Athenian last stand at the Acropolis against the invading armies of Xerxes.

The Greeks of antiquity continue to hold a mystical grip on our memory. In 480 BC, a handful of Athenians refuse to flee and barricade themselves in the Acropolis. They fight an extraordinary last stand against Xerxes' invading army.

When the armies of Xerxes invaded in 480 BC, most Athenians evacuated, but a defiant handful chose to barricade themselves inside the rocky fortress of the Acropolis. This small group fought an extraordinary last stand, throwing massive stones down the cliffs to hold the Persian empire at bay. Though eventually overwhelmed, their dramatic resistance remains a powerful memory of ancient Greek antiquity.