The Statue of Leonidas
In 1969, in Sparta, at the end of Konstantinos Palaiologos Street, in front of the National Stadium, the statue of the king of Sparta, Leonidas, who was heroically sacrificed in the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., was erected. The imposing bronze statue was made by sculptor Vasos Falireas (1905-1979), one of the most important representatives of the Greek Academic School of Sculpture during the 20th century.
What people do not know is the story hidden behind the statue of Leonidas, as Dr, Dakoronia quotes: “Before World War ΙΙ, a homogeneous Spartan of America, named Dousmanis, offered some money for the erection of a monument of Leonidas in Sparta and the creation of the statue was assigned to Falireas. Due to the war, nothing was done. After the war, Falireas finished the sculpture, but, unfortunately, Dousmanis-the sponsor, had died. Thus, the sculptor contacted three hundred homogeneous Spartans of America who offered 300 dollars each. But the story does not end here. Because the statue of Leonidas is represented naked, the bishop of the area at that time reacted negatively. For this reason, it was decided that the specific statue of Leonidas was to be erected at the monument of Thermopylae. So Falireas had to make a new one for Sparta. That was the way it was done…
However, the story has another piece of exciting information. “…The three hundred donors from America asked that their names be written on the Thermopylae Monument. Spyros Marinatos, who was in charge of the Antiquities Department at that time, initially reacted, but in the end, he agreed for the names to be written on the backside of the Monument. As a result, many people believed that those were Leonidas’ three hundred men who fought and fell during the battle! Eventually, in 1968/69, an order was given, and those names were taken out. Only the name of Dousmanis was written as being the original sponsor and inspirer, and it was mentioned that the Monument was made at the expense of three hundred American expatriates.