300's Historical Elements

'Η ταν ή επί τας. [I tan i epi tas]. (Either with this or on it).
The words a Spartan woman would utter to her child when it left for battle. The words refer to the child's shield and a good translation would be "Either come back with the shield, or (dead) on it".

Μολών Λαβέ! [Molon labe]. (Come and take them).
A very elaborate explanation exists in the linked wikipedia article. I can only add that this is a phrase that carries lots of pride.

Οι Αθάνατοι. [I Athanatoi]. (The Immortals).
A bunch of Xerxes' soldiers, that were truly immortal, no joke. They were immortal in a collective sense, not individually.
Each time an "Immortal" soldier died in battle, another one was immediately sent in it, keeping their total number constant.

Ἐφιάλτης. [Ephialtis]. (Ephialtis).
The traitor who showed the Persians a way around the Greek's defenses (effectively surrounding and decimating them).
The treachery was so deeply engraved as a wound in our spirit that the word "Ephialtes", once simply a name, since then literally means "nightmare".

Ω ξείν, αγγέλειν Λακεδαιμονίοις, ότι τήδε κείμεθα, τοις κείνων ρήμασι πειθόμενοι. [O ksein aggelein Lakedemoniois, oti tide keimetha, tois keinon rimasi peithomenoi]. (Stranger, go tell the Spartans that here we lie, obedient to their laws.)
The Simonidean epigram. Very moving.
I believe the "laws" refer to protection of freedom and no retreat, but I am not certain.


For more historical elements of 300, check out a very good article: 300 and History.