Visiting Lamia to attend events commemorating the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, President of the Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos on Saturday referred to the significance of the battle and its messages for modern Greeks.

“The battle in Thermopylae was one that Greeks had fought united. It was a battle that showed what Greeks can do when they are united,” Pavlopoulos said during an official dinner given in his honour by the mayor of Lamia.

“Thermopylae is not just a historical legacy but a site that is a beacon, which shows us Greeks what we must do in the future,” he added.

The president earlier visited the Lamia archaeological museum and was briefed on archaeological digs underway in the area. He will be speaking at an event held in Thermopylae on Saturday night, on the anniversary of the crucial battle, and will preside over an archery competition taking place on the site.

During his visit, the mayor of Lamia asked the president to place under his aegis the celebrations for the 2500th anniversary of the battle, to be held in 2020.