What two forces were engaged in the Battle of Thermopylae in mid 480 BCE?

Question

APersia (now Iran) against an alliance of Greek city states

BAthens against Sparta

CSyracuse and Agrigentum against Carthage

DMacedon against Athens and Thebes

Select from the options above.

Correct Option: 1  

Explanation:
Persia (now Iran) against an alliance of Greek city states
Xerxes led the Persian army to try to invade and conquer Greece for the second time. His forces were very much larger than his opponents' but Thermopylae through which they had to march was a narrow pass which negated the advantages of their massively greater manpower, and the small army led by King Leonidas of Sparta was able to hold them off until eventually Xerxes was shown another route and outflanked and annihilated them. Xerxes carried on to capture Athens, although later in the year the Greeks defeated them in the naval battle of Salamis and Xerxes withdrew.