Their fate is sealed when they are betrayed by Ephialtes, a deformed hunchback who's parents fled Sparta when he was a child. The Spartan's morale is shaken following his death, but they continue to fight nonetheless. One particularly harrowing death is of Captain Artemis' son, Astinos at the hands of a cavalry rider. Even still, the Spartan forces are whittled down little by little. Many soldiers and even strange beasts from the farthest reaches of the Persian Empire crash down on the Spartans but are they beaten time and again. Xerxes becomes angry with the Spartans boldness and defiance and skill. Leonidas refuses, knowing that subservience to Xerxes is in essence slavery. He seeks to meet with Leonidas in person where he attempts to bribe the Spartan king, offering him the status of ruler over Sparta in his stead. Though these elite warriors prove a tough challenge, and a handful of Spartans are killed in the process Xerxes is impressed with their strength. That night, Xerxes counters by sending his best soldiers, The Immortals. The Spartan's actions further instigate the battle, and soon Xerxes' first wave of troops attack, with the Spartans tearing through them with ease. The Spartans devise a plan to rebuild the Great Phonecian Wall in order to guard their flank, and result in using the bodies of slain Persian spies as the mortar for the large rocks they put in place-to the horror and anger of another Persian emissary. However the next morning the Spartans are shocked and confused to still see so many ships landing on the beach nearby after the storm has subsided. The Greeks eventually arrive at the Hot Gates in time to witness a powerful storm sink many Persian ships. Leonidas welcomes the Arcadians, in spite of their lack of training compared to the Spartans. Along the way, Leonidas is happy to cross paths with a small contingent of Arcadian soldiers whom had received word of the Spartans heading to war with Persia and sought to join forces. While Leonidas embarks on his journey with the 299 other soldiers to the Hot Gates, Gorgo remains behind in Sparta in hopes of rallying the support of the council to send the rest of the Spartan army to his aid. The councilmen know full-well his true intentions, but cannot legally stop Leonidas according to Sparta's laws. Although the council has withheld permission to go to war because of the Ephors, they cannot deny Leonidas his right to travel with a personal bodyguard. It is soon revealed that the Ephors are being bribed by Xerxes with gold in order to withhold Sparta from fully partaking in the war.ĭistraught, Leonidas laments to his wife his predicament, she wisely inquires "ask yourself, what would a free man do?" The next day, Leonidas has gathered with 300 of his finest soldiers and intend to set out to Thermopylae. Leonidas suspects the Ephors motives, and bitterly returns home to his wife. The Ephors consult their oracle and deny Leonidas permission to go to war, claiming that they must honour a sacred religious festival, else Sparta will fall. Leonidas then seeks the approval of the Ephors, prophets to the ancient Greek kings, to lead the Spartan army to war against Persia. Leonidas, now grown and married with a young boy, defies Xerxes by killing the emissary and hi body guards by casting them all into a deep pit. Years later, Sparta is approached by an emissary and his guards who warns of the impending defeat of Sparta by Xerxes and his Persian army. He returns to Sparta, claiming his kingship in the process. It is at this point he's confronted by a large wolf and fearlessly defeats it. It is alluded to that the rest of Sparta presumes him to be dead. His trials in the Agoge are briefly touched on, showcasing him brawling with other Spartan boys and by age 15 is left out in the wilderness alone. The film opens with the inspection of Leonidas as a baby, followed by his admission into the Agoge at age 7.
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