The Battle of Thermopylae was a significant event during the Persian Wars because it marked a turning point in the conflict between the Greeks and the Persians. In 480 BC, a small force of Greek soldiers, led by King Leonidas of Sparta, held off a much larger Persian army for three days at the narrow pass of Thermopylae. Although the Greeks were eventually defeated, their bravery and sacrifice inspired their fellow countrymen, who went on to win decisive victories against the Persians in the battles of Salamis and Plataea. The battle also helped to solidify the autonomy of the city-states in Greece and cemented the cultural identity of the western world.