The 300 Spartans Page #3

From the earliest moment I can remember.

Now we can marry.

- And I want you.

- I know. I want you too, Phylon.

But...

But we must wait.

Why wait? You are mine, I am yours.

What is there to keep us apart?

Only ourselves, Phylon. Just for a little while.

I want time to think.

We must be strong.

We are Spartans.

Remember what they say: Once the rain has

fallen, nothing can put it back into the sky.

And since when have Spartans

become afraid of rain?

Phylon, son of Gryllus,

you shall soon march in defense of our land.

Are you ready to hear the laws

sacred to a Spartan warrior?

- Yes, Queen Gorgo.

- Here they are.

You must treasure freedom above life.

Shun pleasure for the sake of virtue.

Endure pain and hardship in silence.

Obey orders implicitly.

Seek the enemies of Greece wherever

they may be, and fight them fearlessly,

until victory or death.

Now...

taking the place of your dead mother,

I'm giving you...

this shield.

There are but these five words to remember:

E tan e epi tas.

- What does it mean?

- "With this or on this. "

Either come home victorious

with this shield, or dead on it.

Please excuse me.

Oh, happy day!

Congratulations!

We, the elders of Sparta,

have a sacred duty to perform.

We are the guardians of Spartan blood.

'Tis for us to see to it

that that precious blood is not shed,

whatever the occasion may be,

far away from our native soil.

Then you suggest

that we do not send our men north.

Not above Corinth, Togis.

We have no common cause with empty

talkers of Athens and their sinful ways.

We must defend southern Greece,

where we have our homes and our allies.

Greetings.

- Greetings, King Leotychidis.

- Greetings, King Leonidas.

Greetings, friends.

I bear important news.

Sparta has been selected

to lead the united Greek cities

in the war against Persia

both on land and on the sea.

Athens has surrendered

her naval leadership to us.

- But the council decides how Sparta acts.

- Of course. But the council must act quickly.

Why?

In order that we reach

the first line of defense in time.

- Where might that be?

- The pass of Thermopylae.

Of course - the pass that protects Athens.

No! It's the pass that protects Greece.

Mere cities don't matter now.

It is Greece that counts!

Only by being united

can we hope to avoid slavery.

I am no politician.

But I will plead this cause until the moon

wanes and the night brings forth a new day.

Yes, Ellas.

Of course I'll speak to him

about you and Phylon.

You two should be married.

What could be keeping him so long?

He went straight to the council

without even stopping to see me.

- He's never done that before.

- But, Aunt Gorgo, this is a dangerous time.

Everyone is talking about the war

and our men marching north.

- Do you think that...

- (door opens)

- I didn't even greet you. Forgive me.

- And you haven't asked about your son.

- How is he? Is he well?

- Is he well?

Today he fought with his toy sword

against a boy a whole head taller than he,

and he defeated him.

You could hear his war cry

all the way to the marketplace.

Strong lungs are no proof of wisdom.

You should have heard

Xenathon speak tonight.

Shouting the isolation of Sparta.

He made me sick.

- But he loves our country.

- Not as much as he hates Athens.

He can never forget his two sons

were killed by the Athenians in battle.

Dead children are not easy to forget,

Leonidas.

To remember is one thing.

To grow bitter in hatred, that's another.

That man is dangerous. He could sway

that council to put me in a terrible position.

I could not disobey,

and I cannot break my word.

What word?

I promised Themistocles

to lead my men in defense of Thermopylae.

Thermopylae?

But that's so far away from Sparta.

To a Greek, no part of Greece is far away.

You are tired, my love.

Before the sun rises you must rest.

It's past midnight.

See how dark the sky is.

When you left for Corinth,

I went to see Megistias, the old priest.

He sacrificed a lamb and read the entrails.

He said that there was wonderful

good fortune for both of us.

He said that you will be the Spartan king

best remembered amongst men.

And he said that for centuries to come,

women will sing songs

about my love for you.

- This man brings an urgent message.

- What news?

Themistocles begs us to march at once.

He says the whole of Greece is waiting.

Ride back and tell him we march today.

Summons from the council. The prediction

of the oracle has arrived from Delphi.

- Alert my bodyguard.

- Yes.

"Dwellers in glorious Sparta,

hear now the words of your fate. "

"Either your famous city

goes down in front of the Persians,

or, if your city is spared,

the land of Sparta must mourn

for the death of one of her kings. "

(Xenathon) You may leave.

- The priestess has spoken.

- Yes.

And the meaning is clear.

It is either Sparta or a Spartan king.

- I accept the challenge.

- And, in your opinion, what must be done?

The army must march at once.

There is no time to lose.

The council must grant dispensation

to leave during the festival.

It is not the Spartan way

to neglect the holy festivals.

Nor to neglect Greece.

The alert order has gone to my bodyguard,

who are not subject

to decisions of the council.

All the other troops are waiting in their

quarters. Do not let them wait long, friends.

Ellas.

Let me look. Let me look at you.

How handsome you are.

The red war-cloaks are so becoming to men.

This way no enemy

will ever see Spartan blood.

Ellas, we may march tomorrow.

I must go to the king now.

Yes, let us go. I've spoken to my aunt already.

My father's gone

to the king's house and is waiting.

Seems that all my life I've waited for just

this day. At last you're going to be my wife.

- The wife of a real Spartan soldier.

- Just wait till I come back.

I'll bring ten Persian slave girls

to wait on you hand and foot.

Bring just one and you'll be a dead Spartan.

Now, as soon as the council

proclaims a state of war,

the whole army will come under my orders.

While King Leotychidis,

in accordance with the law,

will remain at home.

Pentheus, son of Salas,

will be my second in command.

I thank you for honoring me.

- May I put forward a personal request?

- Of course, Pentheus.

My daughter Ellas

is waiting outside with Phylon.

He asks permission to speak to you

about a matter concerning both our families.

Let them come in.

Speak, Phylon.

Sir, I've come to ask your permission

to marry Ellas, daughter of Pentheus.

Her father's granted his consent but, since my

father's away on family business in Thrace,

I beg you to act in his stead.

- When did you last hear from your father?

- Not since he left Sparta.

He was supposed to return way before now.

Have you any idea

what might have caused this delay?

No, sir.

Is there anything wrong?

Agathon believes so.

While I was being tortured by the Persians,

I saw your father in the enemy camp.

- No. Not my father.

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