When the boy was born
like all Spartans, he was inspected.
If he'd been small or puny or sickly or misshapen...
he would have been discarded.
From the time he could stand, he was baptized in the tire of combat.
Taught never to retreat, never to surrender.
Taught that death on the battlefield in service to Sparta...
...was the greatest glory he could achieve in his life
At age 7, as is customary in Sparta
...the boy was taken from his mother and plunged into a world of violence.
Manufactured by 300 years of Spartan warrior society...
.to create the finest soldiers the world has ever known.
The agoge, as it's called, forces the boy to fight.
Starves them, forces them to steal.
and if necessary, to kill.
By rod and lash the boy was punished.
taught to show no pain, no mercy.
Constantly tested, tossed into the wild.
Left to pit his wits and will against nature's fury.
It was his initiation
his time in the wild.
for he would retum to his people a Spartan...
or not at all.
The wolf begins to circle the boy.
Claws of black steel.
fur as dark night.
Eyes glowing red.
.jewels from the pit of hell itself
The giant wolf sniffing
savoring the scent of the meal to come
lt's not fear that grips him
only a heightened sense of things
The cold air in his lungs
Windswept pines moving against the coming night.
His hands are steady.
His form
perfect.
And so the boy, given up for dead.
...retums to his people, to sacred Sparta, a king!
Gur king, Leonidas!
It's been more than 30 years since the wolf and the winter cold
And now, as then, a beast approaches
Patient and confident, savoring the meal to come
But this beast is made of men and horses
swords and spears
An army of slaves, vast beyond imagining ready to devour tiny Greece.
Ready to snuff out the world's one hope for reason and justice
A beast approaches
and it was King Leonidas himself who provoked it.
That's it
Now, the more you sweat here the less you'll bleed in battle.
My father taught me
that fear is always a constant
But accepting it
makes you stronger
My queen
A Persian emissary awaits Leonidas
ln the end
_.a Spartan's true strength is the warrior next to him.
So give respect and honor to him and it will be retumed to you.
First
-...you fight with your head. -Then you fight with your heart
What is it?
A Persian messenger awaits you
Do not forget today's lesson
Respect and honor. Respect and honor
Councilman Theron. You found yourself needed, for once
My king and queen, I was just entertaining your guests
I'm sure
Before you speak, Persian
know that in Sparta everyone even a king's messenger...
...is held accountable for the words of his voice
Now, what message do you bring?
Earth and water
You rode all the way from Persia for earth and water?
Do not be coy or stupid, Persian . You can afford neither in Sparta
What makes this woman think she can speak among men?
Because only Spartan women give birth to real men.
Let us walk to cool our tongues
If you value your lives over your complete annihilation
listen carefully, Leonidas
Xerxes conquers and controls everything he rests his eyes upon
He leads an army so massive, it shakes the ground with its march
So vast, it drinks the rivers dry
All the God-King Xerxes requires is this
A simple offering of earth and water
a token of Sparta's submission to the will of Xerxes.
Submission
Now, that's a bit of a problem
See, rumor has it
...the Athenians have already turned you down
And if those philosophers and boy-lovers have found that kind of nerve, then--
-We must be diplomatic. -And, of course, Spartans
have their reputation to consider
Choose your next words carefully, Leonidas.
They may be your last as king
'Earth and water.
Madman. You're a madman
Earth and water
You'll find plenty of both down there
No man, Persian or Greek, no man threatens a messenger
You bring the crowns and heads of conquered kings to my city steps
You insult my queen
You threaten my people with slavery and death.
Oh, I've chosen my words carefully, Persian.
Perhaps you should have done the same
This is blasphemy. This is madness!
Madness?
This is Sparta!
Welcome, Leonidas
We have been expecting you
The ephors, priests to the old gods
Inbred swine
More creature than man
Creatures whom even Leonidas must bribe and beg.
For no Spartan king has gone to war without the ephors' blessing.
The Persians claim their forces number in the millions.
I hope, for our sake, they exaggerate
But there's no question, we face the most massive army ever assembled
Before your plan is heard
what do you offer?
We will use our superior fighting skills
and the terrain of Greece herself to destroy them.
We will march north to the coast where I will make sure-
It is August, Leonidas. The full moon approaches
The sacred and ancient festival
Sparta wages no war at the time of the Carneia
Sparta will burn!
Her men will die at arms
and her women and children will be slaves or worse.
Now, we will block the Persian coastal assault
by rebuilding the great Phocian Wall
And from there, we will funnel them into the mountain pass we call the Hot Gates
Now, in that narrow corridor, their numbers will count for nothing
And wave after wave of Persian attack
will smash against Spartan shields
Xerxes' losses will be so great his men so demoralized...
...he will have no choice but to abandon his campaign
We must consult the oracle
Trust the gods, Leonidas
I'd prefer you trusted your reason
Your blasphemies
have cost us quite enough already
Don't compound them
We will consult the oracle
Diseased old mystics
Worthless remnants of a time before Sparta's ascent from darkness.
Remnants of a senseless tradition
Tradition even Leonidas cannot defy.
...for he must respect the word of the ephors.
That is the law.
And no Spartan, subject or citizen, man or woman...
slave or king, is above the law.
The ephors choose only the most beautiful Spartan girls.
to live among them as oracles
Their beauty is their curse
...for the old wretches have the needs of men.
and souls as black as hell.
Pray to the winds
Sparta will fall
All Greece will fall
Trust not in men
honor the gods
Honor the Carneia
The king's climb down is harder.
Pompous, inbred swine
Worthless, diseased, rotten
corrupt.
Truly, you're in the god-king's favor now...
O wise and holy men
Yes
And when Sparta burns you shall bathe in gold.
Fresh oracles shall be delivered to you
daily
from every corner of the empire
Your lips can finish what your fingers have started
Or has the oracle robbed you of your desire as well?
It would take more than the words of a drunken adolescent girl...
to rob me of my desire for you
Then why so distant?
Because it seems
though a slave and captive of Iecherous old men...
...the oracIe's words could set tire to all that I love
So that is why my king loses sleep and is forced from the warmth of his bed?
There's only one woman's words that should affect the mood of my husband
Those are mine
Then what must a king do to save his world...
...when the very laws he is sworn to protect force him to do nothing?
It is not a question of what a Spartan citizen should do
nor a husband, nor a king
Instead ask yourself, my dearest love
what should a free man do?
-Is this all of them? -As you ordered. Three hundred
All with born sons to carry on their name
We are with you, sire
For Sparta. For freedom
To the death
He is your son
He is too young to have felt a woman's warmth
I have others to replace him. Astinos is as brave and ready as any
No younger than we were the first time you stood next to me in battle.
You are a good friend
but a better captain, there is none
My good king
My good king, the oracle has spoken
The ephors have spoken. There must be no march
It is the law, my lord
-The Spartan army must not go to war -Nor shall it.
I've issued no such orders
I'm here just taking a stroll stretching my legs.
These 300 men are my personal bodyguard
Our army will stay in Sparta
Where will you go?
I hadn't really thought about it
but now that you ask
I suppose I'lI head north
The Hot Gates?
Move out!
What shall we do?
What can we do?
What can you do?
Sparta will need sons
Spartan!
Yes, milady?
Come back with your shield
or on it
Yes, milady
Goodbye, my love
He doesn't say it.
There 's no room for softness
not in Sparta
No place for weakness
Only the hard and strong may call themselves Spartans.
Only the hard. Only the strong
We march
for our lands, for our families, for our freedoms.
We march
Daxos
-What a pleasant surprise. -This moming's full of surprises, Leonidas
-We've been tricked. -Can't be more than a hundred
-This is a surprise -Silence.
This isn't their army
We heard Sparta was on the warpath and we were eager to join forces.
If it is blood you seek, you are welcome to join us
But you bring only this handful of soldiers against Xerxes?
I see I was wrong to expect Sparta's commitment to at least match our own
Doesn't it?
You, there
What is your profession?
I'm a potter, sir
And you, Arcadian. What is your profession?
Sculptor, sir. Sculptor.
And you? Blacksmith
Spartans! What is your profession?
You see, old friend?
I brought more soldiers than you did
No sleep tonight.
not for the king
All his 40 years have been a straight road.
to this one gleaming moment in destiny...
.this one radiant clash of shield and spear...
sword and bone, and flesh and blood
His only regret.
is that he has so few to sacrifice
We're being followed
It has followed us since Sparta
My king! Look!
What happened here?
Where are all the people?
Persians
I put their number at around 20
A scouting party
But these footprints
Behind us!
Child!
It's quiet now
They
They came with beasts from the blackness.
With their claws and fangs
they grabbed them
Everyone
but me
The villagers
I found them
Have the gods no mercy?
We are doomed
Quiet yourself
The child speaks of the Persian ghosts known from the ancient times.
They are the hunters of men's souls
They cannot be killed or defeated
Not this darkness. Not these Immortals
Immortals?
We'II put their name to the test
Into the Hot Gates we march
Into that narrow corridor we march
where Xerxes' numbers count for nothing.
Spartans, citizen-soldiers, freed slaves
Brave Greeks, all.
Brothers, fathers, sons
we march
For honor's sake, for duty's sake, for glory's sake, we march.
Look! Persians
Into hell's mouth we march
Let's watch these motherless dogs
as they're embraced by the loving arms of Greece herself. Come.
True
It does look like rain
Zeus stabs the sky with thunderbolts
and batters the Persian ships with hurricane wind.
Glorious
Only one among us keeps his Spartan reserve
Only he
Only our king
My queen?
My queen
the courtyard is a more fitting place for a married woman.
I'm afraid gossip and protocol
are the least of my worries now, councilman.
Is such secrecy needed?
How am I to trust beyond the walls of my own home?
Even here, Theron has eyes and ears which fuel Sparta with doubt and fear.
You speak as if all Sparta conspires against you.
I wish it were only against me
Many of our council would vote to give all we have
and follow Leonidas
but you must show them favor
And you can arrange for me to speak to the council?
If it is reason they want I will let them know.
Know what, my queen?
Freedom isn't free at all
That it comes with the highest of costs, the cost of blood.
I will do my best to gather our council
And its chamber shall be filled with your voice
I'm in your debt. No.
Leonidas is my king as well as yours
I saw those ships smash on the rocks
How can this be?
We saw but a fraction of the monster that is Xerxes' army.
There can be no victory here
Why do you smile?
Arcadian
I have fought countless times
yet I've never met an adversary who could offer me...
...what we Spartans call "a beautiful death"
I can only hope
with all the worId's warriors gathered against us...
there might be one down there who's up to the task.
Move!
Keep going, you dogs!
Move!
Forward, I say!
Stop here!
Who commands here?
I am the emissary
to the ruler of all the world
the god of gods, king of kings
and by that authority
...I demand that someone show me your commander
Listen. Do you think the paltry dozen you slew scares us?
These hills swarm with our scouts
And do you think your pathetic wall will do anything...
except fall like a heap of dry leaves in the face of...?
Our ancestors built this wall
...using ancient stones from the bosom of Greece herself.
And with a little Spartan help
your Persian scouts supplied the mortar
You will pay for your barbarism!
My arm!
It's not yours anymore
Go now. Run along and tell your Xerxes he faces free men here...
not slaves
Do it quickly
before we decide to make our wall just a little bit bigger.
Not slaves
Your women will be slaves
Your sons, your daughters
your elders will be slaves!
But not you, no
By noon this day you will be dead men
A thousand nations of the Persian Empire descend upon you.
Our arrows will blot out the sun
Then we will fight in the shade
The wall is solid
It'll do the job of funneling the Persians into the Hot Gates.
Have the men found any route through the hills to our back?
None, sire
There is such a route, good king
Just pass that western ridge
It's an old goat path
The Persians could use it to outflank us
Not one step closer, monster!
Wise king, I humbly request an audience
I'II skewer you where you stand. I gave no such order.
Forgive the captain
He is a good soldier
but a bit short on manners
There is nothing to forgive, brave king . I know what I look like.
You wear the crimson of a Spartan
I am Ephialtes, born of Sparta
My mother's love led my parents to flee Sparta
lest I be discarded
Your shield and armor?
My father's, sir
I beg you, bold king to permit me...
to redeem my father's name by serving you in combat.
My father trained me to feel no fear to make spear and shield and sword
...as much a part of me as my own beating heart
I will earn my father's armor, noble king
by serving you in the battle
A fine thrust
I will kill many Persians
Raise your shield
Sire? Raise your shield as high as you can
Your father should have taught you how our phalanx works.
We fight
as a single, impenetrable unit
That is the source of our strength
Each Spartan protects the man to his left...
from thigh to neck with his shield
A single weak spot and the phalanx shatters
From thigh to neck, Ephialtes
I am sorry, my friend
But not all of us were made to be soldiers. But I--
-If you want to help in a Spartan victory -Yes.
...clear the battlefield of the dead, tend the wounded, bring them water
but as for the fight itself
I cannot use you
You
Mother! Father! You were wrong!
You are wrong!
Leonidas! You are wrong!
Dispatch the Phocians to the goat path
...and pray to the gods nobody tells the Persians about it
Earthquake
No, captain
Battle formations
This is where we hold them
This is where we fight!
This is where they die!
Earn these shields, boys!
Remember this day, men
for it will be yours for all time
Spartans!
Lay down your weapons!
Persians!
Come and get them!
Hold!
Give them nothing
but take from them everything!
Steady!
Push!
Is that the best you can do?
Push! Push!
Now!
Push!
No prisoners!
No mercy!
They look thirsty
Well, Iet's give them something to drink
To the cliffs
Ha
Hell of a good start
Tuck tail!
Persian cowards
-What the hell are you laughing at? -Well, you had to say it.
-What? -"Fight in the shade
Recover
Today no Spartan dies
Easy, son
We do what we were trained to do
what we were bred to do
what we were born to do
No prisoners. No mercy.
A good start.
I was afraid you might not come. I'm sorry, my son is-
Is doing what children do best. Please, don't apologize.
Your son starts the agoge next year
That is always a difficult time for a Spartan mother.
Yes, it will be hard. But also necessary
You will speak before the council in two days' time.
My husband does not have two days
Think of the two days as a gift
It's no secret
Theron wants what you control
It's his voice you must silence
Make him your ally
and you will have your victory
Thank you
You are wise as you are kind
There's your mother
You should keep a better eye on him if he's to be king one day.
Be unfortunate if anything were to happen to him.
Or to his beautiful mother
O
Our Greek comrades are begging for a crack at the Persians, sire.
Good
I've got something I think they can handle
Tell Daxos that I want him
.and 20 of his best, eager, sober and ready for the next charge.
King Leonidas
-Stelios, catch your breath, boy -Yes, milord.
The Persians are approaching
A small contingent. Too small for an attack
Captain, I leave you in charge . But sire-
Relax, old friend
If they assassinate me, all of Sparta goes to war
Pray they're that stupid
Pray
we're that lucky
Besides
there's no reason we can't be civil
is there?
None, sire
Let me guess
You must be Xerxes
Come, Leonidas
Let us reason together
It would be a regrettable waste
it would be nothing short of madness were you, brave king...
and your valiant troops to perish
all because of a simple misunderstanding.
-There's much our cultures could share -Haven't you noticed?
We've been sharing our culture with you all moming.
Yours is a fascinating tribe
Even now you are defiant
...in the face of annihilation and the presence of a god.
It isn't wise to stand against me , Leonidas.
Imagine what a horrible fate awaits my enemies...
...when I would gladly kill any of my own men for victory
And I would die for any one of mine
You Greeks take pride in your logic, I suggest you employ it.
Consider the beautiful land you so vigorously defend.
Picture it reduced to ash at my whim
Consider the fate of your women
Clearly you don't know our women
I might as well have marched them up here judging by what I've seen.
You have many slaves, Xerxes
but few warriors
It won't be long before they fear my spears
more than your whips
It's not the lash they fear
it is my divine power
But I am a generous god. I can make you rich beyond all measure
I will make you warlord of all Greece
You will carry my battle standard to the heart of Europa.
Your Athenian rivals
will kneel at your feet
if you will but kneel at mine
You are generous
as you are divine
O king of kings
Such an offer only a madman would refuse
But the
The idea of kneeling, it's
You see, slaughtering all those men of yours has
Well, it's left a nasty cramp in my leg
so kneeling will be hard for me
There will be no glory in your sacrifice
I will erase even the memory of Sparta from the histories.
Every piece of Greek parchment shall be burned.
Every Greek historian and every scribe shall have their eyes put out...
...and their tongues cut from their mouths
Why, uttering the very name of Sparta or Leonidas will be punishable by death
The world will never know you existed at all.
The world will know that free men stood against a tyrant
That few stood against many
And before this battle was over
that even a god-king can bleed
You fought well today
for a woman
As did you
Maybe if I'm injured, you'II be able to keep up with me
Perhaps I was so far ahead you couldn't see me.
More likely offering your backside to the Thespians.
Jealousy
does not become you, my friend
Move it, men!
Pile those Persians high
For unless I miss my guess
we're in for one wild night
They have served the dark will of Persian kings for 500 years.
Eyes as dark as night.
Teeth filed to fangs
Soulless
The personal guard to King Xerxes himself . The Persian warrior elite.
The deadliest fighting force in all of Asia
The Immortals
The god-king has betrayed a fatal flaw.
Hubris
Easy to taunt, easy to trick.
Before wounds and weariness have taken their toll...
...the mad king throws the best he has at us.
Xerxes has taken the bait.
Spartans, push!
Immortals
We put their name to the test.
Father!
My king!
Arcadians, now!
Go! Show the Spartans what we can do
Go!
They shout and curse
...stabbing wildly, more brawlers than warriors.
They make a wondrous mess of things
Brave amateurs, they do their part.
Immortals
They fail our king's test.
And a man who fancies himself a god.
feels a very human chill crawl up his spine.
To our king!
And our honored dead
Whom will Xerxes dare to send next? Whom?!
There's nothing that can stop us now!
Even the king allows himself to hope for more than glory.
Such mad hope, but there it is
Against Asia's endless hordes, against all odds, we can do it.
We can hold the Hot Gates
We can win
Dawn
Whips crack. Barbarians howl.
Those behind cry, "Forward!
Those in front cry, "Back!
Our eyes bear witness to the grotesque spectacle
coughed forth from the darkest comer of Xerxes' empire.
When muscle failed.
they turned to their magic
One hundred nations descend upon us, the armies of all Asia.
Funneled into this narrow corridor, their numbers count for nothing.
They fall by the hundreds
We send the severed bodies and the fragile hearts back to Xerxes' feet.
King Xerxes is displeased with his generals.
He disciplines them
Xerxes dispatches his monsters from half the world away.
They're clumsy beasts
and the piled Persian dead are slippery.
-You still here? -Somebody's gotta watch your back
Not now, I'm a little busy
Regroup!
Astinos!
My son!
Astinos!
NO!
Day wears on
We lose few.
but each felled is a friend, or dearest blood.
And upon seeing the headless body of his own young son...
the captain breaks rank.
He goes wild, blood-drunk.
The captain's cries of pain at the loss of his son...
are more frightening to the enemy than the deepest battle drums.
It takes three men to restrain him and bring him back to our own.
The day is ours
No songs are sung
Your gods were cruel to shape you so, friend Ephialtes.
The Spartans, too
were cruel to reject you
But I am kind
Everything you could ever desire
every happiness you can imagine
...every pleasure your fellow Greeks and your false gods have denied you.
I will grant you
For I am kind
Embrace me as your king and as your god.
Yes
Lead my soldiers to the hidden path that enters behind the cursed Spartans
and your joys will be endless
Yes! I want it all
Wealth. Women
And one more thing
I want a uniform
Done
You will find
I am kind
Unlike the cruel Leonidas, who demanded that you stand
I require only
that you kneel
Beautiful night
Yes, but I did not ask you here for small talk, Theron.
You can be sure of that
You never spared words with me
Can I offer you something? A drink, perhaps?
Is it poison?
I'm sorry to disappoint you it's only water.
I'm told it's been arranged for you to go before the council.
Yes
I need your help in winning votes to send the army north to our king
Yes
I can see it, the two of us standing together
Me, politician. You, warrior. Our voices as one.
But why would I want to do that?
It proves you care for a king who right now fights for the very water we drink.
True
But this is politics, not war
Leonidas is an idealist
I know your kind too well. You send men to slaughter for your own gain.
Your husband, our king, has taken 300 of our finest to slaughter
He's broken our laws and left without the counciI‘s consent
-I'm simply a realist. -You're an opportunist
You're as foolish as Leonidas if you think men don't have a price in this world.
All men are not created equal. That's the Spartan code, my little queen
I admire your passion
But don't think that you
A WOMAN, EVEN A QUEEN
can walk into the council chamber and sway the minds of men.
I own that chamber
as if it were built with these hands
I could crush the life out of you right now
You will go before the council, but your words will fall on deaf ears
Leonidas will receive no reinforcements and if he returns, without my help...
he will go to jail or worse
Do you love your Sparta?
Yes
-And your king? -I do.
Your husband fights for his land and his love.
What do you have to offer
...in retum for my word that I'II help you send our army north?
What does a realist want with his queen?
I think you know
This will not be over quickly
You will not enjoy this
I'm not your king
Dilios
I trust that scratch hasn't made you useless?
Hardly, my lord. It's just an eye
The gods saw fit to grace me with a spare.
My captain?
Curses the gods and mourns alone
Leonidas!
We are undone. Undone, I tell you. Destroyed
Daxos, calm yourself
Our hunchback traitor led Xerxes' Immortals to the hidden goat path behind us.
The Phocians you posted there were scattered without a fight.
-This battle is over, Leonidas. -This battle is over when I say it is over
By morning, the Immortals will surround us . The Hot Gates will fall.
Spartans! Prepare for glory!
Glory? Have you gone mad?
There is no glory to be had now
Only retreat or surrender. Or death
Well, that's an easy choice for us, Arcadian.
Spartans never retreat. Spartans never surrender
Go spread the word
Let every Greek assembled know the truth of this.
Let each among them search his own soul.
And while you're at it, search your own
My men will leave with me
Godspeed, Leonidas
Children!
Children
Gather round
No retreat, no surrender
That is Spartan law
And by Spartan law, we will stand and fight
and die
A new age has begun
An age of freedom
And all will know that 300 Spartans
gave their last breath to defend it
My friend
I have lived my entire life without regret until now.
It's not that my son gave up his life for his country
It's just that I never told him that I loved him the most.
That he stood by me with honor
That he was all that was best in me
My heart is broken for your loss
Heart?
I have filled my heart
with hate
Good
Dilios
Iet's take a walk
Yes, my lord
But, sire, I am fit and ready for battle
That you are, one of the finest
But you have another talent unlike any other Spartan.
You will deliver my final orders to the council...
with force and verve
Tell them our story
Make every Greek know what happened here.
You'll have a grand tale to tell
A tale of victory
Victory
Yes, my lord
Sire, any message...?
For the queen?
None that need be spoken
Hundreds leave
A handful stay.
Only one looks back.
Spartans!
Ready your breakfast and eat hearty
for tonight we dine in hell!
May I give the floor now
.to the wife of Leonidas and queen of Sparta.
-What's this? -This is nothing
Councilmen
...I stand before you not only as your queen
I come to you as a mother
I come to you as a wife
I come to you as a Spartan woman
I come to you with great humility
I am not here to represent Leonidas
His actions speak louder than my words ever could
I am here for all those voices which cannot be heard.
Mothers, daughters, fathers, sons
Three hundred families that bleed for our rights..
.and for the very principles this room was built upon.
We are at war, gentlemen
We must send the entire Spartan army to aid our king...
in the preservation of not just ourselves but of our children.
Send the army for the preservation of liberty
Send it for justice
Send it for law and order
Send it for reason
But most importantly, send our army for hope
Hope that a king and his men have not been wasted to the pages of history.
That their courage bonds us together
That we are made stronger by their actions...
and that your choices today reflect their bravery.
Three hundred
We must send them
Moving
eloquent, passionate
But it doesn't change the fact that your husband has brought war upon us
You are wrong. Xerxes brought it forth
...and before that, his father Darius at Marathon
The Persians will not stop
until the only shelter we will find is rubble and chaos.
This chamber needs no history lesson, my queen
Then what is the lesson you would like to leave?
Shall I begin to enumerate all of them?
Honor. Duty. Glory
You speak of honor, duty and glory?
But what of adultery?
How dare you. How dare I?
Watch her carefully
She is a trickster in true form
Do not play with the members of this sacred chamber, my queen
Just hours ago, you offered yourself to me
Were I a weaker man, I would have her scent on me still
-This is outrage. -Oh, the hypocrite speaks!
Did you not receive a similar payment which you took...
in exchange for her having an audience with these noble men?
-That is a lie -Is it?
Was he not, by your invitation, asked to come to the king's bedchamber?
The very bed where you attempted to negotiate with me so vigorously?
You look shocked. A bribe of the flesh, gentlemen
...while her husband promotes anarchy and war
He speaks truth
Words escape even the most cunning tongue
my little whore queen
What queen-like behavior
Remove her from this chamber before she infects us further...
with her inglorious and shabby self
This will not be over quickly
You will not enjoy this. I am not your queen.
Traitor
Traitor! Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor!
Leonidas, my compliments and congratulations.
You surely have turned calamity into victory.
Despite your insufferable arrogance
...the god-king has come to admire Spartan valor and fighting skill
You will make a mighty ally
Yield, Leonidas
Use your reason. Think of your men
I beg you
Listen to your fellow Greek
He can attest to the divine one's generosity
Despite your several insults, despite your horrid blasphemies
...the lord of hosts is prepared to forgive all
and more, to reward your service
You fight for your lands
Keep them
You fight for Sparta
She will be wealthier and more powerful than ever before.
You fight for your kingship
You will be proclaimed warlord of all Greece...
...answerable only to the one true master of the world
Leonidas, your victory will be complete
if you but lay down your arms
and kneel to holy Xerxes
lt's been more than 30 years since the wolf in the winter cold.
And now, as then, it's not fear that grips him.
...only restlessness. A heightened sense of things.
The seaborne breeze coolly kissing the sweat at his chest and neck.
Gulls cawing
...complaining even as they feast on the thousands of floating dead.
The steady breathing of the 300 at his back..
...ready to die for him without a moments pause
Every one of them
ready to die
His helmet is stifling
His shield is heavy.
Your spear
You there
Ephialtes
May you live forever
Leonidas, your spear
Steliosl
Slaughter them!
His helmet was stifling
It narrowed his vision and he must see far.
His shield was heavy. It threw him off balance
and his target is far away.
The old ones say we Spartans are descended from Hercules himself
Bold Leonidas gives testament to our bloodline.
His roar is long and loud.
My king
It's an honor to die at your side
It's an honor to have lived at yours
My queen!
My wife
My love
'Remember us
As simple an order as a king can give
'Remember why we died.
For he did not wish tribute or song
...nor monuments, nor poems of war and valor
His wish was simple
Remember us
he said to me
That was his hope
Should any free soul come across that place
...in all the countless centuries yet to be...
may all our voices
...whisper to you from the ageless stones.
Go tell the Spartans, passerby.
that here, by Spartan law, we lie
And so my king died.
and my brothers died.
barely a year ago
Long I pondered my king's cryptic talk of victory.
Time has proven him wise
For from free Greek to free Greek
...the word was spread that bold Leonidas and his 300
so far from home
_.laid down their lives not just for Sparta...
...but for all Greece and the promise this country holds
Now, here on this rugged patch of earth called Plataea...
Xerxes' hordes face obliteration!
Just there the barbarians huddle
sheer terror gripping tight their hearts
with icy fingers
...knowing full well what merciless horrors they suffered
at the swords and spears of 300
Yet they stare now across the plain at 10,000 Spartans...
commanding 30,000 free Greeks!
The enemy outnumber us a paltry three to one.
Good odds for any Greek
This day, we rescue a world from mysticism and tyranny..
...and usher in a future brighter than anything we can imagine
Give thanks, men
to Leonidas and the brave 300
To victory!
[ENGLISH]