For 3 days the 300 Spartan men held the 10,000 Persian Immortals back. Xerxes, a symbol of wealth, is practically made of gold. His jewelry, his clothes, and even his skin are gold. To defeat the 300 Spartans, Xerxes had to bribe Theron and Ephialtes. Theron was bribed to prevent Spartan reinforcements from coming and Ephialtes was bribed to ensure the ambush would win this war for Xerxes.