2020 Greece €2 Coin Issue "The Battle of Thermopylae 2500 Years"

• Mint: Bank of Greece
• Denomination: €2
• Quality: UNC/BU/Proof
• Issue limit: 720,000/10,000/5,000 pcs.
• Alloy: Base Metal
• Diameter: 25.75 mm
• Weight: 8.5 grams
• Box/Capsule: No/No
• Certificate: No

Additional Information

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The Battle of Thermopylae was fought between an alliance of Greek city-states, led by King Leonidas I of Sparta, and the Achaemenid Empire of Xerxes I over the course of three days, during the second Persian invasion of Greece. It took place simultaneously with the naval battle at Artemisium, in August or September 480 BC, at the narrow coastal pass of Thermopylae ("The Hot Gates").

The vastly outnumbered Greeks held off the Persians for seven days (including three of battle) before the rear-guard was annihilated in one of history's most famous last stands.

Both ancient and modern writers have used the Battle of Thermopylae as an example of the power of a patriotic army defending its native soil. The performance of the defenders 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.