Battle of Thermopylae aware that his force was being outflanked, dismissed the bulk of the Greek army and remained to guard their retreat with 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians, fighting to the death. Others also reportedly remained, including up to 900 helots and 400 Thebans; these Thebans mostly reportedly surrendered. Themistocles was in command of the Greek Navy at Artemisium when he received news that the Persians had taken the pass at Thermopylae. Since the Greek strategy required both Thermopylae and Artemisium to be held, given their losses, it was decided to withdraw to Salamis. The Persians overran Boeotia and then captured the
Pleistarchus his tutor. It is unknown whether Pleistarchus was married. Pleistarchus' father King Leonidas perished in 480 BC at the Battle of Thermopylae. For the early part of Pleistarchus's reign, his uncle Cleombrotus acted as regent; after Cleombrotus's death in 479 BC, Pleistarchus's cousin Pausanias was regent. The successor of Pleistarchus was Pleistoanax, son of Pausanias. Pleistarchus Pleistarchus or Plistarch ( "Pleistarkhos"; died 458 BC) was the Agiad King of Sparta from 480 to 458 BC. He was born in 486 B.c. In Sparta, Greece. His family was Leonidas and Gorgo, who are uncles and nieces. He became king of Sparta