300: Rise of an Empire Page #2

well with others.

Aah!

Spartans.

Themistokles.

You old snake.

What brings you this far South?

I've come to see Leonidas to warn him

that the Persians are on the march.

Well, you're too late.

Persian messenger already

presented his terms

to Leonidas.

Symbolic offering

of earth and water.

Spartans!

Know this and know it well.

That any Spartan's finest moment...

The greatest fulfillment

of all he holds dear...

Is that moment...

When he has fought his heart out

for the preservation of Sparta...

And lies dead on the battlefield...

Victorious.

Now, who is willing to

die at our king's side?

Themistokles.

You've come a long way

to stroke your cock

whilst watching real men train.

Queen Gorgo.

Shouldn't he be training them

to live at their king's side?

A new age is dawning, Gorgo.

Won't be long before men rise up

and shed the yoke of

mysticism and tyranny.

That sounds like a threat.

No.

An opportunity to join

the rest of free Greece

and stand against a true tyrant...

Unless, of course, you and Leonidas

have already made a

deal with Xerxes.

No terms were reached.

Xerxes' messenger was...

Well, he was rude

and lacked respect.

He didn't understand

the same threats

made in Thebes and Athens

would not work here.

This is the birthplace of the

world's greatest warriors.

Men whose king would

stand and fight and die

for any one of them.

Xerxes' messenger

did not understand

this is no typical

Greek city-state.

This is Sparta.

So it was clear to the messenger

there would be no

spartan submission.

It was clear.

Even now, Leonidas is in

counsel with the oracle

over his battle plan.

The festival of the Carnea

is all that stands in our way.

Surely, the oracle will

see we must fight.

Well, then my timing is perfect.

I am commanding a fleet of ships

that will represent

a united Greece.

I need Sparta to join me.

Give me your ships, Gorgo.

I will make sure that Xerxes wishes

he never crossed the Aegean.

You will receive no spartan ships.

We are not interested

in a united Greece.

That is your dream,

Themistokles, not ours.

All I am concerned with is

the preservation of Sparta.

My guards will see you out.

It's funny that you mock freedom

here in your selfish isolation.

Yet, freedom, in her wisdom,

has chosen you to defend her.

My queen.

Will Sparta join our fight?

Apparently, the Persians

have offered the Spartans

something they cannot refuse.

And what is that?

A beautiful death.

They say you are the

bravest of our captives.

They say you are a whore

from the eastern seas.

You're not the smartest.

Your commander is a Greek.

Just like me.

You Persian men take your

orders from a Greek woman.

Yes, my brother.

I am Greek by birth...

And I have Greek blood

running through my veins.

But my heart...

is Persian.

Within hours...

The Greek fleet will be shattered.

What of our master and the

much-feared Spartans?

There's nothing to fear.

Only king Leonidas and his

personal guard of 300

have marched to fight.

They'll collapse instantly.

You.

Do you agree?

Many will perish.

Your confidence leaves me

with a strong impression.

It's a curious thing for

a simple ship guard

to not lower his eyes

when questioned by me.

That could've been just

a lack of discipline.

But a man's hands do not lie.

They can reveal every imperfection

and flaw in his character.

You see, your hands

are not rough enough

to work the rigging of this ship.

I know every single

man beneath my lash.

Can you explain to me

how I don't know you?

Forgive me, commander.

Let me introduce myself.

Seize the spy.

Coward.

Storm is upon us.

It's just some mad Greek weather.

Themistokles.

Come.

Calisto.

What is spoken here

must not be repeated.

Anywhere.

My son has not earned the right

to sit at the table

of combat veterans,

but you can trust him.

Very well.

Tell me.

A Greek woman commands all

of Xerxes' ships to the South.

Artemisia.

I know of her.

Artemisia is murderous by trade

with true skill on the sea

and she has thirst for vengeance.

Rumors are her entire family

was murdered by a squad

of Greek Hoplites.

I have heard all the stories.

And the Hoplites spared

no one on that day.

The story goes that

they raped and murdered

her entire family.

And then they turned their

attention towards her.

After years of being

kept in the bowels

of a Greek slave ship...

She was discarded

and left for dead,

where she was found near

death by a Persian emissary.

Artemisia vowed that day

to return to Greece...

Only when she could watch it burn.

She was fed, clothed and

trained by the finest warriors

of the Persian empire...

Aah!... Until no

match could be found

for her skills and

gift with the sword.

The great king Darius was

impressed by her commitment.

And she quickly rose to

command at his side.

She has sold her soul

to death himself.

Well, some could say that

I've sold mine to Greece.

And what do you think?

Me?

Yes.

You are the future of this country.

I'm ready to fight.

I like him.

He reminds me of you.

We will need every last man.

Well, he is still just a boy.

Much younger have defended

our country, father.

Enough!

You are a dreamer and will

speak of this no more.

Themistokles, I've set

your plan in motion

and my land force will be

assembled by the second day.

You will be needed.

I can assure you of that.

And there is bad news.

Leonidas has marched

north to the hot gates.

Bad news?

With the Spartans at the hot gates,

our victory is assured.

If the army were with him.

But between the oracle

and the Carnea,

Leonidas has marched to Thermopylae

with just 300 men.

So the only thing

standing between Athens

and total annihilation is

Leonidas and 300 Spartans.

I will search out the

veterans among them.

Establish some order

among the volunteers.

Good. There's little time to

teach these farmhands strategy.

Just keep them well-fed...

And sober.

Anything else?

Wouldn't hurt if they

could swing a sword.

Well, I'll be damned.

Sh*t!

Does your father know

that you're here?

No, sir.

And this shield and sword?

My grandfather's.

My mother entrusted them

to me this morning.

When she gave you her blessing?

Yes, sir.

With a sharp blade, no less.

Your father is preparing a surprise

for our enemy tomorrow.

I choose to fight here.

Now.

Come aboard my ship.

That is where you will fight.

Yes, sir.

We've just over 50 ships.

Persian forces reported a

number in the thousands.

Those ships appear

hardly seaworthy.

They're nothing like the monster

ships of the Persian fleet.

Then we have the advantage.

Speed and maneuverability.

Rest of the city-states

have sent anywhere

from a handful to a single ship.

Of course, Athens

supplied the balance.

We have report that a small

advance force of Persian ships

have taken refuge from the

storm just across the strait.

If the weather breaks, we

could hit them at dawn.

An early Greek victory.

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