The Hellenic Parliament honoured the 25th centennial of the Battles of Thermopylae and Salamis on Tuesday night.
The logo of 'Thermopylae and Salamis- 2020' was illuminated on the historical building at Syntagma Square.
The Battle of Thermopylae, 480 BC, was a battle in the second Persian invasion of Greece. The battle was fought for over three days, at the same time as the naval Battle of Artemisium on 20 August or 8–10 September, 480 BC. Both ancient and modern writers have used the Battle of Thermopylae as an example of the power of a patriotic army of freemen defending native soil. The performance of the defenders at the Battle of Thermopylae is also used as an example of the advantages of training, equipment, and good use of terrain as force multipliers and has become a symbol of courage against overwhelming odds.
The Battle of Salamis was one of the final battles in the second war between the Persian Empire led by King Xerxes and an alliance of Greek city-states. Salamis is an island off the coast of mainland Greece. The Battle of Salamis was a great victory for the Greek navy and, in combination with a victory by the Greek army at the Battle of Plataea the next year, led to the complete defeat of the Persians.
"At Thermopylae and Salamis, ancient Greece, at the dawn of its glory, came together, stood strong, fought for and saved its freedom, its independence and the humanist core of a civilisation now recognised as universal. A core that already held what would later become the most precious historical legacy of Greek antiquity: democracy and the notion of the citizen, self-esteem and liberty, reason, the artistic mediation of tragedy in our very being, philosophy as a rigorous meeting of intellect, logic and the deepest human needs, and so much else that revolves around the value of Human Being," the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou previously stated.
"As modern Greeks, we have a very heavy responsibility. The responsibility to preserve, protect and promote precisely this universal culture and its non-negotiable humanitarian identity. We are proud and honoured, as a society, as a State and as a scientific community to take responsibility for this heritage every day. The Greek State is celebrating the Thermopylae – Salamis 2020 anniversary year with due moderation and solemnity, without conceit or barren worship of our forebears, but with a genuine desire for a deeper and multifaceted knowledge of history," she added.
New postal stamps commemorate 2,500 years since the Battle of Thermopylae & Salamis
