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{{Era|Individuals}} | {{Era|Individuals}}{{WP-REAL}} | ||
{{WP-REAL}} | {{Quote|King Xerxes paid him well, but treachery breeds treachery. A contract was put on his head, and he died as he lived—a coward|Herodotos describing Ephialtes's fate to Kassandra, 431 BCE.|Assassin's Creed: Odyssey|Memories Awoken}} | ||
'''Ephialtes of Trachis''' (died 470s BCE) was a [[Greece|Greek]] individual who betrayed his homeland during the [[Second Persian invasion of Greece]]. | {{Character Infobox | ||
|name = | |||
|image = Wiki noimage.jpg | |||
|death = 470s BCE<br />[[Greece]] | |||
|species = [[Human]] | |||
|affiliates = [[Achaemenid Empire]] | |||
}} | |||
'''Ephialtes of Trachis''' (died 470s BCE) was a [[Greece|Greek]] individual who betrayed his homeland during the [[Greco-Persian Wars|Second Persian invasion of Greece]]. | |||
In 480 BCE, in hopes of being rewarded by King [[Xerxes I of Persia]], Ephialtes revealed to the [[Achaemenid Empire]] a path in [[Malis]] that allowed them to go around the allied Greek forces stationed at the narrow passage of Thermopylae. His actions led to the defeat of the combined forces led by King [[Leonidas I of Sparta]] at the [[Battle of Thermopylae]].<ref name="Memories Awoken">''[[Assassin's Creed: Odyssey]]'' – [[Memories Awoken]]</ref> | ==Biography== | ||
===Treachery and death=== | |||
In 480 BCE, in hopes of being rewarded by King [[Xerxes I of Persia|Xerxes I]] of [[Iran|Persia]], Ephialtes revealed to the [[Achaemenid Empire]] a [[Cave of Kratos|secret path]] in [[Malis]] that allowed them to go around the allied Greek forces stationed at the narrow passage of Thermopylae. His actions led to the defeat of the combined forces led by King [[Leonidas I of Sparta|Leonidas I]] of [[Sparta]] at the [[Battle of Thermopylae]].<ref name="Memories Awoken">''[[Assassin's Creed: Odyssey]]'' – [[Memories Awoken]]</ref> | |||
After the war, a contract was placed on Ephialtes' head | After the war, a contract was placed on Ephialtes' head<ref name="Memories Awoken" /> by an {{Wiki|Amphictyonic League|amphictyony}}, a religious alliance of smaller Greek tribes predating the ''[[Polis|poleis]]''.<ref name="Wiki">{{WP|Ephialtes of Trachis}}</ref> He was eventually hunted down and killed<ref name="Memories Awoken" /> for unrelated reasons by fellow countryman Athenades of Trachis around 470 BC.<ref name="Wiki"/> | ||
== | ===Legacy=== | ||
By the 420s BCE, Ephialtes was still remembered for his treachery. Inspired by the [[Battle of Thermopylae]], [[Thespis]] wrote a play, casting his good friend [[Tros]] in the role of Ephialtes.<ref name="Hedonistic Method">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[The Hedonistic Method]]</ref> | |||
== | ==Behind the scenes== | ||
The name Ephialtes (Ἐφιάλτης) appears to derive from the Greek word [[wikt:ἐφῐάλτης|ἐφῐάλτης]] (''ephiáltēs''), which means “nightmare; phantom”, but its origins are suspect. The name came to mean "nightmare" only after the events at Thermopylai, while the word has no clear etymology, with [[Netherlands|Dutch]] linguist {{Wiki|Robert S. P. Beekes}} noting that its historical connections to [[wikt:ἐφάλλομαι|ἐφάλλομαι]] (''ephállomai'', "to throw oneself onto somebody") are likely folk etymology, and the [[Switzerland|Swiss]] {{Wiki|Indo-European studies|Indo-Europeanist}} {{Wiki|Manu Leumann}} suggesting that the word is instead related to [[wikt:ἠπίαλος|ἠπίαλος]] (''ēpíalos'', "ague, fever") and so could have a {{Wiki|Pre-Greek substrate|Pre-Greek}} origin. | |||
==Appearances== | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Odyssey]]'' {{1stm}} | |||
*''[[Echoes of History]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
==References== | |||
{{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
[[Category:470s BCE deaths]] | [[Category:470s BCE deaths]] | ||
Latest revision as of 06:26, 5 October 2025
Ephialtes of Trachis (died 470s BCE) was a Greek individual who betrayed his homeland during the Second Persian invasion of Greece.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Treachery and death[edit | edit source]
In 480 BCE, in hopes of being rewarded by King Xerxes I of Persia, Ephialtes revealed to the Achaemenid Empire a secret path in Malis that allowed them to go around the allied Greek forces stationed at the narrow passage of Thermopylae. His actions led to the defeat of the combined forces led by King Leonidas I of Sparta at the Battle of Thermopylae.[1]
After the war, a contract was placed on Ephialtes' head[1] by an amphictyony, a religious alliance of smaller Greek tribes predating the poleis.[2] He was eventually hunted down and killed[1] for unrelated reasons by fellow countryman Athenades of Trachis around 470 BC.[2]
Legacy[edit | edit source]
By the 420s BCE, Ephialtes was still remembered for his treachery. Inspired by the Battle of Thermopylae, Thespis wrote a play, casting his good friend Tros in the role of Ephialtes.[3]
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
The name Ephialtes (Ἐφιάλτης) appears to derive from the Greek word ἐφῐάλτης (ephiáltēs), which means “nightmare; phantom”, but its origins are suspect. The name came to mean "nightmare" only after the events at Thermopylai, while the word has no clear etymology, with Dutch linguist Robert S. P. Beekes noting that its historical connections to ἐφάλλομαι (ephállomai, "to throw oneself onto somebody") are likely folk etymology, and the Swiss Indo-Europeanist Manu Leumann suggesting that the word is instead related to ἠπίαλος (ēpíalos, "ague, fever") and so could have a Pre-Greek origin.
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (first mentioned)
- Echoes of History (mentioned only)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Memories Awoken
- ↑ 2.0 2.1
Ephialtes of Trachis on Wikipedia
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – The Hedonistic Method