10 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from -1 to 1,290 m, 1,292 m of relief, mountainous country and today it is 54% tree cover, 24% cropland, 17% grassland.

tree cover: 54%cropland: 24%grassland: 17%built-up: 2%tree cover 54%cropland 24%grassland 17%built-up 2%
west to east, 10.0 km7 to 159 mnorth to south, 10.0 km0 to 1,144 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 7 times between 480 BC and 1941.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 191 BC

Battle of Thermopylae is one of 94 engagements of the 2nd century BC in the atlas and one of 529 in present-day Greece.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q783058, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Thermopylae (191 BC), revision 1378113596, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.