300 quotes

View Quote Councilmen, I stand before you not only as your queen. I come to you as a mother. I come to you as a wife. I come to you as a Spartan woman. I come to you with great humility. I am not here to represent Leonidas – his actions speak louder than my words ever could. I am here for all those voices which cannot be heard: mothers, daughters, fathers, sons – three hundred families that bleed for our rights, and for the very principles this room was built upon. We are at war, gentlemen. We must send the entire Spartan army to aid our king in the preservation of not just ourselves, but of our children. Send the army for the preservation of liberty. Send it for justice. Send it for law and order. Send it for reason. But most importantly, send our army for hope – hope that a king and his men have not been wasted to the pages of history – that their courage bonds us together, that we are made stronger by their actions, and that your choices today reflect their bravery.

View Quote It is not the lash they fear, it is my divine power.

View Quote [To Ephialtes, who turned traitor and volunteered to serve him] Unlike the cruel Leonidas who demanded that you stand, I require only that you kneel.

View Quote Wounded child: It's quiet now. They came from the blackness.

View Quote Captain Artemis: I had lived my entire life without regret until now. It's not that my son gave up his life for his country. It's just that I never told him that I loved him the most. That he had stood by me with honor. That he was all that was best in me.

View Quote Theron: This will not be over quickly. You will not enjoy this. I am not your King. [As he forces Gorgo to have sex with him in exchange for assistance in the council]

View Quote Stelios (first lines, to Leonidas): We are with you, sire! For Sparta, for freedom – to the death!

View Quote Leonidas: Before you speak, Persian, know that in Sparta, everyone, even a king's messenger, are held accountable for the words of his voice. Now, what message do you bring?
Persian Messenger: Earth and water.
Leonidas (pauses): You rode all the way from Persia for earth and water?
Gorgo: Do not be coy or stupid, Persian. You can afford neither in Sparta.
Persian Messenger: What makes this woman think she can speak among men?
Gorgo: Because only Spartan women give birth to real men.

View Quote Persian messenger: All the God-King Xerxes requires is this: a simple offering of earth and water. A token of Sparta's submission to the will of Xerxes.
Leonidas: Submission. Well, that's a bit of a problem. See, rumor has it that the Athenians have already turned you down. And if those philosophers and ... boy-lovers have found that kind of nerve ...
Theron (interrupting): We must be diplomatic.
Leonidas: And of course Spartans! ... have their reputation to consider.
Persian messenger: Choose your next words carefully, Leonidas. They may be your last as king.
[Leonidas turns and ponders the offer, looks at three different views, the last being Gorgo]
Leonidas (thinking): Earth and water?
[He draws his sword and points it towards the Persian messenger, whose back is to a large, deep well]
Persian messenger: Madman! You're a madman!
Leonidas: Earth and water. You'll find plenty of both down there.
Persian messenger: No man, Persian or Greek, no man threatens a messenger!
Leonidas: You bring the crowns and heads of conquered kings to my city's steps. You insult my queen. You threaten my people with slavery and death! Oh, I've chosen my words carefully, Persian. Perhaps you should have done the same.
Persian messenger: This is blasphemy! This is madness!
Leonidas (looks at Gorgo, who nods to him): Madness? This is Sparta!!! [kicks the Persian messenger into the well]

View Quote Leonidas: Daxos. What a pleasant surprise.
Daxos: This morning's full of suprises, Leonidas.
Arcadian soldier: We've been tricked.
Arcadian: Only a few of them? That is a surprise.
Daxos: Silence! We heard Sparta was on the warpath. We were eager to join forces.
Leonidas: If a bit of blood you seek, you're welcome to join us.
Daxos: But you bring only these handful of soldiers against Xerxes? I see I was wrong to expect Sparta's commitment to at least match our own.
Leonidas: Doesn't it? [points to a soldier next to Daxos] You there, what is your profession?
1st Arcadian Soldier: I'm a potter ... sir.
Leonidas: And you, Arcadian, what is your profession?
2nd Arcadian Soldier: Sculptor, sir.
Leonidas: Sculptor. And you?
3rd Arcadian Soldier: Blacksmith.
Leonidas (turning towards the Spartans): Spartans! What is your profession?
Spartans: Harooh! Harooh! Harooh!
Leonidas: See, old friend, I brought more soldiers than you did.

View Quote Persian Emissary (encountering a group of Greeks building a wall to hold off the Persians): I am the emissary to the ruler of all the world, the god of gods, king of kings, and by that authority, I demand that someone show me your commander! [He is ignored by the Greeks] Listen. Do you think the paltry dozen you slew scare us? These hills swarm with our scouts! And do you think your pathetic wall will do anything other than fall like a heap of dry leaves in the face of ...
[The Emissary sees that the stone wall is partially made up of Persian corpses]
Stelios: Our ancestors built this wall, using ancient stones from the bosom of Greece herself. And with a little Spartan help, your Persian scouts provided the mortar.
Persian Emissary: You will pay for your barbarism!
[As the Persian Emissary raises his whip, Stelios cuts off the Emissary's arm]
Persian Emissary: My arm!
Stelios: It's not yours anymore. Go now, run along and tell your Xerxes that he faces free men here, not slaves. Do it quickly, before we decide to make our wall just a little bit bigger.
Persian Emissary: No, not slaves. Your women will be slaves. Your sons, your daughters, your elders will be slaves, but not you. By noon this day, you will all be dead men! The thousand nations of the Persian Empire descend upon you! Our arrows will blot out the sun!
Stelios (grins): Then we will fight in the shade.

View Quote [The ground begins to shake and small rocks roll off the cliffside]
Captain: Earthquake?
Leonidas: No, Captain: battle formations.

View Quote Leonidas: This is where we hold them! This is where we fight! This is where they die!
Captain: Earn these shields, boys!
Spartans: Harooh!
Leonidas: Remember this day, men. For it will be yours for all time.
[Persian Officer rides through the ranks on his horse to address the Spartans ahead]
Persian Officer: Spartans! Lay down your weapons.
[Spear flies from the Spartans, killing the Persian officer on the spot]
Leonidas: Persians! Come and get them!
[Persians sound the advance and charge towards the Spartans]
Leonidas: Give them nothing! But take from them ... everything!

View Quote [The Spartans hold up their shields as a flurry of Persian arrows blot out the sun]
Leonidas: Persian cowards.
[Suddenly, Astinos begins laughing]
Stelios: What the hell are you laughing at?
Astinos: You had to say it!
Stelios: What?
Astinos: "Fight in the shade"!
[Other Spartans laugh with him]

View Quote Leonidas (decides to visit the small Persian contingent): Captain, I leave you in charge.
Captain: But my king ...
Leonidas: Don't worry, Captain. Remember, if they assassinate me, all of Sparta goes to war. Pray they're that stupid. Pray we're that lucky. Besides, there's no reason we can't be civil, is there?
Captain: None, sire. [thrusts his spear into a Persian's chest]