The Brave Three Hundred

All Greece was in danger. A mighty army, led by the great King

of Persia, had come from the east. It was marching along the

seashore, and it a few days would be in Greece.The great king had

sent messengers into every city and state, bidding them give him

earth and water in token that the land and the sea were his. But

the said,'No, we will be free.'

And so there was a great stir throughout all the land. The men

armed themselves, and made haste to go out and drive back their

foe; and the women stayed at home, weeping and waiting, and

trembling with fear.



There was only one way by which the Persian army could go into

Greece on that side, and that was by a narrow pass between the

mountains and the sea. This three hundred Spartan soldiers.

Soon the Persian soldiers were seen coming. There were so many

of them that no man could count them. How could a handful of men

hope to stand against so great a host?



And yet Leonidas and his Spartans held their ground. They had

made up their minds to die at their post. Some one brought them

word that there so many persians that their arrows darkened the

sun. 'So much the better,' said the Spartans, 'We shall fight in

the shade.'



Bravely they stood in the narrow pass. Bravely the faced their

foes. To Spartans there was no such thing as fear. The Persians

came forward, only to meet death at the points of their spears.



But one by one the Spartans fell. At last their spears were

broken, but they fought with swords, daggers, and even with only

their fists; yet still they stood side by side, fighting to the last.



All day long the army of the Persians was kept at bay. But

until the next morning, there was not one Spartans left alive.

Where they had stood there was only a heap of the slain, all

bristled over with spears and arrows.



Twenty thousand Persian soldiers had fallen before that hundred

of men. And the Greece was saved!



Thousands of years have passed since then, but men still like

to tell the story of Leonidas and the brave three hundred who

died for their country's sake.