"The Oracle's words stand as a warning a prophecy" "Sparta will fall all of Greece will fall" "and Persian fire will reduce 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" "Leonidas, my husband" "Leonidas, your king" "Leonidas and the brave 300 are dead" "The free men and women of Greece are not bound by a beautiful Spartan death war is not their love yet he laid down his life for them for the promise Greece holds" "It is our enemies who forged our freedom in the fires of war" "It was king Darius who came to take our land" "10 years ago when you still burned in our eyes before this bitter war forced our children to become men" "10 years ago this war began as all wars begin, with a grievance" "Marathon the Persian king Darius annoyed by the notion of Greek freedom" "has come to Greece to bring us to heel he makes land full at the field of Marathon with an invading force which outnumbers Greek defenders 3 to 1" "so it dawned the hopeless Athenians do the unthinkable they attacked" "they attacked the weary Persians as they disembarked their ships on shakey legs after a month at sea they attacked before they can establish their war camp and supply their soldiers" "and who is the architect of this mad strategy?" "A little known Athenian soldier his men called him Themistocles he gives the Persians a taste of Athenian shock combat" "All thoughts of glory are gone 1000s dead, 100s of them their own" "all for an idea, a free Greece an Athenian experiment called democracy" "could this idea be worth it?" "Worth all this sacrifice?" "Themistocles would let the good king Darius decide" "for through the chaos a moment appeared" "and Themistocles would seize it" "a moment that would ring across the centuries a moment that would raise him from simple soldier to the height of Athenian political power" "a moment that would make Themistocles a legend" "yet even as the prays and glory were heaped upon him" "Themistocles knew in his heart he'd made a mistake it was Darius' son Xerxes, his eyes had the sting of destiny about them" "Themistocles knew he should have killed that boy that glorious mistake would forever haunt him" "so it was Themistocles himself who sent a ripple across Persian empire and set into motion forces that would bring fire to the heart of Greece" "for as the good king laid eye, all his greatest generals and advisors were summoned to his bedside none greater than his finest naval commander, Artemisia" "her ferocity only bested by her beauty her beauty only matched by her devotion to her king" "Darius favored Artemisia among his generals for she had brought him victory in the battlefield in her he had the perfect warrior protege that his son Xerxes would never be" "so sweet, my child my sweet child" "father" "Xerxes, do not repeat your father's mistake leave the noble Greeks to the ways" "only the Gods can defeat them" "for 7 days Xerxes mourned, paralyzed by grief on the 8th day, Artemisia whispered the seed of madness that would consume him your father's words were not a warning" "but a challenge only the Gods can defeat the Greeks?" "You will be the God King" "Artemisia gathered the priests, wizards and mystiques from every corner of the empire they wrapped the young king in Sumerian .." "Dipped in ancient potions and set him to wander the dessert to in a delirium of heat and thirst, he stumbled upon a hermit's cave" "Xerxes passed the vacant eyes and empty souls of the hollow creatures that dwell in the dark corners of all men's" "and in that darkness he surrendered himself completely to power so evil and perverse" "but as he emerged no part of a human man that was Xerxes survived" "his eyes blazed like scarlet coals he was stripped, cleansed, glabrous and smooth" "Xerxes was reborn a God" "Artemisia trusted noone so in the cover of night, the palace was cleansed of all Xerxes' allies" "all those he trusted" "all those who'd raised him" "all those he'd once looked to for counsel were quickly introduced to her wrath" "and as the God King stood before his people" "Artemisia watched her flawless manipulation take shape for glory's sake" "for vengeance's sake" "War!" "War is coming to Greece in the visage of monster army over a milion strong" "It should be a little more than a formality for Themistocles the hero of Marathon to finish what he began" "Please, we must appeal to Xerxes' reason coward!" "Athens is a city of cowards" "shut your cockhole -shut your own" "I kill you -fuck the Spartans" "Silence!" "This is a democracy, not a street fight a Persian attack will come from both the north and the south the city states should negotiate a truce yes yes we must negotiate" "negotiate with tyranny?" "Give me one example of when that has ever profited a nation my fellow countrymen we can only judge the future from what we've suffered in the past" "now many of you here stood with me at Marathon and for those of you who served and faced the cut and thrust of battle" "you know how true peace is forged do not be deceived" "Xerxes, the son of Darius, is a wolf at our door right here right now we must choose" "do we stand and fight for Greece or not?" "Argos, Corinth, Megara, Athens not even Sparta can match the Persians alone we must persevere as one nation or we will perish clean onto our self interests" "send us the ships that we need to defend Greece" "Themistocles will need more than our city's ships he will need our children to join the fight" "and what of Sparta?" "You send every ship that we have to the northern coast of Ubea" "I will go and seek the help of the great Spartans" "Still no word from the messenger you sent to Sparta" "King Leonidas may have been insulted by your generous offer perhaps I need to march into the Sparta myself and burn it to the ground" "remember, when a king is loved as I am, much can be accomplished it would be false to resist my divine power" "Athens is attempting to assemble a coalition it will be nothing more than a patchwork of ships" "was these waters have been diverse so I only lead my forces across the land?" "I will remind the cowards of Greece that we have not forgotten that insolence" "rest and water the horses it's best that I go alone" "Spartans don't get along well with others" "Themistocles, you old snake what brings you this far side" "I've come to see Leonidas to warn him of the Persians on the march well you're too late the 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 poured 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?" "Themistocles, you've come a long way to stroke your cock watching real men train" "Queen Gorgo, shouldn't you 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 yolk of mysticism in tyranny that sounds like a threat no, an opportunity to join the rest of free Greece in stand against the true tyrant" "unless of course you and Leonidas have already made a deal with Xerxes no terms were reached" "Xerxes' messenger 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 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 the timing is perfect" "I'm commanding a fleet of ships that will represent a united Greece" "I need Sparta to join me give me your ships, Gorgo" "I'll make sure Xerxes wishes he never crossed the Aegean you will receive no Spartan ships, we're not interested in united Greece that is your dream, Themistocles, not ours" "all I'm 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 which freedom in her wisdom has chosen you to defend her?" "My queen" "did Sparta join our fight?" "Apparently the Persians have offered the Spartans something they cannot refuse what is that?" "A beautiful death" "they say you're the bravest of our captives they say you're 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, Greek fleet will be shattered what of our master and the much feared Spartans?" "It's nothing to fear. only king Leonidas and his personal guard of 300 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 look lower his eyes when questioned by me it could have been just a lack of discipline" "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 the storm is upon us" "it's just some mad Greek weather" "Themistocles?" "Come" "Calisto what's 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 her entire family was murdered by a squad of Greek hoplites" "I have heard all the stories and the hoplites spared noone on that day" "the story goes they raped and murdered her entire family" "then they turned their attention towards her" "after years of being kept in the bowels of 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" "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 I've sold mine to Greece" "what do you think?" "me?" "yes you are the future of this country" "I'm ready to fight" "I like him, reminds me of you we will need every last man he's still just a boy much younger have defended our country, father enough you are a dreamer and we'll speak of this no more" "Themistocles, I set your plan in motion and my land force will be assembled by in the second day you will be needed, I can assure you of that" "there's bad news" "Leonidas has marched north to the hot gates bad news?" "Spartans at the hot gates, our victory is assured if the army were with him now 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'll go search the veterans among them, establish an order among the volunteers good. little time to teach these farmers strategy." "Just keep them well fed, and sober." "Anything else?" "Wouldn't hurt if they could swing a sword" "I'll be damned your father know you're here?" "No sir and this shield and sword?" "My grandfather's." "My mother entrusted them to me this morning and she gave you her blessing?" "Yes sir but a sharp blade, no less" "your father is preparing the surprise raid tomorrow" "I choose to fight here, now come aboard my ship. that is where you will fight." "We're just over 50 ships" "Persian forces reported in number of thousands those ships appear hardly seaworthy they're nothing like the monstrous ships of the Persian fleet then we have the advantage speed and manuverability" "rest of the city states to send anyone from a handful to a single ship of course Athens supply the balance" "we have report that a small advance force of Persian ships are taking refuge from storm just across the strait so weather breaks we could hit them at dawn" "an early Greek victory" "Gods have given us an opportunity to wound the Persians and strengthen Greek morale a tempting distraction we'll stick to the battle plan" "today at sun down we will sail out to meet the main Persian fleet we'll attack them in the open water with no short an arrow in the battle to attack a force of over 1000 ships with our meager force is suicide" "such is my plan" "look at their excuse for a navy their ships are little threat" "I need a second in command, Arthapernes and whoever proves their excellence will earn a place beside me" "general Bandari has offered to lead the first attack" "commander" "I'll let you lead our first offensive what guarantee do I have that you'll bring me a quick victory?" "My word, and my life good my rules of engagement" "humiliate the Greeks, and lay waste to their tiny ships they'll be dead to last man" "my brothers, steady your heart look deep into your souls" "for your metal is to be tested this day" "deep in the heat of battle, you need a reason to fight on an idea which you will give up all that you will ever have" "you need only to look at man who fights at your side this is the why of battle" "this is the brotherhood of men at arms an unbreakable bond made stronger by the crucible of combat" "you'll never be closer than with those who you shed your blood with for there's no nobler cause than to fight for those who'll lay down their life for you" "so you fight strong today you fight for your brothers" "you fight for your families most of all, you fight for Greece" "there's only one thing to make sure of when the fighting starts what's that?" "Don't get killed on the first day that goes for the rest of you" "Persian ships are strong at the front, but they're weak in the middle we attack them there" "now" "attack" "go through them" "the enemy's tactics are creative the defensive circle leaves no front to assault we're losing no you are losing" "pull back. let them have this day." "I'm bored with your failures, Bandari" "I'll not let this wound slow me somehow I believe you my blade will be sharp and ready by the morning good, tomorrow you'll fight alongside your father" "not bad for a bunch of farmers and poets, and sculptors" "who would have known a group of untrained men would do so well against such a considerable adversary we're going to need all of our strength for tomorrow's fight" "how long do you think we could hold them?" "If my plan is to work, long enough for the Spartans to unite Greece" "Men!" "who will share their wine with me?" "Report we're still tallying the losses but you must understand it's extremely difficult given the sea and the darkness" "report" "75 ships lost, 30 damaged beyond repair, 20 could return with a few weeks' work in a safe harbor" "the commander of the Greek force is named Themistocles?" "Yes he's an Athenian general he's rumored to have loose the arrow that fell the great king Darius himself" "this Themistocles has shown himself to be quite brilliant in battle which is more than I can say for any of you" "do you gentlemen find my command unreasonable?" "Is it too much to ask for victory?" "Your disappointment in yesterday's losses is warranted my disappointment my disappointment is not with my losses, a meager number of damaged ships and dead slaves mean nothing to me, no my disappointment is in these men" "although I stand among 10000 I am alone" "I long for a soul who would stand by my side, I could trust" "tell me general Kashani, are you that man?" "You will taste your victory by the day's end" "I will make certain of it" "I hope so" "advance" "now" "got any sights of them?" "The Greeks are retreating he's got him right where he wants him" "Kashani is a fine tactician" "I was speaking of Themistocles" "rocks stop" "brace yourselves" "what are you doing here?" "A commander's responsibility is to protect his family and his nation who told you this?" "My father" "you see how Themistocles employs deception with such grace?" "Why is it so much to ask for victory?" "how can I make amendments?" "silence" "you will carry a message for me now they will fear us, now they will fear the Greek men at arms" "he's right. fear the Greek fighting men." "Fear his sword, his shield fear his love for mother Greece" "most of all, fear his freedom" "don't be angry with the boy" "I took him under my command anger is something I reserve for my enemies" "Themistocles" "Artemisia's ship is being anchored in neutral waters she'd like to meet with Themistocles how can you guarantee his safe return" "well boy, the only honor for her now will be when she watches your crushed and broken fleet sinking to the bottom of the Aegean and is able to recognize you nailed to the mast of your ship with her sword" "as you descend to a watery grave" "why didn't you just say that to begin with?" "Welcome to my humble barge we are honored by your presence" "your barge and you are quite impressive" "kind words." "Now come Themistocles, we have much to discuss do you believe the Greeks are descended from the Gods?" "I've heard some say that what of you?" "Is there a God in your lineage?" "My men says so based on past 2 days' battle" "I say this is spoke of the divine in you now who is using kind words" "my men also say that it was you who slayed good king Darius at Marathon many heroic deeds occured on that say" "it was 10 years ago the facts of the battle are often embellished this deed you would remember" "I do what I must, to defend Greece and I do what I must to defeat her" "for every one Greek killed, you must kill 1000 Persians for every ship I sink, you must sink 100" "staying to losses for weeks, months, if need be my numbers will defeat you and I will take your precious boats with my sword" "I will take your Greek freedom you're asking me to negotiate a surrender" "no, I offer you a chance to avoid such misery and join me" "I'm in need of a commander such as you look at the defense you've mounted" "a handful of..." "Leonidas with 300 Spartans it's insulting frankly the mightiest empire the world has ever seen is made by this" "I don't blame you Themistocles, you fought as if the blood of Poseidon himself was through your veins no I blame Greece" "the squabbling bureaucrats protecting their political hinds by sending you here, to die" "and yet you still fight so there must be, what?" "A family back home in Athens, then, compels you to battle with such passion" "truth is I've had no time for family" "I've 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 sweated muscle of pure joy and deepest sorrow" "die with me each night and reborn 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" "join me" "no" "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" "well?" "what have you learned?" "Can Artemisia be beaten?" "The next time we face her, she's gonna bring all of her wrath with her" "send in my personal guard" "pull back retreat" "Themistocles, in the water" "archers!" "on deck now!" "Step aside. fire at will" "fight on boy, fight on" "aim for the man on board up there" "abandon ship" "the dead have no guilt no responsibility" "Themistocles watches the bodies of his men turn the Aegean red with blood were they sacrified for his ego?" "Or to relieve the guilt of the long ago mistake Marathon" "how many men would have been saved if Themistocles had killed that boy not even his own soul can be sure" "my friend, we faced the odds together" "listen to me, Themistocles," "you'll have to fight with twice as much strength in the morning we'll fight shoulder to shoulder" "no my son. you carry on for both of us." "What did he say?" "I will tell you in time boy quiet now" "Go on be with your father's spirit" "how many times you think we will repeat such a tragedy?" "As many times as we must we're turning young men into memories" "do you think I enjoy this?" "Witnessing my friend's fine over it?" "Every widow that is made by my decision every child who will grow without a father" "they are my choices this is the burden of my command" "how easy it is to silence the strong 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 the Greece has to offer there will be no saviours to rise up and vanquish us" "nothing will stop the march of my empire your majesty" "you!" "take this dead king sword to Athens let them know I'm coming next for them let them know Athens, the prize jewel of a city, will disappear from the history" "Themosticles, I bring word from Thermopylae" "Leonidas was betrayed by a hunchback the Spartans had been slaughtered the hot gates are fallen" "such a sacrifice" "now Greece has a martyr" "Daxos, take that message from the hot gates to every city, to every village, to every countrymen, hear your words but they're dead, all of them" "Sparta's sacrifice will be what unites us now go" "move all of our ships and men back to the safety of Salamis and you?" "I'll 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" "I shan't wet this noble blade with your blood you will be right to do so" "there's little beauty about me there's 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" "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 will take this message to your God king" "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" "Themistocles" "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 Themistocles?" "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" "Themistocles was a worthless coward now there's pathetic navy has badly wrought to our attention if that worthless coward had stood at my side we would've laid world at your feet" "my king, your humble servant the Greek fleet are defenseless within the bay of Salamis" "you need only finish them who commands their forces" "Themistocles, of Athens" "Themistocles is dead he is alive, I have seen him myself" "ready my troops and armor we will attack at once wisdom would have sent a proper force to confirm it is not a trap" "who 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 show piece of Athens" "I am your king" "Killing Leonidas and his men only made them martyrs." "And when you raised Athens, you set fire to the only thing of value in this country" "we 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" "they're in the distant we witness destruction of Athens" "alone we will face the monster that cast a shadow across our land" "I had prayed that the Spartans would come to lend a hand this morning" "perhaps they feel they've given enough you failed us all, this is your fault Themistocles without Spartans we're just farm hands we should have negotiated with the Persians when we had the chance" "you're all right yes, we're down to a handful of boats" "yes, we're just farm hands we're tradesmen" "we're boys turned to men through the sacrifice and forge of combat" "I played a dangerous game and I lost" "if you choose to turn your back on me, on your country" "I will not judge you you're free to leave, you're still free men" "very well let us put our shoulders to work and free those ships from the bosom of Greece" "there's a privilege to call our own a story that will be told for 1000 years" "let our final stand be recorded to the histories let it be shown" "that we chose to die on our feet rather than live on our knees" "there's only one thing you need to know today not to get killed" "no, your father's last words" "he told me you'd earned the right to sit at the table" "my brother, I have no more tactics or tricks" "this will be the last battle that we share we fought next to one another for as long as I can remember" "nothing will please me more than to rest this soul the preparations that I required?" "They're low deck good are you sure that you want to commit everything?" "Yes without Artemisia's command the Persian navy is nothing" "we will never be able to reach her" "I will reach her and put an end to this" "there will be no room for a retreat" "I know today the last Greek ships will be destroyed" "show them no mercy, give them no quarter today we will dance across the backs of dead Greeks today we deliver submission" "today I want to feel Themosticles' throat beneath my boots" "men!" "brace yourselves" "prepare for close quarters. attack!" "Your father watches you hold nothing back seize your glory" "I'm not here as a witness" "now, or let them send us all straight to hell" "you offered freedom without consequence or responsibility are you accepting my offer?" "My answer is still no" "you fight much harder than you fuck" "surrender to me or meet your death who would you fight if not for me?" "Noone could challenge your skill" "I'd rather die a free man than as a slave even if the chain was attached to you" "it begins as a whisper a promise" "a lightest of breezes dances through the rigging as it creeks above the death cries of 10000 men it moves through her hair as gently as a lover's hand" "that breeze, that promise became wind a wind that's blown across Greece carrying a message told again and again of our lady freedom and how wise she was to charge Leonidas to lay all at her feet" "a wind, my brothers, of sacrifice a wind of freedom" "a wind of justice" "a wind of vengeance" "you're being surrounded all of Greece has united against you" "Delphi, Thebes, Olympia, Arcadia and Sparta." "If death comes for me today I'm ready" "I could lower my sword" "There is still time for you to ready a launch and escape." "It would be a poor choice to force my hand into action now order your ships to disengage and surrender to me" "surrender?"