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The Disappearance of Xerxes' Fleet: When the Sea Devoured an Empire (480 BC)"
After his infamous victory at Thermopylae, Persian King Xerxes sought to secure his supply lines by ordering a colossal pontoon bridge across the Hellespont. But as his navy hugged the jagged coastline near Mount Athos, nature struck back. A sudden, violent storm tore through the fleet — over 300 warships were lost, dashed against the rocks or swallowed by the sea. Thousands of soldiers perished not by Greek swords, but beneath the waves.
To the Greeks, it was divine intervention — the gods themselves stood with them. For Xerxes, it was more than a strategic loss: it cracked his aura of invincibility. His navy, once unmatched, would soon face total defeat at the Battle of Salamis.
Fun fact: In a bizarre show of wrath, Xerxes reportedly had the sea “punished” — ordering his men to whip the waves as vengeance against nature itself. 0 reply
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