Ephialtes

Ephialtes son of Eurydemus, the Malian (Trachis sits within the Malis region but Herodotus's own attribution is to the broader ethnos) who, hoping for Persian reward, came to Xerxes on the second evening of the defence and revealed the mountain path that circled the Greek position from the east. Hydarnes led the Persian Immortals along it through the night; at dawn they came down on the rear of the Phocian detachment Leonidas had posted on the ridge, who retreated to the high ground, and the main Persian army attacked the pass from the front. Ephialtes was later murdered — Herodotus notes it was for some unrelated reason — by one Athenades of Trachis, though Athenades received Spartan honours nonetheless. The name Ephialtes became the Greek word for nightmare in later usage, probably independent of the historical traitor but reinforced by him.

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