The 300 Spartans Page #2

I happen to know this prediction by heart.

And here it is.

"Fly to the world's end, doomed ones.

Leave your homes. "

"For fire and the headlong god of war

shall bring you low. "

This clearly seems to me

that the gods foretell the doom of Athens.

Isn't it wonderful

that we have among us such a clever man?

Not only does he know

how to steal state secrets,

but he understands the meaning

of the gods as well.

Now, since the sacred text has been filched,

there's no longer any point

in keeping it a secret.

Here is the rest of the prediction.

"Then far-seeing Jove

grants this to the prayers of Athene:

Safe shall the wooden wall continue

for thee and thy children. "

Perhaps you can explain to us

the meaning of these words.

- They have no meaning.

- No meaning?

Do you infer then

the gods dispense nonsense?

Don't put words into my mouth

to confuse the issue.

You know no wooden walls

can stand against an army like Xerxes'.

And anyway, Athens

no longer has a wooden wall.

And where did you steal

this piece of information?

Has it a wooden wall now?

Answer me. Yes or no?

- Yes.

- A wooden wall?

A splendid one. I know how splendid

because I've supervised its building.

Our new Athenian ships, manned

by the bravest sailors in the world.

There is our wooden wall.

The wall far-seeing Jove

declares shall keep us safe.

The gods don't lie.

Shall we not heed their words,

rather than listen to fools,

thieves, and blasphemous cowards?

- This is an insult!

- Following divine advice,

Athens shall fight to her victory.

A victory she invites all Greece to join.

Speak, friend.

I represent Phocis.

We are a small state.

We can field but 1,000 soldiers.

Who will help us if we fight?

Will Sparta come to our defense?

(men) Sparta! Sparta!

The delegate from Phocis

asks the vital question.

Athens has ships,

but Sparta has the finest army in Greece.

Sir, is it not fitting that we now

hear from the representative of Sparta?

King Leonidas of Sparta.

A Spartan king cannot act

without the authority of his people.

But I know my people.

And I know they will fight.

Will they lead all others?

Sparta will fight

whether others will follow or not.

- Sir.

- Yes?

You will hear words never before uttered

in the history of our country.

Athens,

to prove her trust in Spartan valor,

does hereby resign her claim

to naval leadership,

and places her ships

under Spartan command.

From this day onward, every Athenian ship

will sail under Spartan orders.

We've done it! We've done it, King Leonidas.

It's going our way. Of course,

we must expect them to argue for a while.

Yes, argue while our house burns.

When people are free to speak their minds,

they generally are more easily handled.

That fool nearly caught me

with that prediction.

I wouldn't care to go through

an ordeal like that again.

Of course, it was throwing in the navy

won the day for us.

Why did you do it?

The Spartans are no sailors.

Thereby your admiral won't know

how to interfere with my running the fleet.

You don't mind, do you?

No. Sparta will do her duty.

She'd better do it fast.

The Persians are moving

like a plague of locusts.

If we attack them here, on the plain

of Thessaly, or their ships on the open sea,

they'll run over us without even noticing.

We must find a position

which cannot be turned.

- What about here?

- The pass of Thermopylae?

It's the best line of defense north of Corinth.

These mountains run across Greece.

The Persians must pass through here.

With a small force, I can hold that narrow

strip of land until the others are ready.

And I can bring the fleet

through the straits above Thermopylae,

protecting your flank.

With your admiral's consent, of course.

This is a splendid plan.

When can you march?

I must speak to the council first.

But once we start,

we march faster than any soldiers on earth.

In the meantime, you can send a small force

of Athenians to occupy the pass.

No. Don't let's deceive ourselves.

No Greek will stir

until he sees the Spartans march.

Actually march, you know.

Thrump, thrump, thrump.

Red cloaks, flutes and all.

I know. Only this will unite Greece.

I'll leave at once.

I'll deploy the ships and meet you

in this bay of Locris. You and your men.

We'll be there.

Agathon! I thought I should

never see you again. What happened?

- I was a guest of the Persians.

- And escaped?

- He gave me a horse.

- Why?

So I could tell the Greeks what I have seen.

- Why were you not in council?

- Because I'm not a good liar.

I don't want to frighten them.

- Then the army is as enormous as they say?

- Leonidas...

It is bigger than anything you can imagine.

For six days I watched them pass. Six days!

I ran out of numbers and still more of them

came. They're drinking the rivers dry.

And at night, there are more of their

campfires than there are stars in the sky.

Good.

When I was a boy, I always wanted

to reach the stars with my spear.

- I don't trust that woman.

- Neither do I.

But what can we do? During the day he seeks

our advice. Then comes the night and...

Shh!

My lord.

My lord!

- Hydarnes, why must you disturb me?

- I have urgent news, my lord.

Scouts report the Greeks

have abandoned Thessaly.

- I knew they would. Have some wine.

- Beyond Thessaly lies the Oeta range.

With just one pass near the sea

called Thermopylae.

I'm in no mood for geography.

My lord, we must send a cavalry column

to secure the pass before our army reaches it.

You must do only what I order you to do.

But, my lord, as a soldier it is my duty to...

Your duty is to obey me! I don't want

the Greeks to think I'm afraid of them.

If they want to fight,

let them come out into the open.

I'll leave Thermopylae

as an open door for them.

- And supposing...

- Enough!

It's my war and I'll conduct it my way.

Now go!

- We should be in Sparta by late afternoon.

- Yes.

Tell me, did you see Demaratus

in the Persian camp?

No, but I saw a real Persia-lover there.

- Who?

- Gryllus, the father of young Phylon.

I slashed his face with a whip.

I can't believe it. He was always a good man.

He has no business to be among barbarians.

I'm only sorry now I didn't spear him.

And Phylon should be questioned. He might

have known about his father's actions.

We shall speak to him.

Phylon!

- What have you been doing?

- Exercising, with spear, sword and javelin.

Talking about the war.

Everyone says we're going to march north.

- To Corinth?

- Some say as far as Thessaly.

This is a really good war. They say Xerxes

has brought 100 nations with him.

Isn't that wonderful?

- When does your aunt expect Leonidas?

- Maybe tonight.

The men gave me a very good idea.

I can ask Leonidas' permission to marry you.

I'm sure the law is that the king

can act for my father in time of war.

And I can speak to my aunt.

I love you, Ellas.

I've never loved anyone else.

I think I loved you when we were children.

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