Molon Labe

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It is said that in 480 BC King Leonidas led a phalanx of 300 Spartan soldiers to the  Thermopylae pass in a delaying action at the onset of the Persian invasion of Greece by Xerxes I. Xerxes, with his army and navy of many, many thousands, sent a message to the 300 Spartans at the onset of the battle. The message was, "Spartans, lay down your weapons."

King Leonidas replied, "Molon labe." Come and take them.

A single phalanx of 300 Spartans held off the entire Persian Army for THREE DAYS before being finally defeated by treachery, but allowing the other Greek armies time to muster and position. It is the greatest delaying action in the history of warfare, and dramatically shaped world history.

Just to set the record strait a phalanx is a formation not the unit itself.  Leonidas took the three hundred, his personal body guard who had living son with him.  They were Hoplites, who were the heavily armed infantry soldiers of the Greeks.  (It is thought by many that the name "hoplite" comes from a Greek word "hoplon" for a specific shape (large and round) of shield with a "flat offset rim (itus)" and two handles on the inside), to Thermopylae, which means Hot Gate in English because of the hot springs found there, to confront the Persians who were hell bent on subjugating not only the Spartans but all of Greece.  Each and every one of them had the courage of their conviction, courage unto death.

In his Moralia, Plutarch quotes Leonidas as saying:  "Leonidas, the son of Anaxandridas and the brother of Cleomenes, in answer to a man who remarked, 'Except for your being king, you are no different from the rest of us," said, "But if I were no better than you others, I should not be king.'"

"Xerxes wrote to him, 'It is possible for you, by not fighting against God but by ranging yourself on my side, to be the sole ruler of Greece.'

But he wrote in reply, 'If you had any knowledge of the noble things of life, you would refrain from coveting others' possessions; but for me to die for Greece is better than to be the sole ruler over the people of my race.'"

"When Xerxes wrote again, 'Hand over your arms,' he wrote in reply, 'Come and take them.'"

So Leonidas turned down the Persians’ offer to make his the sole ruler of Greece to do the Persians’ will to die resisting the Persians’ will to enslave all Greeks.  The enemy is within our gate, he came through it by our own neglect to guard our freedoms in the name of safety, and now they are saying to us, “Hand over your Arms” are we going to submit or say as King Leonidas, "Molon labe." Come and take them?  What would we be turning down but a false since of security?