King Leonidas Print Page

The statue of King Leonidas was commissioned by the City of Brunswick to celebrate the Memorandum of Understanding between Sparta and Brunswick. The statue which cost $30,000 has been the subject of local controversy. 

For many years Brunswick was known as the suburb of Spartans. An influx of migrants from the Laconian region of Greece, including its capital Sparta, moved in during the 1950s and 1960s and gave the suburb some of its best bakeries, cafes and shops. The new residents formed a social organisation called the Pallaconian Brotherhood. 

Leonidas was a hero-king of Sparta, the 17th of the Agiad line, one of the sons of King Anaxandridas II of Sparta, who was believed in mythology to be a descendant of Heracles, possessing much of the latter's strength and bravery. Leonidas I is notable for his leadership at the Battle of Thermopylae.

During two full days of battle, the small force led by King Leonidas I of Sparta blocked the only road by which the massive Persian army could pass. After the second day of battle, a local resident named Ephialtes betrayed the Greeks by revealing a small path that led behind the Greek lines. Aware that his force was being outflanked, Leonidas dismissed the bulk of the Greek army, and remained to guard the rear with 300 Spartans, 700 Thespians, 400 Thebans and perhaps a few hundred others, the vast majority of whom were killed. Leonidas was killed in the battle.

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