In 483 B.C. the Persian emperor Xerxes began making preparations to conquer the Greek world. Part of this campaign included the deployment of messengers to Greek cities. The Persian envoys offered each city a chance to submit to Xerxes. All they had to do was fork over a little earth and water as a symbol of their capitulation. However, two cities refused to submit to Xerxes' demands—Athens and Sparta. As Herodotus notes, the Spartans went as far as to throw the Persian envoys into a well while telling them to "Dig it out for yourselves." Greece prepared for war.
The Battle of Thermopylae, arguable the most famous battle of the Greco-Persian War, erupted in 480 B.C. The massive Persian army, lead by Xerxes, arrived at the pass of Thermopylae via the Malian Gulf (accounts estimate the Persian army at 2.6 million).
Their forces were met by a small, but defiant, band of Greek soldiers. The roughly 5000 man army was lead by 300 Spartans. The Persian army was held off for three days, suffering enormous casualties.
At one point, Xerxes sent an emissary to the Spartan King, Leonidas. Xerxes demanded they surrender their weapons. Leonidas replied, "Come and get them."
A Greek traitor, Ephialtes, navigated the Persians through a mountain pass. His treachery enabled the Persian army to surround the remaining troops—300 Spartans and 700 Thespians—held their ground, dying courageously.
Fast-forward to the year 2007. The Persians are at it again—this time lead by the megalomaniacal President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Mr. Ahmadinejad has publicly called for the total annihilation of Israel—a nation founded on the ideas of liberty and self-reliance. However, the Iranian leader refuses to acknowledge the historical atrocities that lead to the creation of Israel. He has called the Holocaust a hoax and gone as far as hosting a Holocaust conference intended to show the tragedy as a sham—a conspiracy to give Jewish people political power.
Against the will of the United Nations, Mr. Ahmadinejad has carried out an illegal uranium enrichment program. He has defied sanction after sanction, all the while boldly announcing his plans to do whatever he wishes.
The reaction from the Western World? Finger-waving. "No, no Mr. President. That's not nice. You need to stop developing your ability to produce nuclear weapons while talking about blowing countries off the map."
Where's the courage and conviction displayed by the Western World so long ago. Where is the leadership of King Leonidas that refuses to bow to tyrants—even if that means a fight to the death?
Domestically, U.S. Democrats call for appeasement and talks (and probably hugs too); Mr. Ahmadinejad continues to advance his nation's nuclear capability; Israel finds itself wondering when the world will step up and help defend the second coming of the Holocaust; And I find myself wondering why the United Nations doesn't just go ahead and invite Mr. Ahmadinejad to the floor of the General Assembly and give him a nice big bowl of earth and water.
"Here you go Emperor. Now, is there anything else we can do to help make the rise of your Caliphate any easier?"
