300: Rise of an Empire (2014) - full transcript
After its victory over Leonidas' 300, the Persian Army under the command of Xerxes marches towards the major Greek city-states. The Democratic city of Athens, first on the path of Xerxes' army, bases its strength on its fleet, led by admiral Themistocles. Themistocles is forced to an unwilling alliance with the traditional rival of Athens, oligarchic Sparta whose might lies with its superior infantry troops. But Xerxes still reigns supreme in numbers over sea and land.
[HORSE SNORTS]
VVOIVIAN:
The Orac:|e's words stand as a warning
A prophecy
Sparta will fall
All of Greece will fall
[YE|_|_|NG]
And Persian fire
will reduce Athens to Cinder
For Athens is a pile of stone and wood
and cloth and dust
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
\/\/ar 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.
lt 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
lVlarathon
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 lVlarathon
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.
[THEIVIISTCKLES YELLS]
[ALL YELLING AND GRUNTING]
[HoRsEs NE|oH|No]
[HoRsE NEIGHING]
[ALL SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]
[vE|_|_s]
[vE|_|_s]
GORGO:
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?
\/\/orth 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
O
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.
lt was Darius' 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.
ln her
he had the perfect warrior protegee
that his son, Xerxes, would never be
DARIUS [IN STRAINED VOICE]
So sweet, my child.
l\/ly sweet
child
XERXES
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
GORGO:
For seven days, Xerxes mourned
paralyzed by grief
On the eighth day, Artemisia
whispered the seed of madness
that would consume him
[WHISPERING]
Your father's words were not a warning
but a challenge
Only the gods can defeat the Greeks?
You will be a god-king
GORGO:
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 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 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
[CROWD CHEERING]
And as the god-king stood
before his people
Artemisia watched her flawless
manipulation take shape.
-For glory's sake...
ARTEIVIISIA [VVHlSPERS]: For glory's sake
for vengeance's sake
for vengeance's sake
Wai'
war!
[CROWD CHEERING]
GORGO:
\/\/ar is coming to Greece
in the visage of a monster army
over a million strong.
lt should be little more than a formality
for Themistokles...
the hero of lVlarathon
to finish what he began
Please! We must appeal to Xerxes' reason!
MAN 1 :
Coward!
Athens is a city of cowards!
Shut your cock hole!
Shut your own!
l'll kill you! Fuck the Spartans!
Fuck those muscle-bound boy-lovers!
Silence!
MAN 2:
Silence for the hero of lVlarathon!
THEIVIISTOKLES:
This is a democracy, not a street fight
IVIAN 3:
Quiet! lt'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
THEIVIISTOKLES:
Negotiate with tyranny?
Give me one example of when
that has ever profited a nation.
MAN 4: You're right. We must unite.
THEMISTOKLES: 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.
[CROWD M URM URS]
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.
[CROWD MURMURING]
ARTEMISIA
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
lt'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
lt's best I go alone
Spartans don't get along well with others
[GRUNTING]
[MEN GRUNTING IN UNISON]
[GROANS]
-Spartans.
DILIOS: Themistokles
You old snake
What brings you this far south?
-l've come to see Leonidas.
To warn him the Persians are on the march
-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
[couoHs]
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?
MEN [IN UNISON]
Ah-ooh!
Ah-ooh! Ah-ooh!
GORGO:
Themistokles
You've come a long way to stroke your cock
whilst watching real men train.
THEMISTOKLES
Queen Gorgo.
Shouldn't he be training them
to live at their king's side?
THEMISTOKLES:
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 he 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
It was clear to the messenger
there'd be no Spartan submission?
It was clear
Even now Leonidas is in counsel
with the Oracle over his battle plan
The Festival of the Carneia
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
l'll make sure that Xerxes wishes
he never crossed the Aegean.
You'll receive no Spartan ships.
We've no interest 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
lt's funny that you mock freedom
here in your selfish isolation
Yet freedom, in her wisdom
has chosen you to defend her
My queen
AESKYLOS:
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
[THUNDER CRASHING]
ARTEMISIA
Within hours.
the Greek fleet will be shattered
What of our master
and the much-feared Spartans?
ARTEMISIA:
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.
lt'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
[GRUNTING]
[vE|_|_s]
Coward
Storm is upon us
lt's just some mad Greek weather
[KNOCKING ON DooR]
SCYLLIAS: 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.
THEMISTOKLES: 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
[wo|\/IAN SCREAMING]
THEMISTOKLES: 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
[GRUNTING]
She was fed, clothed, 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.
AESKYLOS:
She has sold her soul
to Death himself
Well, some could say
that l've sold mine to Greece
And what do you think?
-Me?
THEMISTOKLES: Yes
You are the future of this country
l'm ready to fight
[THEMISTOKLES CHUCKLES]
I like him. He reminds me of you
AESKYLOS
We will need.
every last man
He is still just a boy
Much younger
have defended our country
-Enough!
You are a dreamer
and will speak of this no more
Themistokles, l'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.
AESKYLOS:
Bad news? With the Spartans
.at the Hot Gates, our victory is assured
SCYLLIAS: If the army were with him.
But between the Oracle and the Carneia
Leonidas has marched to Thermopylae
with just 300 men.
AESKYLOS:
So the only thing standing between Athens
and total annihilation
is Leonidas and 300 Spartans
AESKYLOS:
I will search out the veterans among them
Establish some order among the volunteers
THEMISTOKLES: Good.
There's little time
to teach these farmhands strategy
Just keep them well fed
and sober
AESKYLOS:
Anything else?
Wouldn't hurt if they could
swing a sword.
Well, l'll be damned
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?
CALISTO: 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
COMMANDER 1:
We've just over 50 ships
Persian forces reported a number
in the thousands.
Those ships appear hardly seaworthy
COMMANDER 1:
Nothing like the monster ships
-...of the Persian fleet.
We have the advantage
Speed, maneuverability
The rest of the city-states have sent
anywhere from a handful to a single ship
Of course, Athens supplied the balance
COMMANDER 2: We have report...
_.a small advance force of Persian ships have
taken refuge from the storm across the strait.
If the weather breaks,
we could hit them at dawn
An early Greek victory
COMMANDER 1:
The gods have given us an opportunity
...to wound the Persians,
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 in the open water
with no shore to narrow the battle
COMMANDER 2:
To attack a force of over 1000 ships
with our meager force is suicide
Such is my plan
ARTAPHERN ES:
Look at their excuse for a navy
ARTEMISIA:
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.
Bandan
Commander
If I let you lead our first offensive
...what guarantee do I have
that you'll bring me a quick victory?
BANDARI:
My word and my life
Good
My rules of engagement?
Humiliate the Greeks
and lay waste to their tiny ships
BAN DARI:
They'll be dead to the last man
THEMISTOKLES
My brothers.
Steady your hearts
Look deep into your souls
For your mettle is to be tested this day
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!
ALL:
Greece!
[ALL sHouT]
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
[MEN |_/-\uoH]
That goes for the rest of you
Persian ships
are strong at the front
But they are weak
in the middle
We attack them there
Now!
[GRUNTING]
Attack!
[YELLING]
[SCREAMING]
[YELLING]
Ram them!
COMMANDER:
Archers, now! Now!
[ALL YELL]
Reverse!
Now!
Go through them!
[MEN YELL]
[MEN SCREAMING]
ARTEMISIA:
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
l'm bored with your failures, Bandari
l'll not let this wound slow me
Heh. 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 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?
[MEN sHouT]
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
[GRUNTS]
Report?
ARTAPHERN ES:
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
O
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?
ls 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
[/-\LL GRUNTING]
Advance!
Now!
Don't lose sight of them
The Greeks are retreating
ARTEMISIA:
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!
[ALL YELLING]
[YELLING]
[vELLs]
[ALL YELLING AND GRUNTING]
[SIGHS]
What are you doing here?
A man's responsibility
is to protect his family and his nation
Who told you this?
-My father.
[GROANING]
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
MAN:
Now they will fear us!
Now they will fear
the Greek men-at-arms! Hup!
THEMISTOKLES
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!
[/-\LL CHEERING]
Don't 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?
ARTAPHERNES: 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?
ARTEMISIA:
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?
ls there a god in your lineage?
My men say so, and based on
the last two days' battle...
l'd say there's a spark of the divine in you
Now who's 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 10 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?
I offer you a chance
to avoid such misery and join me
l'm in need of a commander such as you
Look at the defense you've mounted
A handful of triremes
Leonidas with 300 Spartans
[CHUCKLES]
lt'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, l'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
UAUGHS]
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.
Join me
[BOTH GRUNTING]
You'll not have your death tonight
Guards!
Remove this filth from my ship
[YELLS THEN SWORD CLANGS]
AESKYLOS
V\/e||’?
What have you learned?
[SIGHS]
Can Artemisia be beaten?
The next time that we face her
she's going to bring all of hell with her
[SIGHS]
Hold! Hold!
Send in my personal guard
Pull back!
Retreat!
MAN: Retreat!
SCYLLIAS: Retreat!
MAN: Retreat!
SCYLLIAS: Retreat!
Themistokles!
In the water!
Archers on deck now!
SCYLLIAS:
Archers on deck now! Quickly!
THEMISTOKLES
Starboard side!
Fire at Will!
[YELLING]
[GRUNTING]
[ARROW PIERCES FLESH]
[GASPS]
Fight on, boy
Uh-huh
SCYLLIAS
Fight on!
[VVHOOSHING IN DISTANCE]
[ALL YELLING]
THEMISTOKLES:
Aim for the men on top!
Up there!
Abandon ship! Abandon ship!
Abandon ship!
[GRUNTS]
GORGO:
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
[IN STRAINED VOICE]
Together.
Listen to me
Themistokles
You will have to fight
with twice as much strength
in the morning.
We will fight shoulder-to-shoulder
SCYLUAS:
No, my son
You will carry on for both of us
[SCYLLIAS VVHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]
[SOBBING]
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
[SQUAWKS]
XERXES:
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
EPHIALTES:
Your Majesty
XERXES:
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
oAxos
Hyah!
Move all of our ships and men back
to the safety of Salamis.
And you?
I will take Daxos' message to Athens
THEMISTOKLES: 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!
MAN:
What does he mean?
THEMISTOKLES
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
[THUNDER RUMBLING]
Themistokles
l'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
GORGO:
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
XERXES:
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
EPHIALTES
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
EPHIALTES:
He is alive. I have seen him myself
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.
ARTEMISIA: 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
THEMISTOKLES:
There in the distance
we witness the 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 have given enough
COMMANDER 1
You failed us all
This is your fault, Themistokles
Without Spartans, we're farmhands
COMMANDER 2: 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
andllosU
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!
[/-\LL CHEERING]
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 other
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.
AESKYLOS:
We will never be able to reach her
THEMISTOKLES
I will reach her...
and put an end to this
There will be no room for a retreat
I know
ARTEMISIA:
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 YELLING]
Men, brace yourselves!
Prepare for close quarters
Attack!
[MEN YELLING]
Your father watches you!
Hold nothing back!
Seize your glory!
[/-\LL GRUNTING]
[YELLS]
l'm not here as a witness
[ALL YELLING AND GRUNTING]
[MAN GASPING]
Now!
And let them send our souls straight to hell!
[HORSE NEIGHING]
Hyah! Come on!
[THEMISTOKLES YELLS]
You offered freedom without
consequence or responsibility
Are you accepting my offer?
My answer is still no
You fight much harder than you fuck
[THEMISTOKLES SCREAMS]
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
GORGO:
It begins as a whisper
A promise
The lightest of breezes
dances through the rigging
as it creaks above the death cries
of 10,000 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 ofjustice
A wind of vengeance
MEN [IN UNlSON]:
Ah-ooh! Ah-ooh! Ah-ooh!
[MEN CONTINUE CHANTING]
[ARTEMISIA GRUNTS]
You are being surrounded
All of Greece has united against you
Delphi, Thebes, Olympia
Arcadia and Sparta
If death comes for me today, l'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?
[GROANS]
[SWORD PIERCING FLESH]
[ALL YELLING]
[YELLING]
[YELLING]
VVOIVIAN:
The Orac:|e's words stand as a warning
A prophecy
Sparta will fall
All of Greece will fall
[YE|_|_|NG]
And Persian fire
will reduce Athens to Cinder
For Athens is a pile of stone and wood
and cloth and dust
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
\/\/ar 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.
lt 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
lVlarathon
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 lVlarathon
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.
[THEIVIISTCKLES YELLS]
[ALL YELLING AND GRUNTING]
[HoRsEs NE|oH|No]
[HoRsE NEIGHING]
[ALL SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]
[vE|_|_s]
[vE|_|_s]
GORGO:
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?
\/\/orth 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
O
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.
lt was Darius' 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.
ln her
he had the perfect warrior protegee
that his son, Xerxes, would never be
DARIUS [IN STRAINED VOICE]
So sweet, my child.
l\/ly sweet
child
XERXES
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
GORGO:
For seven days, Xerxes mourned
paralyzed by grief
On the eighth day, Artemisia
whispered the seed of madness
that would consume him
[WHISPERING]
Your father's words were not a warning
but a challenge
Only the gods can defeat the Greeks?
You will be a god-king
GORGO:
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 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 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
[CROWD CHEERING]
And as the god-king stood
before his people
Artemisia watched her flawless
manipulation take shape.
-For glory's sake...
ARTEIVIISIA [VVHlSPERS]: For glory's sake
for vengeance's sake
for vengeance's sake
Wai'
war!
[CROWD CHEERING]
GORGO:
\/\/ar is coming to Greece
in the visage of a monster army
over a million strong.
lt should be little more than a formality
for Themistokles...
the hero of lVlarathon
to finish what he began
Please! We must appeal to Xerxes' reason!
MAN 1 :
Coward!
Athens is a city of cowards!
Shut your cock hole!
Shut your own!
l'll kill you! Fuck the Spartans!
Fuck those muscle-bound boy-lovers!
Silence!
MAN 2:
Silence for the hero of lVlarathon!
THEIVIISTOKLES:
This is a democracy, not a street fight
IVIAN 3:
Quiet! lt'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
THEIVIISTOKLES:
Negotiate with tyranny?
Give me one example of when
that has ever profited a nation.
MAN 4: You're right. We must unite.
THEMISTOKLES: 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.
[CROWD M URM URS]
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.
[CROWD MURMURING]
ARTEMISIA
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
lt'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
lt's best I go alone
Spartans don't get along well with others
[GRUNTING]
[MEN GRUNTING IN UNISON]
[GROANS]
-Spartans.
DILIOS: Themistokles
You old snake
What brings you this far south?
-l've come to see Leonidas.
To warn him the Persians are on the march
-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
[couoHs]
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?
MEN [IN UNISON]
Ah-ooh!
Ah-ooh! Ah-ooh!
GORGO:
Themistokles
You've come a long way to stroke your cock
whilst watching real men train.
THEMISTOKLES
Queen Gorgo.
Shouldn't he be training them
to live at their king's side?
THEMISTOKLES:
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 he 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
It was clear to the messenger
there'd be no Spartan submission?
It was clear
Even now Leonidas is in counsel
with the Oracle over his battle plan
The Festival of the Carneia
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
l'll make sure that Xerxes wishes
he never crossed the Aegean.
You'll receive no Spartan ships.
We've no interest 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
lt's funny that you mock freedom
here in your selfish isolation
Yet freedom, in her wisdom
has chosen you to defend her
My queen
AESKYLOS:
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
[THUNDER CRASHING]
ARTEMISIA
Within hours.
the Greek fleet will be shattered
What of our master
and the much-feared Spartans?
ARTEMISIA:
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.
lt'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
[GRUNTING]
[vE|_|_s]
Coward
Storm is upon us
lt's just some mad Greek weather
[KNOCKING ON DooR]
SCYLLIAS: 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.
THEMISTOKLES: 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
[wo|\/IAN SCREAMING]
THEMISTOKLES: 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
[GRUNTING]
She was fed, clothed, 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.
AESKYLOS:
She has sold her soul
to Death himself
Well, some could say
that l've sold mine to Greece
And what do you think?
-Me?
THEMISTOKLES: Yes
You are the future of this country
l'm ready to fight
[THEMISTOKLES CHUCKLES]
I like him. He reminds me of you
AESKYLOS
We will need.
every last man
He is still just a boy
Much younger
have defended our country
-Enough!
You are a dreamer
and will speak of this no more
Themistokles, l'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.
AESKYLOS:
Bad news? With the Spartans
.at the Hot Gates, our victory is assured
SCYLLIAS: If the army were with him.
But between the Oracle and the Carneia
Leonidas has marched to Thermopylae
with just 300 men.
AESKYLOS:
So the only thing standing between Athens
and total annihilation
is Leonidas and 300 Spartans
AESKYLOS:
I will search out the veterans among them
Establish some order among the volunteers
THEMISTOKLES: Good.
There's little time
to teach these farmhands strategy
Just keep them well fed
and sober
AESKYLOS:
Anything else?
Wouldn't hurt if they could
swing a sword.
Well, l'll be damned
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?
CALISTO: 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
COMMANDER 1:
We've just over 50 ships
Persian forces reported a number
in the thousands.
Those ships appear hardly seaworthy
COMMANDER 1:
Nothing like the monster ships
-...of the Persian fleet.
We have the advantage
Speed, maneuverability
The rest of the city-states have sent
anywhere from a handful to a single ship
Of course, Athens supplied the balance
COMMANDER 2: We have report...
_.a small advance force of Persian ships have
taken refuge from the storm across the strait.
If the weather breaks,
we could hit them at dawn
An early Greek victory
COMMANDER 1:
The gods have given us an opportunity
...to wound the Persians,
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 in the open water
with no shore to narrow the battle
COMMANDER 2:
To attack a force of over 1000 ships
with our meager force is suicide
Such is my plan
ARTAPHERN ES:
Look at their excuse for a navy
ARTEMISIA:
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.
Bandan
Commander
If I let you lead our first offensive
...what guarantee do I have
that you'll bring me a quick victory?
BANDARI:
My word and my life
Good
My rules of engagement?
Humiliate the Greeks
and lay waste to their tiny ships
BAN DARI:
They'll be dead to the last man
THEMISTOKLES
My brothers.
Steady your hearts
Look deep into your souls
For your mettle is to be tested this day
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!
ALL:
Greece!
[ALL sHouT]
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
[MEN |_/-\uoH]
That goes for the rest of you
Persian ships
are strong at the front
But they are weak
in the middle
We attack them there
Now!
[GRUNTING]
Attack!
[YELLING]
[SCREAMING]
[YELLING]
Ram them!
COMMANDER:
Archers, now! Now!
[ALL YELL]
Reverse!
Now!
Go through them!
[MEN YELL]
[MEN SCREAMING]
ARTEMISIA:
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
l'm bored with your failures, Bandari
l'll not let this wound slow me
Heh. 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 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?
[MEN sHouT]
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
[GRUNTS]
Report?
ARTAPHERN ES:
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
O
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?
ls 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
[/-\LL GRUNTING]
Advance!
Now!
Don't lose sight of them
The Greeks are retreating
ARTEMISIA:
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!
[ALL YELLING]
[YELLING]
[vELLs]
[ALL YELLING AND GRUNTING]
[SIGHS]
What are you doing here?
A man's responsibility
is to protect his family and his nation
Who told you this?
-My father.
[GROANING]
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
MAN:
Now they will fear us!
Now they will fear
the Greek men-at-arms! Hup!
THEMISTOKLES
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!
[/-\LL CHEERING]
Don't 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?
ARTAPHERNES: 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?
ARTEMISIA:
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?
ls there a god in your lineage?
My men say so, and based on
the last two days' battle...
l'd say there's a spark of the divine in you
Now who's 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 10 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?
I offer you a chance
to avoid such misery and join me
l'm in need of a commander such as you
Look at the defense you've mounted
A handful of triremes
Leonidas with 300 Spartans
[CHUCKLES]
lt'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, l'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
UAUGHS]
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.
Join me
[BOTH GRUNTING]
You'll not have your death tonight
Guards!
Remove this filth from my ship
[YELLS THEN SWORD CLANGS]
AESKYLOS
V\/e||’?
What have you learned?
[SIGHS]
Can Artemisia be beaten?
The next time that we face her
she's going to bring all of hell with her
[SIGHS]
Hold! Hold!
Send in my personal guard
Pull back!
Retreat!
MAN: Retreat!
SCYLLIAS: Retreat!
MAN: Retreat!
SCYLLIAS: Retreat!
Themistokles!
In the water!
Archers on deck now!
SCYLLIAS:
Archers on deck now! Quickly!
THEMISTOKLES
Starboard side!
Fire at Will!
[YELLING]
[GRUNTING]
[ARROW PIERCES FLESH]
[GASPS]
Fight on, boy
Uh-huh
SCYLLIAS
Fight on!
[VVHOOSHING IN DISTANCE]
[ALL YELLING]
THEMISTOKLES:
Aim for the men on top!
Up there!
Abandon ship! Abandon ship!
Abandon ship!
[GRUNTS]
GORGO:
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
[IN STRAINED VOICE]
Together.
Listen to me
Themistokles
You will have to fight
with twice as much strength
in the morning.
We will fight shoulder-to-shoulder
SCYLUAS:
No, my son
You will carry on for both of us
[SCYLLIAS VVHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]
[SOBBING]
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
[SQUAWKS]
XERXES:
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
EPHIALTES:
Your Majesty
XERXES:
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
oAxos
Hyah!
Move all of our ships and men back
to the safety of Salamis.
And you?
I will take Daxos' message to Athens
THEMISTOKLES: 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!
MAN:
What does he mean?
THEMISTOKLES
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
[THUNDER RUMBLING]
Themistokles
l'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
GORGO:
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
XERXES:
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
EPHIALTES
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
EPHIALTES:
He is alive. I have seen him myself
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.
ARTEMISIA: 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
THEMISTOKLES:
There in the distance
we witness the 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 have given enough
COMMANDER 1
You failed us all
This is your fault, Themistokles
Without Spartans, we're farmhands
COMMANDER 2: 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
andllosU
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!
[/-\LL CHEERING]
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 other
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.
AESKYLOS:
We will never be able to reach her
THEMISTOKLES
I will reach her...
and put an end to this
There will be no room for a retreat
I know
ARTEMISIA:
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 YELLING]
Men, brace yourselves!
Prepare for close quarters
Attack!
[MEN YELLING]
Your father watches you!
Hold nothing back!
Seize your glory!
[/-\LL GRUNTING]
[YELLS]
l'm not here as a witness
[ALL YELLING AND GRUNTING]
[MAN GASPING]
Now!
And let them send our souls straight to hell!
[HORSE NEIGHING]
Hyah! Come on!
[THEMISTOKLES YELLS]
You offered freedom without
consequence or responsibility
Are you accepting my offer?
My answer is still no
You fight much harder than you fuck
[THEMISTOKLES SCREAMS]
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
GORGO:
It begins as a whisper
A promise
The lightest of breezes
dances through the rigging
as it creaks above the death cries
of 10,000 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 ofjustice
A wind of vengeance
MEN [IN UNlSON]:
Ah-ooh! Ah-ooh! Ah-ooh!
[MEN CONTINUE CHANTING]
[ARTEMISIA GRUNTS]
You are being surrounded
All of Greece has united against you
Delphi, Thebes, Olympia
Arcadia and Sparta
If death comes for me today, l'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?
[GROANS]
[SWORD PIERCING FLESH]
[ALL YELLING]
[YELLING]
[YELLING]