300: Rise of an Empire (2014) Movie Script
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 lay down his life for them.
For the promise Greece holds.
'Tis our enemies who
forged our freedom
in the fires of war.
It was king Darius who
came to take our land.
Ten years ago,
when youth still
burned in our eyes,
before this bitter war forced
our children to become men.
Ten 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 landfall at
the field of marathon
with an invading force which outnumbers
the Greek defenders three to one.
And so at dawn, the hopeless
Athenians do the unthinkable.
They attack.
They attack the weary Persians
as they disembark their ships
on shaky legs after a month at sea.
They attack 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 call him Themistokles.
He gives the Persians a taste
of Athenian shock combat.
All thoughts of glory are gone.
Thousands dead.
Hundreds 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?
Themistokles would let the
good king Darius decide.
For through the chaos
a moment appeared.
And Themistokles 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.
No!
A moment that would make
Themistokles a legend.
Yet even as the praise and
glory were heaped upon him,
Themistokles knew in his
heart he had made a mistake.
It was Darius's son, Xerxes,
whose eyes had the stink
of destiny about them.
Themistokles knew he should
have killed that boy.
That glorious mistake
would forever haunt him.
And so it was Themistokles himself
who sent a ripple across
the Persian empire
and set into motion forces that would
bring fire to the heart of Greece.
For as the good king lay dying,
all his greatest
generals and advisors
were summoned to his bedside.
None greater than his finest
naval commander, Artemisia.
Her ferocity bested
only by her beauty.
Her beauty matched only by
her devotion to her king.
Darius favored Artemisia
among his generals
for she had brought him
victory on the battlefield.
In her, he had the
perfect warrior protge
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 ignoble
Greeks to their ways.
Only the gods can defeat them.
Only... the gods.
For seven days, Xerxes mourned...
Paralyzed by grief.
On the eighth 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 a God-king.
Artemisia gathered the
priests, wizards and mystics
from every corner of the empire.
They wrapped the young
king in cimmerian gauze
dipped in ancient potions...
And set him to wander the desert...
Till in a delirium
of heat and thirst,
he stumbled upon a hermits' cave.
Xerxes passed the vacant
eyes and empty souls
of the hollow creatures
that dwell in the dark
corners of all men's hearts.
And in that darkness,
he surrendered himself completely
to power so evil and perverse...
that, 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 no one.
So, in the cover of night
the palace was cleansed
of all Xerxes' allies.
All those he trusted.
All those who had raised him.
All those he had 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 a monster
army over a million strong.
It should be little more than
a formality for Themistokles,
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 cock hole!
Shut your own!
I'll kill you!
Fuck the Spartans!
Fuck those muscle-bound boy-lovers!
Silence!
Silence for the hero of marathon!
This is a democracy,
not a street fight.
Quiet!
It's Themistokles.
The 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.
You're right.
We must unite.
My fellow countrymen...
We can only judge the future
from what we have
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 clinging
onto our own self-interests.
Send us the ships that we
need to defend Greece.
Themistokles will need more
than our cities' 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 Euboea.
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 Sparta myself
and burn it to the ground.
Remember...
When a king is loved as I am...
Much can be accomplished.
They would be fools to
resist my divine power.
Athens is attempting to
assemble a coalition.
It'll be nothing more than
a patchwork of ships.
Once these waters
have been traversed,
I will lead my force
across the land.
I will remind the cowards of Greece
that we have not forgotten
their insolence.
Rest and water the horses.
It's best I go alone.
Spartans don't get along
well with others.
Aah!
Spartans.
Themistokles.
You old snake.
What brings you this far South?
I've come to see Leonidas to warn him
that the Persians are on the march.
Well, you're too late.
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 fought 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?
Themistokles.
You've come a long way
to stroke your cock
whilst watching real men train.
Queen Gorgo.
Shouldn't he 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 yoke of
mysticism and tyranny.
That sounds like a threat.
No.
An opportunity to join
the rest of free Greece
and stand against a true tyrant...
Unless, of course, you and Leonidas
have already made a
deal with Xerxes.
No terms were reached.
Xerxes' messenger was...
Well, he 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 the
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 my timing is perfect.
I am commanding a fleet of ships
that will represent
a united Greece.
I need Sparta to join me.
Give me your ships, Gorgo.
I will make sure that Xerxes wishes
he never crossed the Aegean.
You will receive no spartan ships.
We are not interested
in a united Greece.
That is your dream,
Themistokles, not ours.
All I am 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.
Yet, freedom, in her wisdom,
has chosen you to defend her.
My queen.
Will Sparta join our fight?
Apparently, the Persians
have offered the Spartans
something they cannot refuse.
And what is that?
A beautiful death.
They say you are the
bravest of our captives.
They say you are 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...
The Greek fleet will be shattered.
What of our master and the
much-feared Spartans?
There's nothing to fear.
Only king Leonidas and his
personal guard of 300
have marched to fight.
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 not lower his eyes
when questioned by me.
That could've been just
a lack of discipline.
But 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.
Storm is upon us.
It's just some mad Greek weather.
Themistokles.
Come.
Calisto.
What is 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.
Rumors are her entire family
was murdered by a squad
of Greek Hoplites.
I have heard all the stories.
And the Hoplites spared
no one on that day.
The story goes that
they raped and murdered
her entire family.
And then they turned their
attention towards her.
After years of being
kept in the bowels
of a 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...
Aah!... 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 that
I've sold mine to Greece.
And what do you think?
Me?
Yes.
You are the future of this country.
I'm ready to fight.
I like him.
He reminds me of you.
We will need every last man.
Well, he is still just a boy.
Much younger have defended
our country, father.
Enough!
You are a dreamer and will
speak of this no more.
Themistokles, I've set
your plan in motion
and my land force will be
assembled by the second day.
You will be needed.
I can assure you of that.
And there is bad news.
Leonidas has marched
north to the hot gates.
Bad news?
With the Spartans at the hot gates,
our victory is assured.
If the army were with him.
But 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 will search out the
veterans among them.
Establish some order
among the volunteers.
Good. There's little time to
teach these farmhands strategy.
Just keep them well-fed...
And sober.
Anything else?
Wouldn't hurt if they
could swing a sword.
Well, I'll be damned.
Shit!
Does your father know
that you're here?
No, sir.
And this shield and sword?
My grandfather's.
My mother entrusted them
to me this morning.
When she gave you her blessing?
Yes, sir.
With a sharp blade, no less.
Your father is preparing a surprise
for our enemy tomorrow.
I choose to fight here.
Now.
Come aboard my ship.
That is where you will fight.
Yes, sir.
We've just over 50 ships.
Persian forces reported a
number in the thousands.
Those ships appear
hardly seaworthy.
They're nothing like the monster
ships of the Persian fleet.
Then we have the advantage.
Speed and maneuverability.
Rest of the city-states
have sent anywhere
from a handful to a single ship.
Of course, Athens
supplied the balance.
We have report that a small
advance force of Persian ships
have taken refuge from the
storm just across the strait.
If the weather breaks, we
could hit them at dawn.
An early Greek victory.
The gods have given
us an opportunity
to wound the Persians and
strengthen Greek morale.
A tempting distraction.
But we'll stick to the battle plan.
Today at sundown,
we will sail out to meet
the main Persian fleet.
We'll attack them in the open water
with no shore to narrow the battle.
To attack a force of
over a thousand ships
with our meager force is suicide.
Such is my plan.
Look at their excuse for a Navy.
Their ships are of little threat.
I need a second in
command, Artaphernes.
And whoever proves their excellence
will earn a place beside me.
General Bandari has offered
to lead the first attack.
Bandari.
Commander.
If I 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 the last man.
My brothers...
Steady your hearts.
Look deep into your souls.
For your mettle is to
be tested this day.
And if in the heat of battle...
You need a reason to fight on...
An idea for which you will give up
all that you will ever have...
You need only to look at the
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 will never be closer
than with those who you
shed your blood with.
For there is no nobler cause
than to fight for those who will
lay down their life for you.
So you fight strong today.
You fight for your brothers.
Fight for your families.
Most of all, you fight for Greece!
Greece!
Yeah!
And there is 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.
The Persian ships are
strong at the front
but they are weak in the middle.
We attack them there.
Now!
Attack!
Aah!
Aah!
Ram them!
Archers, now! Now!
Reverse! Now!
Go through them!
The enemy's tactics are creative.
The defensive circle leaves
no front to assault.
We are 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 will fight
alongside your father.
Not bad for a bunch of farmers.
And poets and sculptors.
Who'd 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 can 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 are still tallying the losses.
But you must understand,
it is extremely difficult,
given the sea and the darkness,
to get an accurate...
Report?
Seventy-five ships lost.
Thirty damaged beyond repair.
Twenty could return
with a few weeks' work
in a safe harbor.
The commander of the Greek
force is named Themistokles.
Yes, he is an Athenian general.
He's rumored to have
loosed the arrow
that felled the great
king Darius himself.
No!
This Themistokles 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.
The meager number of damaged
ships and dead slaves
means nothing to me.
No, my disappointment...
is in these men.
For though I stand among 10,000,
I am alone.
I long for a soul who
would stand by my side.
Who 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!
Don't lose sight of them!
The Greeks are retreating.
He's got him right
where he wants him.
Kashani is a fine tactician.
I was speaking of Themistokles.
Rocks!
Stop! Stop!
Stop!
Brace yourselves!
What are you doing here?
A man's responsibility
is to protect his family
and his nation.
Who told you this?
My father.
Aah!
You see how Themistokles employs
deception with such grace?
Why is it so much
to ask for victory?
How can I make amends?
Silence.
You will carry a message for me.
Now they will fear us!
Now they will fear the
Greek men-at-arms!
Hup!
He's right!
Fear the Greek fighting man!
Fear his sword!
His shield.
Fear his love for mother Greece.
But most of all...
Fear his freedom!
Yeah! Yeah!
Yeah! Yeah!
Yeah!
Yeah!
Do not be angry with the boy.
I took him under my command.
Anger is something I
reserve for my enemies.
Themistokles!
Artemisia's ship is being
anchored in neutral waters.
She'd like to meet
with Themistokles.
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, Themistokles,
we have much to discuss.
Do you believe the Greeks are
descended from the gods?
I have heard some say that.
And what of you?
Is there a God in your lineage?
My men say so.
And based on the last
two days' battle,
I'd say there's a spark
of the divine in you.
Now who is using kind words?
My men also say that it was you
who slayed the good king
Darius at marathon.
Many heroic deeds
occurred on that day.
But it was ten years ago,
and the facts of 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 a thousand Persians.
For every ship I sink...
You must sink a hundred.
I can sustain 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.
Are you 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 triremes.
Leonidas with 300 Spartans.
It's insulting, frankly,
that the mightiest empire
the world has ever seen
is met by this.
I don't blame you, Themistokles.
You fought as if the blood
of Poseidon himself
was coursing through your veins.
No, I blame Greece.
The squabbling bureaucrats
protecting their political hides
by sending you here to die.
And yet you still fight.
So there must be...
What?
Family back home in Athens
that compels you to...
battle with such passion?
Truth is, I've had
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
would come to lend a
hand this morning.
Perhaps they feel they
have given enough.
You failed us all.
This is your fault, Themistokles.
Without Spartans,
we're just farmhands.
We should've negotiated with the
Persians when we had the chance.
You are all right.
Yes, we are down to
a handful of boats.
And, yes, we are just farmhands.
We are tradesmen.
We are 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 are free to leave.
You are still free men.
Very well.
Then let us put our
shoulders to work
and free those ships from
the bosom of Greece.
Today is a privilege
to call our own.
A story that will be told
for a thousand years.
Let our final stand
be recorded to the histories.
And let it be shown
that we chose to die on our feet
rather than live on our knees!
There is only one thing
you need to know today.
Not to get killed.
No.
Your father's last words.
He told me that you
had earned the right
to sit at the table.
Well, my brother,
I have no more tactics or tricks.
This will be the last
battle that we share.
We have fought next to one another
for as long as I can remember.
Nothing would please me more
than to rest this sword.
The preparations that are required?
Below 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
Themistokles' throat
beneath my boots.
Men!
Brace yourselves.
Prepare for close quarters.
Attack!
Your father watches you!
Hold nothing back!
Seize your glory!
Aah!
I'm not here as a witness!
Now!
And let them send our
souls straight to hell!
Hyah! Come on!
You offered freedom
without consequence
or responsibility.
Are you accepting my offer?
My answer is still no.
Aah!
You fight much harder
than you fuck.
Surrender to me.
Or meet your death.
Who would you fight if not for me?
No one could challenge your skill.
I would rather die a free
man than as a slave.
Even if the chain was
attached to you.
It begins as a whisper.
A promise.
The lightest of breezes
dances through the rigging
as it creaks above the death
cries of ten thousand men.
It moves through her hair as
gently as a lover's hand.
That breeze, that
promise, became a wind.
A wind that is 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.
Aah!
You are 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's 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?
Generals gathered
in their masses
just like witches
at black masses
evil minds that
plot destruction
sorcerers of death's
construction
in the fields the
bodies burning
as the war machine
keeps turning
oh, lord, yeah
oh, lord, yeah
oh, lord, yeah
oh, lord
day of judgment, God is calling
on their knees the
war pigs crawling
no more war pigs have the power
hand of God has struck the hour
oh, lord
oh, lord, yeah
oh, lord, yeah
oh, lord, yeah
oh, lord
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 lay down his life for them.
For the promise Greece holds.
'Tis our enemies who
forged our freedom
in the fires of war.
It was king Darius who
came to take our land.
Ten years ago,
when youth still
burned in our eyes,
before this bitter war forced
our children to become men.
Ten 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 landfall at
the field of marathon
with an invading force which outnumbers
the Greek defenders three to one.
And so at dawn, the hopeless
Athenians do the unthinkable.
They attack.
They attack the weary Persians
as they disembark their ships
on shaky legs after a month at sea.
They attack 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 call him Themistokles.
He gives the Persians a taste
of Athenian shock combat.
All thoughts of glory are gone.
Thousands dead.
Hundreds 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?
Themistokles would let the
good king Darius decide.
For through the chaos
a moment appeared.
And Themistokles 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.
No!
A moment that would make
Themistokles a legend.
Yet even as the praise and
glory were heaped upon him,
Themistokles knew in his
heart he had made a mistake.
It was Darius's son, Xerxes,
whose eyes had the stink
of destiny about them.
Themistokles knew he should
have killed that boy.
That glorious mistake
would forever haunt him.
And so it was Themistokles himself
who sent a ripple across
the Persian empire
and set into motion forces that would
bring fire to the heart of Greece.
For as the good king lay dying,
all his greatest
generals and advisors
were summoned to his bedside.
None greater than his finest
naval commander, Artemisia.
Her ferocity bested
only by her beauty.
Her beauty matched only by
her devotion to her king.
Darius favored Artemisia
among his generals
for she had brought him
victory on the battlefield.
In her, he had the
perfect warrior protge
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 ignoble
Greeks to their ways.
Only the gods can defeat them.
Only... the gods.
For seven days, Xerxes mourned...
Paralyzed by grief.
On the eighth 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 a God-king.
Artemisia gathered the
priests, wizards and mystics
from every corner of the empire.
They wrapped the young
king in cimmerian gauze
dipped in ancient potions...
And set him to wander the desert...
Till in a delirium
of heat and thirst,
he stumbled upon a hermits' cave.
Xerxes passed the vacant
eyes and empty souls
of the hollow creatures
that dwell in the dark
corners of all men's hearts.
And in that darkness,
he surrendered himself completely
to power so evil and perverse...
that, 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 no one.
So, in the cover of night
the palace was cleansed
of all Xerxes' allies.
All those he trusted.
All those who had raised him.
All those he had 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 a monster
army over a million strong.
It should be little more than
a formality for Themistokles,
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 cock hole!
Shut your own!
I'll kill you!
Fuck the Spartans!
Fuck those muscle-bound boy-lovers!
Silence!
Silence for the hero of marathon!
This is a democracy,
not a street fight.
Quiet!
It's Themistokles.
The 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.
You're right.
We must unite.
My fellow countrymen...
We can only judge the future
from what we have
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 clinging
onto our own self-interests.
Send us the ships that we
need to defend Greece.
Themistokles will need more
than our cities' 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 Euboea.
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 Sparta myself
and burn it to the ground.
Remember...
When a king is loved as I am...
Much can be accomplished.
They would be fools to
resist my divine power.
Athens is attempting to
assemble a coalition.
It'll be nothing more than
a patchwork of ships.
Once these waters
have been traversed,
I will lead my force
across the land.
I will remind the cowards of Greece
that we have not forgotten
their insolence.
Rest and water the horses.
It's best I go alone.
Spartans don't get along
well with others.
Aah!
Spartans.
Themistokles.
You old snake.
What brings you this far South?
I've come to see Leonidas to warn him
that the Persians are on the march.
Well, you're too late.
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 fought 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?
Themistokles.
You've come a long way
to stroke your cock
whilst watching real men train.
Queen Gorgo.
Shouldn't he 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 yoke of
mysticism and tyranny.
That sounds like a threat.
No.
An opportunity to join
the rest of free Greece
and stand against a true tyrant...
Unless, of course, you and Leonidas
have already made a
deal with Xerxes.
No terms were reached.
Xerxes' messenger was...
Well, he 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 the
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 my timing is perfect.
I am commanding a fleet of ships
that will represent
a united Greece.
I need Sparta to join me.
Give me your ships, Gorgo.
I will make sure that Xerxes wishes
he never crossed the Aegean.
You will receive no spartan ships.
We are not interested
in a united Greece.
That is your dream,
Themistokles, not ours.
All I am 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.
Yet, freedom, in her wisdom,
has chosen you to defend her.
My queen.
Will Sparta join our fight?
Apparently, the Persians
have offered the Spartans
something they cannot refuse.
And what is that?
A beautiful death.
They say you are the
bravest of our captives.
They say you are 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...
The Greek fleet will be shattered.
What of our master and the
much-feared Spartans?
There's nothing to fear.
Only king Leonidas and his
personal guard of 300
have marched to fight.
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 not lower his eyes
when questioned by me.
That could've been just
a lack of discipline.
But 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.
Storm is upon us.
It's just some mad Greek weather.
Themistokles.
Come.
Calisto.
What is 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.
Rumors are her entire family
was murdered by a squad
of Greek Hoplites.
I have heard all the stories.
And the Hoplites spared
no one on that day.
The story goes that
they raped and murdered
her entire family.
And then they turned their
attention towards her.
After years of being
kept in the bowels
of a 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...
Aah!... 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 that
I've sold mine to Greece.
And what do you think?
Me?
Yes.
You are the future of this country.
I'm ready to fight.
I like him.
He reminds me of you.
We will need every last man.
Well, he is still just a boy.
Much younger have defended
our country, father.
Enough!
You are a dreamer and will
speak of this no more.
Themistokles, I've set
your plan in motion
and my land force will be
assembled by the second day.
You will be needed.
I can assure you of that.
And there is bad news.
Leonidas has marched
north to the hot gates.
Bad news?
With the Spartans at the hot gates,
our victory is assured.
If the army were with him.
But 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 will search out the
veterans among them.
Establish some order
among the volunteers.
Good. There's little time to
teach these farmhands strategy.
Just keep them well-fed...
And sober.
Anything else?
Wouldn't hurt if they
could swing a sword.
Well, I'll be damned.
Shit!
Does your father know
that you're here?
No, sir.
And this shield and sword?
My grandfather's.
My mother entrusted them
to me this morning.
When she gave you her blessing?
Yes, sir.
With a sharp blade, no less.
Your father is preparing a surprise
for our enemy tomorrow.
I choose to fight here.
Now.
Come aboard my ship.
That is where you will fight.
Yes, sir.
We've just over 50 ships.
Persian forces reported a
number in the thousands.
Those ships appear
hardly seaworthy.
They're nothing like the monster
ships of the Persian fleet.
Then we have the advantage.
Speed and maneuverability.
Rest of the city-states
have sent anywhere
from a handful to a single ship.
Of course, Athens
supplied the balance.
We have report that a small
advance force of Persian ships
have taken refuge from the
storm just across the strait.
If the weather breaks, we
could hit them at dawn.
An early Greek victory.
The gods have given
us an opportunity
to wound the Persians and
strengthen Greek morale.
A tempting distraction.
But we'll stick to the battle plan.
Today at sundown,
we will sail out to meet
the main Persian fleet.
We'll attack them in the open water
with no shore to narrow the battle.
To attack a force of
over a thousand ships
with our meager force is suicide.
Such is my plan.
Look at their excuse for a Navy.
Their ships are of little threat.
I need a second in
command, Artaphernes.
And whoever proves their excellence
will earn a place beside me.
General Bandari has offered
to lead the first attack.
Bandari.
Commander.
If I 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 the last man.
My brothers...
Steady your hearts.
Look deep into your souls.
For your mettle is to
be tested this day.
And if in the heat of battle...
You need a reason to fight on...
An idea for which you will give up
all that you will ever have...
You need only to look at the
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 will never be closer
than with those who you
shed your blood with.
For there is no nobler cause
than to fight for those who will
lay down their life for you.
So you fight strong today.
You fight for your brothers.
Fight for your families.
Most of all, you fight for Greece!
Greece!
Yeah!
And there is 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.
The Persian ships are
strong at the front
but they are weak in the middle.
We attack them there.
Now!
Attack!
Aah!
Aah!
Ram them!
Archers, now! Now!
Reverse! Now!
Go through them!
The enemy's tactics are creative.
The defensive circle leaves
no front to assault.
We are 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 will fight
alongside your father.
Not bad for a bunch of farmers.
And poets and sculptors.
Who'd 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 can 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 are still tallying the losses.
But you must understand,
it is extremely difficult,
given the sea and the darkness,
to get an accurate...
Report?
Seventy-five ships lost.
Thirty damaged beyond repair.
Twenty could return
with a few weeks' work
in a safe harbor.
The commander of the Greek
force is named Themistokles.
Yes, he is an Athenian general.
He's rumored to have
loosed the arrow
that felled the great
king Darius himself.
No!
This Themistokles 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.
The meager number of damaged
ships and dead slaves
means nothing to me.
No, my disappointment...
is in these men.
For though I stand among 10,000,
I am alone.
I long for a soul who
would stand by my side.
Who 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!
Don't lose sight of them!
The Greeks are retreating.
He's got him right
where he wants him.
Kashani is a fine tactician.
I was speaking of Themistokles.
Rocks!
Stop! Stop!
Stop!
Brace yourselves!
What are you doing here?
A man's responsibility
is to protect his family
and his nation.
Who told you this?
My father.
Aah!
You see how Themistokles employs
deception with such grace?
Why is it so much
to ask for victory?
How can I make amends?
Silence.
You will carry a message for me.
Now they will fear us!
Now they will fear the
Greek men-at-arms!
Hup!
He's right!
Fear the Greek fighting man!
Fear his sword!
His shield.
Fear his love for mother Greece.
But most of all...
Fear his freedom!
Yeah! Yeah!
Yeah! Yeah!
Yeah!
Yeah!
Do not be angry with the boy.
I took him under my command.
Anger is something I
reserve for my enemies.
Themistokles!
Artemisia's ship is being
anchored in neutral waters.
She'd like to meet
with Themistokles.
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, Themistokles,
we have much to discuss.
Do you believe the Greeks are
descended from the gods?
I have heard some say that.
And what of you?
Is there a God in your lineage?
My men say so.
And based on the last
two days' battle,
I'd say there's a spark
of the divine in you.
Now who is using kind words?
My men also say that it was you
who slayed the good king
Darius at marathon.
Many heroic deeds
occurred on that day.
But it was ten years ago,
and the facts of 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 a thousand Persians.
For every ship I sink...
You must sink a hundred.
I can sustain 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.
Are you 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 triremes.
Leonidas with 300 Spartans.
It's insulting, frankly,
that the mightiest empire
the world has ever seen
is met by this.
I don't blame you, Themistokles.
You fought as if the blood
of Poseidon himself
was coursing through your veins.
No, I blame Greece.
The squabbling bureaucrats
protecting their political hides
by sending you here to die.
And yet you still fight.
So there must be...
What?
Family back home in Athens
that compels you to...
battle with such passion?
Truth is, I've had
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
would come to lend a
hand this morning.
Perhaps they feel they
have given enough.
You failed us all.
This is your fault, Themistokles.
Without Spartans,
we're just farmhands.
We should've negotiated with the
Persians when we had the chance.
You are all right.
Yes, we are down to
a handful of boats.
And, yes, we are just farmhands.
We are tradesmen.
We are 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 are free to leave.
You are still free men.
Very well.
Then let us put our
shoulders to work
and free those ships from
the bosom of Greece.
Today is a privilege
to call our own.
A story that will be told
for a thousand years.
Let our final stand
be recorded to the histories.
And let it be shown
that we chose to die on our feet
rather than live on our knees!
There is only one thing
you need to know today.
Not to get killed.
No.
Your father's last words.
He told me that you
had earned the right
to sit at the table.
Well, my brother,
I have no more tactics or tricks.
This will be the last
battle that we share.
We have fought next to one another
for as long as I can remember.
Nothing would please me more
than to rest this sword.
The preparations that are required?
Below 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
Themistokles' throat
beneath my boots.
Men!
Brace yourselves.
Prepare for close quarters.
Attack!
Your father watches you!
Hold nothing back!
Seize your glory!
Aah!
I'm not here as a witness!
Now!
And let them send our
souls straight to hell!
Hyah! Come on!
You offered freedom
without consequence
or responsibility.
Are you accepting my offer?
My answer is still no.
Aah!
You fight much harder
than you fuck.
Surrender to me.
Or meet your death.
Who would you fight if not for me?
No one could challenge your skill.
I would rather die a free
man than as a slave.
Even if the chain was
attached to you.
It begins as a whisper.
A promise.
The lightest of breezes
dances through the rigging
as it creaks above the death
cries of ten thousand men.
It moves through her hair as
gently as a lover's hand.
That breeze, that
promise, became a wind.
A wind that is 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.
Aah!
You are 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's 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?
Generals gathered
in their masses
just like witches
at black masses
evil minds that
plot destruction
sorcerers of death's
construction
in the fields the
bodies burning
as the war machine
keeps turning
oh, lord, yeah
oh, lord, yeah
oh, lord, yeah
oh, lord
day of judgment, God is calling
on their knees the
war pigs crawling
no more war pigs have the power
hand of God has struck the hour
oh, lord
oh, lord, yeah
oh, lord, yeah
oh, lord, yeah
oh, lord