According to the account of Plutarch (one of the greatest writers of ancient Greece, philosopher, historian, orator), Leonidas ordered his soldiers to eat a nutritious breakfast because they would “supper in Hades.” He then led his warriors to the narrowest part of the gorge, where they waited for the Persians to attack. He knew he was undertaking a suicidal mission, but decided to delay the Persians; march toward Attica until the last moment. As the Persians prepared for their final assault, the Spartans hit them unexpectedly. They attacked with fury, breaking through successive enemy ranks. When word came that the “Immortals” were approaching from behind, the surviving hoplites retreated to the hilltop of Kolonos and there fought to the last soldier. Among the fallen was also Leonidas, who fought shoulder to shoulder-with the soldiers.
