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]
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.
You will pay for your barbarism!
[As the Persian Emissary raises his whip, Stelios cuts off the Emissary's arm]
My arm!
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.
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.
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.
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.
And of course Spartans! ... have their reputation to consider.
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]
Madman! You're a madman!
Earth and water. You'll find plenty of both down there.
No man, Persian or Greek, no man threatens a messenger!
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.
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]
It would be nothing short of madness, were you, brave King, and your valiant troops to perish ... all because of a simple misunderstanding. There is much our cultures could share.
Oh, haven't you noticed? We've been sharing our culture with you all morning.
Yours is a fascinating tribe. Even now, you are defiant, in the face of annihilation, and the prescence of a god. Imagine what horrible fate awaits my enemies when I would gladly kill half of my own men for victory.
And I would die for any one of mine.
You Greeks take pride in your logic. I suggest you employ it. Consider the beautiful land you so vigorously defend. Picture it reduced to ash at my whim! Consider the fate of your women!
Clearly you don't know our women! I might as well have marched them up here, judging by what I've seen. You have many slaves, Xerxes, but few warriors. It won't be long before they fear my spears more than your whips.
It is not the lash they fear, It is my divine power. But I am a generous god. I can make you rich beyond all measure. I will make you warlord of all Greece. You will carry my battle standard to the heart of Europa. Your Athenian rivals will kneel at your feet if you will but kneel at mine.
You are generous as you are divine, O king of kings. Such an offer only a madman would refuse. But the, uh, the idea of kneeling, it's- You see, slaughtering all those men of yours has, uh, well it's left a nasty cramp in my leg, so kneeling will be hard for me.
There will be no glory in your sacrifice. I will erase even the memory of Sparta from the histories. Every piece of Greek parchment shall be burned, and every Greek historian and every scribe shall have their eyes put out and their tongues cut from their mouths. Why, uttering the very name of Sparta or Leonidas will be punishable by death. The world will never know you existed at all!
The world will know that free men stood against a tyrant, that few stood against many, and before this battle is over, that even a god-king can bleed.
[Gorgo meets Theron]
Beautiful night.
Yes, but I did not ask you here for a small talk, Theron. [grabs her dress and walks with Theron]
You can be sure of that. You never spared words with me.
Can I offer you something? A drink, perhaps?
[nervously]
Is it poison?
I'm sorry to disappoint you, it's only water.
[drinks his water in a cup]
I'm told it's been arranged for you to go before the council.
Yes. I need your help in winning votes to send the army north to our king.
Yes. I can see it, the two of us standing together. Me, politician. You, warrior. Our voices as one. But why would I want to do that?
It proves you care for a king who right now fights for the very water we drink.
True. But this is politics, not war. Leonidas is an idealist.
I know your kind too well. You send men to slaughter for your own gain.
Your husband, our king, has taken 300 of our finest to slaughter. He's broken our laws and left without the council's consent. I'm simply a realist.
You're as foolish as Leonidas if you think men don't have a price in this world. All men are not created equal. That's the Spartan code, my little queen. [reels from being slapped by Gorgo] I admire your passion. But don't think that you... a woman, even a queen, can walk into the council chamber and sway the minds of men. [coldly] I own that chamber, as if it were built with these hands. [grabs Gorgo by the throat and pins her back into the pillar] I could crush the life out of you right now. [into Gorgo's face] You will go before the council, but your words will fall on deaf ears. Leonidas will receive no reinforcements, and if he returns without my help, he will go to jail or worse. Do you love your Sparta?
[releases grip on Gorgo's throat and tightens his strap cape]
Your husband fights for his land and his love. What do you have to offer in return for my word that I'll help you send our army north?
What does a realist want with his queen?
I think you know. [pauses; watches in amazement as Gorgo slowly slips off her dress, then he turns her around and pins her against the pillar] This will not be over quickly. [roughly penetrates Gorgo] You will not enjoy this. I am not your king. [begins to rape Gorgo]
[After Xerxes offered to make Leonidas Warlord of his Empire, if he would only kneel before him]
You are generous as you are divine, oh king of kings. Such an offer only a madman would refuse. But ... the idea of kneeling, it's, uh ... you see, slaughtering all those men of yours has left a nasty cramp in my leg – so kneeling will be hard for me.
