Iolaus
[narrating the first lines of the movie]
You think you know the truth about him? You know nothing. His father was Zeus. The Zeus. King of the gods. His mother, Alcmene, a mortal woman. Together, they had a boy. Half human, half god. But Zeus' queen, Hera, saw this bastard child as an insult, a living reminder of her husband's infidelity. Alcmene named the boy Hercules, which means glory of Hera, but this failed to appease the goddess. She wanted him dead. Luckily, he took after his father. Once he reached manhood, the gods commanded him to perform Twelve Labors, twelve dangerous missions. If he completed them all and survived, Hera agreed to finally let him live in peace. He fought the Lernaean Hydra! He battled the Erymanthean Boar! But his greatest Labor was the Nemean Lion. This was no ordinary beast. It had a hide so tough, no weapon could penetrate it. But even this monster was no match for the son of Zeus...
Iolaus
[first lines] [narrating]
You think you know the truth about him? You know nothing. His father was Zeus. The Zeus. King of the gods. His mother, Alcmene, a mortal woman. Together, they had a boy. Half human, half god. But Zeus' queen, Hera, saw this bastard child as an insult, a living reminder of her husband's infidelity. Alcmene named the boy Hercules, which means glory of Hera, but this failed to appease the goddess. She wanted him dead. Luckily, he took after his father. Once he reached manhood, the gods commanded him to perform Twelve Labors, twelve dangerous missions. If he completed them all and survived, Hera agreed to finally let him live in peace. He fought the Lernean Hydra! He battled the Erymanthean Boar! [Hercules strikes the Erymanthean Boar face-down] But his greatest Labor was the Nemean Lion. This was no ordinary beast. It had a hide so tough, no weapon could penetrate it. But even this monster was no match for the son of Zeus...
G Gryza
What a load of crap!
Iolaus
Every word is true!
G Gryza
You know what I think? This friend of yours doesn't even exist.
Iolaus
Laugh all you want. He's coming, and be warned, Gryza, he despises pirates.
G Gryza
Macedonia has been good to us, plenty of villages ripe for pillaging. We are here to stay. [to a pirate] Finish him.
P Pirate
[puts the torch on the rope holding Iolaus]
The more you struggle, the faster you drop.
Iolaus
Indeed, your fleet is strong. I... [notices a figure approaching] Yet, as I was about to explain before I was so rudely interrupted, the Nemean Lion was strong, too. Yet, he still destroyed it, and not with a sword or a spear or arrows. No!
Hercules
[reveals himself]
I did it with my bare hands! Or so they say.
Hercules
Is this all the men you have?
G Gryza
There's 40 of us, one of you!
Hercules
The king of this land has offered me gold to dispose of you! So leave or die. I get paid either way.
G Gryza
Make him bleed. [five men charge but Hercules knocks them out at once]
Iolaus
Ha! Five men with a single blow! Still think you can destroy the son of Zeus?
G Gryza
BRING ME HIS HEAD!
Autolycus
Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen...
Autolycus
...eighteen, nineteen, twenty. 20 pirates at two gold pieces a head, minus the headless ones. Let's see.
Hercules
Not a bad night.
Iolaus
You see how the pirates ran? My story softened their resolve!
Autolycus
Their resolve must be broken, Iolaus. When you speak the legend of Hercules, make it bigger, scarier! The more they believe Hercules is truly the son of Zeus, the less like they are to fight.
A Amphiaraus
[stokes the fire]
Aye.
Hercules
Amphiarus.
Hercules
Care to join us here on Earth?
A Amphiaraus
A lion and a crow in strange alliance, fighting across a sea of corpses.
A Amphiaraus
Who are you? Are you a murderer?
Ergenia
Damn you! I curse you!
A Amphiaraus
Are you a mercenary who turns his back on the innocent?
Ergenia
Stay away from my son!
A Amphiaraus
Are you only a legend, or are you the truth behind the legend? We believe in you! We have faith in you! Have faith in yourself! Remember the man that you are.
Ergenia
Father, the gods will punish you! You cannot escape it!
A Amphiaraus
Remember the deeds you have performed, the Labors you have accomplished!
Ergenia
No! NOO!!
Iolaus
Leave her alone!
A Amphiaraus
Now tell me!
Ergenia
PLEASE!!!
A Amphiaraus
[enunciating]
Who... are... YOU?!
Hercules
[building up superhuman strength]
I... AM... HERCULLLLLEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!! [the strength of the pull breaks the chains and Hercules leaps over and slams the chain-bound rocks on a Thracian executioner's head, killing him and making him drop the axe in front of Ergenia, who gasps in astonishment]
Cotys
Unleash the wolves!
