It was around the middle of 480 BC. The armies of the Persian Empire, supported by the fleet, were advancing along the coast of Thessaly to attack Greece. Eventually, the allied Greek forces decided to confront them at the narrow passage of Thermopylae. The front guard of the Greek army, consisting of 7,000 warriors led by King Leonidas of Sparta, took up positions on the strait near Thermopylae.
When King Xerxes I of Persia reached Thermopylae at the beginning of August, he was confident he would inflict a devastating defeat on the Greeks thanks to his outnumbered troops. However, the Greeks did not relent, so the king ordered the Medes and Cassites to attack. Instead of crushing the enemy, they suffered heavy losses; the elite unit of 'immortals' sent by the king, commanded by the satrap Hydarnes, also failed.
It already seemed that the Persians had suffered defeat when a greedy farmer from Thessaly, Ephialtes (Greek for 'nightmare'), offered to lead them over the hills - to the back of the Greek army. As a result of the betrayal, the enemy troops ambushed the Greeks from behind. Leonidas then sent back the allied forces and, with three hundred Spartans and seven hundred Thespians, defended the ravine. The sacrifice of Leonidas and his warriors gave time for the rest of the soldiers to retreat.
The figure of Leonidas is a symbol of heroism and brave sacrifice, even in a no-win situation. He reminds us of the values of honour, self-sacrifice, and courage that are disappearing today. His story was a great inspiration for creating a unique men's ring. The emblem features the figure of a warrior carved in yellow gold and set in a square frame. The hammered negative space and contrasting shiny rim of the ring have been crafted in blackened silver. The sides of the signet ring are decorated with large shields with the Greek letter lambda, made in solid yellow gold. The composition is completed by a gold lattice inside the ring, which is visible only when the ring is removed.
