What did Leonidas say before he died?

No retreat, no surrender; that is Spartan law. And by Spartan law we will stand and fight... and die.

What were the last words of Leonidas?

Leonidas' last words are to Ephialtes on the battlefield before he is engulfed by a shower of arrows: "I hope you live forever." This, we deduce, is the most profound Spartan insult, incorporating Leonidas' disgust for the traitor with the Spartan ideal of dying a "beautiful death" in battle.

What was Leonidas famous quote?

'"Come and take them."'- This is Leonidas' most famous quote, spoken in response to Xerxes' demand that the Spartan army surrenders its arms.

What is the Spartan quote on death?

Feel no fear before the multitude of men, do not run in panic, but let each man bear his shield straight toward the fore-fighters, regarding his own life as hateful and holding the dark spirits of death as dear as the radiance of the sun.”

What was King Leonidas motto?

Molon labe (Ancient Greek: μολὼν λαβέ, romanized: molṑn labé), meaning 'come and take [them]', is a classical expression of defiance. It is among the Laconic phrases reported by Plutarch, attributed to King Leonidas I in reply to the demand by Xerxes I that the Spartans surrender their weapons.

300: Final Fight Sequence (Death of Leonidas)

What was Leonidas prophecy?

The Oracle is said to have made the following prophecy in hexameter verse: For you, inhabitants of wide-wayed Sparta, Either your great and glorious city must be wasted by Persian men, Or if not that, then the bound of Lacedaemon must mourn a dead king, from Heracles' line.

Does the Spartan bloodline still exist?

The Maniots (inhabitants of the Mani Peninsula) therefore are considered direct descendants of Spartans. Almost three thousand years ago, Greece consisted of multiple 'polis' that were mostly controlled by Sparta. Spartans, as depicted in the 2006 movie 300, were highly trained fighters.

What was the Spartan war cry?

"This is where we fight! This is where they die!" —King Leonidas__In 300, the king of Sparta uses this catchy jingle to rally his troops against the Persians.

What is the famous Spartan line?

Molon Labe is a Greek catchphrase associated with the Spartans and has been used by several gun rights groups. What is this? It means “Come and take them,” and was the response by King Leonidas when the enemy demanded his soldiers lay down their weapons.

What was the Spartan moral code?

Sparta placed the values of liberty, equality, and fraternity at the center of their ethical system. These values applied to every full Spartan citizen, immigrant, merchant, and even to the helots, but not the dishonored.

What did the Spartans say before battle?

Famous quotes and anecdotes associated with the Spartans: Herodotus reports that just before the Battle of Thermoplyae, a Spartan warrior named Dienekes was told that the Persian archers could blank out the sun with their arrows. He replied "Good, then we shall have our battle in the shade."

What did Leonidas say to his wife?

According to Plutarch, before the Battle of Thermopylae, knowing that her husband's death in battle was inevitable, she asked him what to do. Leonidas replied "marry a good man who will treat you well, bear him children, and live a good life".

What is Leonidas best known for?

Leonidas, (died 480 bc, Thermopylae, Locris [Greece]), Spartan king whose stand against the invading Persian army at the pass of Thermopylae in central Greece is one of the enduring tales of Greek heroism, invoked throughout Western history as the epitome of bravery exhibited against overwhelming odds.

Where is Leonidas buried?

Tomb of Leonidas - "Leonidaion"

The tomb of Leonidas, north to the modern town of Sparta, is an emblem and an important monument, also known as “Leonidaion”. It was excavated in 1892 and is the only monument of the Ancient Agora that is preserved to this day.

Who was the most feared Spartan?

Leonidas (540-480 BC), the legendary king of Sparta, and the Battle of Thermopylae is one of the most brilliant events of the ancient Greek history, a great act of courage and self-sacrifice.

Who was the most feared Spartan warrior?

Leonidas was Sparta's legendary warrior king, who with his three hundred brave warriors defended the narrow pass at Thermopylae against the mighty Persian king Xerxes.

Who did the Spartans praise?

Those who held particular esteem were Apollo and Artemis Orthia. Apollo: Apollo was the god of light, music, and archery, among other things. He was beloved by Spartans because he was skilled in war. The Spartans deemed religion as such a core value that it was held above military duties.

Why were Spartan boys whipped?

Spartan youths were ritualistically beaten and flogged.

Known as the “diamastigosis,” this annual practice was originally used as both a religious ritual and a test of the boys' bravery and resistance to pain.

Were Spartan soldiers really that good?

Sparta became famous for its ability in warfare, and the Spartans were considered invincible warriors. Their ability to fight was only a part of why Spartans were exceptional soldiers. The most important reason was their specific ethics and training instilled in them since childhood.

What did Spartan boys sleep on?

The Spartan government wanted to make the boys tough. To do this they were given little clothing and no shoes. They slept on hard beds made of reeds and were not given any covers.

Who is the last Spartan alive?

Othryades (Ancient Greek: Ὀθρυάδης) and Othryadas (Ancient Greek: Ὀθρυάδας) was the last surviving Spartan of the 300 Spartans selected to fight against 300 Argives in the Battle of the 300 Champions. Ashamed by surviving his comrades, he committed suicide on the field following the battle.

Who was the last living Spartan?

Yet there was another man, one of Leonidas' 300, namely Aristodemus of Sparta, the only survivor of the epic battle. According to the historian Herodotus, there were only three men out of Leonidas' elite army who did not fight in the epic battle.

How did Spartans treat their wives?

In preparation for marriage, Spartan women had their heads shaved; they kept their hair short after they wed. Married couples typically lived apart, as men under 30 were required to continue residing in communal barracks. In order to see their wives during this time, husbands had to sneak away at night.

How much did Leonidas weigh?

First off, they wanted to be healthier – for themselves and for their children, Adrian and Mila. They each had gained weight over the years; Leonidas found himself weighing 350 pounds, and Minerva 253 pounds.

How did Sparta fall?

In fact, the Spartan state was eventually brought down by a number of factors, including internal strife, economic decline, and foreign invasion. Sparta's military dominance came to an end with its defeat at the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC.