300: Rise of an Empire Page #4

no time for family.

I have spent my entire adult life

with my one true love...

The Greek fleet...

And my one passion...

Readying it for you.

Now, that brings me pleasure,

the thought of you

pining away for me,

forsaking family and love...

For the promise of

a deeper ecstasy.

The ecstasy of steel and flesh...

Death and life.

Of rage...

And sweat of muscle.

Of pure joy...

And deepest sorrow.

Die with me each night

and be born again with

me each morning...

As you plant your sword into

the hearts of our enemies.

You fight for freedom.

I offer freedom without

consequence or responsibility.

Join me...

At my side.

Breathe each breath with me

as if it were your last.

Ahh.

Aah.

Join me.

No.

Aah!

You're no God.

You're just a man.

Be quick with your sword.

You'll not have your death tonight.

Guards!

Remove this filth from my ship.

Aah!

Well?

What have you learned?

Can Artemisia be beaten?

The next time that we face her...

She's going to bring

all of hell with her.

Hold! Hold!

Send in my personal guard.

Pull back!

Retreat!

Retreat!

Retreat!

Themistokles!

In the water!

Archers!

On deck, now!

Archers on deck, now!

Quickly!

Starboard side!

Fire at will!

Fight on, boy.

Uh-huh.

Fight on!

Aim for the men on top!

Up there!

Abandon ship!

Aah!

The dead have no guilt.

No responsibility.

Themistokles watches

the bodies of his men

turn the Aegean red with blood.

Were they sacrificed for his ego?

Or to relieve the guilt

of the long-ago

mistake at marathon?

How many men would have been saved

if Themistokles had

killed that boy?

Not even his own soul can be sure.

My friend.

We faced the odds.

Together.

Listen to me, Themistokles.

You will have to fight...

With twice as much

strength in the morning.

We will fight shoulder-to-shoulder.

No, my son.

You will carry on for both of us.

What did he say?

I will tell you in time, boy.

Quiet now.

You go and be with

your father's spirit.

How many times do you think we

will repeat such a tragedy?

As many times as we must.

We are turning young

men into memories.

Do you think I enjoy this?

Witnessing my friend's

final breath?

Every widow that is

made by my decision...

Every child that will

grow without a father...

They are my choices.

This is the burden of my command.

How easy it is to silence

the strong and self-disciplined.

Let my army witness the

great warriors of Sparta.

March them past these corpses.

Let them see the cost of daring

to challenge the God-king.

King Leonidas and his brave 300

were the finest

Greece has to offer.

There will be no saviors to

rise up and vanquish us.

Nothing will stop the

march of my empire.

Your majesty.

You, take this dead

king's sword to Athens.

Let them know that I am

coming next for them.

Let them know...

Athens...

Their prize jewel of a city...

Will disappear from the histories.

Themistokles!

I bring word from Thermopylae.

Leonidas was betrayed

by a hunchback.

The Spartans have been slaughtered.

The hot gates have fallen.

Such a sacrifice.

Now Greece has her martyrs.

Daxos, take that message

from the hot gates

to every city, every village.

Let every countryman

hear your words.

But they are dead.

All of them.

Sparta's sacrifice will

be what unites us.

Now, go.

Hyah!

Move all of our ships and men

back to the safety of salamis.

And you?

I will take Daxos'

message to Athens.

I was told a hunchback

was accountable

for the fall of the hot gates.

That he sold out his country,

pulled the crimson from his back

and replaced it with Persian gold.

What is your name...

Traitor?

Ephialtes of Trachis.

I should wet this noble

blade with your blood.

You would be right to do so.

There is little beauty about me.

There is little beauty

in what I have done.

Say what you must.

I beg of you...

And all of Athens!

The God-king will burn

this city to the ground!

What's going on?

- What does he mean?

- Xerxes!

Quiet yourselves!

Leonidas and Sparta's great

sacrifice was no defeat.

It was a beautiful victory.

This simple act of valor

will allow us to rally

each of our city-states

and unite Greece...

For one purpose...

Against one enemy!

And you.

You take this message

to your God-king.

That we will take whatever

ships we have left

and finish this in

the bay of salamis.

But there will be death

and destruction.

Yes, there will be.

Themistokles.

I'm here to speak to your queen.

A warning, Athenian.

You may not receive a warm welcome.

May I offer my deepest sympathies.

I cannot change what has

happened to Leonidas,

but his sacrifice will

not be forgotten.

Do not lecture me on sacrifice

and be quick with

your words, Athenian.

I request of you the

entire spartan Navy.

Every man, every ship

that you can spare.

Have I not given

enough for your dream

of a united Greece?

Shall I put swords in

the hands of my son?

Our children?

Would that please you?

Have I not given enough for

your ambitions, Themistokles?

A king.

Husbands, fathers, brothers.

Sparta will give no more.

This belongs with you.

Avenge him.

The oracle's words

stood as a warning.

All of Greece will fall...

As Persian fire reduces

Athens to cinder.

For Athens is a pile

of stone and wood

and cloth and dust.

And as dust, will

vanish into the wind.

Only the Athenians

themselves exist.

And the fate of the world hangs

on their every syllable.

Only the Athenians exist.

And only stout wooden

ships can save them.

Wooden ships...

And a tidal wave of heroes' blood.

The Greeks were fools

to stand against us.

Leonidas and his pride were no

match for the will of a God.

Themistokles was a

worthless coward.

And now

This pathetic Navy is

barely worth our attention.

If that "worthless coward"

had stood at my side,

we would have laid the

world at your feet.

My king.

Your humble servant

brings you news.

The Greek fleet are defenseless

within the bay of salamis.

You need only finish them.

Who commands their forces?

Themistokles of Athens.

Themistokles is dead.

He is alive.

I have seen him myself.

Ready my troops and armor.

We will attack at once.

Wisdom...

Would have us send a probing force

to confirm it is not a trap.

You would dare to advise

me in matters of war?

I am the God-king.

I am the one who

triumphed over Leonidas.

I am the one who laid waste

to this showpiece of Athens.

I am your king.

Killing Leonidas and his men

only made them martyrs.

And when you razed Athens,

you set fire to the only thing

of value in this country.

I will attack the Greeks...

With my entire Navy.

Artemisia.

Enough!

Do not forget who put the

crown on your childish head.

My king.

Now sit on your golden

throne and watch this battle

from the safety I provide you.

There, in the distance...

We witness the

destruction of Athens.

Alone, we will face the

monster that casts the shadow

across our land.

I had prayed that the Spartans

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