The 300 Spartans Page #7

This is Hydarnes' fault!

When the Immortals failed,

all others lost heart.

Heart.

Yes.

I'll have his heart for this.

I'll have it cut out

and brought to me on a platter!

No! Then you would admit defeat.

There's a better way.

- What is it?

- Even the greatest king cannot defy the gods.

Tell your men you've had a message

from heaven to return to Persia.

By this you would save your honor,

reaffirm your divine origins,

and rob Leonidas of victory.

Yes.

Yes.

It was a dark day

when the first woman came into this world.

Mardonius.

My lord.

I have had a vision in which

my father's shade appeared to me.

He told me to destroy

the rebellious foreign troops,

go back to Persia, and collect a new army.

I dare not disobey him.

We march at sunrise.

Go and see that all is made ready.

Very good, my lord.

Now I know why they call you "great king".

They tell me your mother was a Greek,

and that you're a secret enemy

trying to destroy me with your advice.

If I could prove it, I'd have your throat cut.

The bone is not broken

and none of the muscles are cut.

Let me seal the wound with the iron.

Help him, Megistias. We need such men.

(music)

My lord.

- My lord.

- Yes.

I beg you to accept this gift I bring to you.

- Gift? What gift?

- Victory!

- What sort of a joke is this?

- A joke, my lord?

This man will lead you to the victory

which you have forsworn so easily.

Listen to him.

Who are you?

My name is Ephialtes.

I live in these mountains.

What are you doing here?

I know a secret path

through these mountains.

- What secret path?

- An old goat track.

It comes down

on the other side of Thermopylae.

- Can you lead us there?

- You see, I'm a poor man.

Not any more. This is worth gold to you.

As much gold as you can carry.

Take him away.

Hydarnes, cancel all orders.

Take half the Immortals and go with this man.

I will lead the troops from this side.

We will attack at sunrise

and trap Leonidas. Go!

You can have Greece as I promised. Empty

and beautiful. Doesn't that make you happy?

What if this is a trap? Those mountains are

treacherous. You could lose your whole army.

You must have a dependable guide.

- Yes, but I have no one.

- Yes, you have. Gryllus. He's with Demaratus.

Why not let him go with your troops?

Halt!

Take me to the king.

I am Ellas, daughter of Pentheus.

And the queen's niece.

Follow me.

Father!

Ellas!

What are you doing here?

Persians are coming through the mountains.

Phylon's father came to where I was staying.

- I led him here.

- We have been betrayed.

Hydarnes and his Immortals

are coming behind you.

They broke through your Phocian guards.

I escaped during the night to warn you.

- You traitor.

- No! If he was a traitor, why is he here?

Call the Spartans to arms.

Artemisia sent me, Leonidas.

Phylon.

You ride back to the pass.

Tell all Greek troops to retreat

before they're cut off.

Then I can return.

I didn't come to be a messenger.

You're here to obey orders!

Phylon, the message you carry today

will buy centuries of freedom for Greece.

Tell the Spartans we are staying here

obedient to their word.

- Ellas, you must hurry.

- Ellas.

Ellas.

Tell my wife to take care of our son.

Tell her that I am thinking of them both.

I will, Leonidas.

Come, child.

Why are you here? Take your men out.

- My Thespians are staying.

- And disobeying me?

We obey our honor.

Where do we fight?

You're a bad soldier, but a good Greek.

Go to the end of the pass

and hold it as long as you can.

Here.

Only Spartans with living sons

have the privilege to fight today.

And you've got one of the best.

Come, old friend.

Today we carve out our own omens.

Sir, the main body of the Greek army

has escaped in the direction of Opus.

- Who are left in the pass?

- The Thespians are at one end.

The Spartans at the other,

facing the army of the king.

Fools.

I wish I had men like that fighting for me.

Immortals, march!

Thespians, advance! Attack!

- Have you heard?

- Agathon has just told me.

We have been betrayed.

Take your ships out of the straits at once.

This is our last morning at Thermopylae.

I must move the fleet.

But the ships can still take you out of this.

No. We shall stay here.

What about your wounded?

Spartan wounded go home only with victory.

In defeat they die with the rest.

I would share this day with you, Leonidas.

But I must be with the fleet

when it fights again at Salamis.

I know you don't put much trust

in omens, Themistocles.

But last night,

Megistias received a most wondrous vision.

Megistias, tell him your vision.

I saw ships burning between two shores.

Many of them.

With Persian markings on their sails.

There was Xerxes sitting upon a throne,

his face in gloom,

listening to the cries of burning men.

And behind him,

the goddess Athena, all in white,

a golden spear in her hand.

She was smiling.

Tell him all.

And a voice was saying:

"Divine Salamis, you will bring death

to the enemies of Greece

when the seeds are sown

or the harvests are gathered in. "

Thank you, old man.

They're advancing, sir.

King Xerxes is leading them in his chariot.

I'll be right there.

We shall be watching you fight at Salamis,

Megistias and I.

We shall not fail you...

friend.

Sir, Hydarnes is attacking

the Thespians in our rear.

We are cut off.

- And the others?

- All retreated safely.

Tell Demophilus to hold out

as long as he can.

Spartans!

The orders for the day.

We can no longer defend the pass.

So we shall attack and kill Xerxes!

(man) Close the ranks!

Spartans...

advance!

Right flank, advance!

Get the body of Leonidas!

Halt!

Halt!

Circle! Circle! Circle!

Circle!

My lord.

Your Immortals have destroyed

the Greek rearguard to the last man.

You hear Hydarnes' message.

Go deliver my final offer to the Spartans.

The Immortals

have wiped out your rearguard.

But the great king grants you your lives.

Give us the body of Leonidas

and you can depart.

- We stay with our king.

- Your position is hopeless.

In a few moments you will be dead.

But Greece will live.

- Speak!

- My king, they will not surrender.

- Shall we attack, my lord?

- I shall waste no more of our men.

Finish them with arrows.

Archers!

Archers!

(narrator) "O stranger, tell the Spartans

that we lie here obedient to their word. "

This last message of the fallen heroes

rallied Greece to victory.

First at Salamis, as predicted,

and then at Plataea.

But it was more than a victory for Greece.

It was a stirring example

to free people throughout the world

of what a few brave men can accomplish

once they refuse to submit to tyranny.

SkyFury

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