Artemisia: I am Greek by birth, and I have Greek blood running through my veins. But my heart is Persian.

Themistocles: My brothers. Steady your heart. Look deep into your souls. For your mettle is to be tested this day. If in the heat of battle you need a reason to fight on, you need only to look at the man who fights at your side. This is the why of battle. This is the brotherhood of men in arms. An unbreakable bond made stronger by the crucible of combat. You will never be closer than with those who you shed your blood with. For there is no nobler cause than to fight for those who will lay down their life for you. So you fight strong today. You fight for your brothers. Fight for your families. Most of all you fight for Greece.

Themistocles: Better we show them, we chose to die on our feet, rather than live on our knees!

The Oracle's words stand as a warning. A prophecy. Sparta will fall. All of Greece will fall. And Persian fire will reduce Athens to cinder. For Athens is a pile of stone and wood... and cloth and dust...and, as dust, will vanish into the wind.
Only the Athenians themselves exist. And the fate of the world hangs on their every syllable. Only the Athenians exist.

And only stout wooden ships can save them. Wooden ships...and a tidal wave of heroes' blood.

…

10 years ago, this war began...as all wars begin: With a grievance …

Queen Gorgo to troops:
A story that will be told
for a thousand years.
Let our final stand
...be recorded to the histories.
And let it be shown
...that we chose to die on our feet
...rather than live on our knees!