Tiga Ratus Prajurit Pemberani

Seluruh Yunani berada dalam bahaya. Sebuah pasukan perkasa, yang dipimpin oleh Raja Persia yang agung, telah datang dari timur. Pasukan itu sedang berbaris di sepanjang pantai, dan dalam beberapa hari akan tiba di Yunani.

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 in a few days would be in Greece.

Raja yang agung telah mengirim utusan ke setiap kota dan wilayah, memerintahkan mereka untuk memberinya air dan tanah sebagai tanda bahwa daratan dan lautan adalah miliknya. Namun mereka berkata,—

The great king had sent messengers into every city and state, bidding them give him water and earth in token that the land and the sea were his. But they said,—

“Tidak: kami akan tetap merdeka.”

“No: we will be free.”

Maka timbullah kegemparan besar di seluruh negeri. Para pria mempersenjatai diri, dan bergegas pergi untuk memukul mundur musuh mereka; dan para wanita tinggal di rumah, menangis dan menunggu, serta gemetar ketakutan.

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 staid at home, weeping and waiting, and trembling with fear.

Hanya ada satu jalan yang dapat dilalui oleh pasukan Persia untuk masuk ke Yunani di sisi itu, yaitu melalui celah sempit di antara pegunungan dan laut. Celah ini dijaga oleh Leonidas, Raja Sparta, bersama tiga ratus prajurit Sparta.

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 pass was guarded by Leonidas, the King of the Spartans, with three hundred Spartan soldiers.

Tak lama kemudian prajurit Persia terlihat berdatangan. Jumlah mereka begitu banyak sehingga tidak ada orang yang sanggup menghitungnya. Bagaimana mungkin segelintir orang bisa berharap untuk bertahan melawan pasukan yang begitu besar?

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?

Namun Leonidas dan prajurit Sparta-nya tetap bertahan di tempat mereka. Mereka telah bertekad untuk mati di pos penjagaan mereka. Seseorang membawakan kabar kepada mereka bahwa ada begitu banyak orang Persia sehingga panah-panah mereka menggelapkan matahari.

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 were so many Persians that their arrows darkened the sun.

“Malah jauh lebih baik,” kata orang-orang Sparta; “kami akan bertempur di tempat teduh.”

“So much the better,” said the Spartans; “we shall fight in the shade.”

Dengan gagah berani mereka berdiri di celah sempit itu. Dengan gagah berani mereka menghadapi musuh-musuh mereka. Bagi orang-orang Sparta, rasa takut tidak pernah ada. Orang-orang Persia maju ke depan, hanya untuk menemui ajal di ujung tombak mereka.

Bravely they stood in the narrow pass. Bravely they 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.

Tetapi satu demi satu prajurit Sparta gugur. Akhirnya tombak-tombak mereka patah; namun mereka tetap berdiri berdampingan, bertempur sampai akhir. Sebagian bertempur dengan pedang, sebagian dengan belati, dan sebagian hanya dengan kepalan tangan dan gigi mereka.

But one by one the Spartans fell. At last their spears were broken; yet still they stood side by side, fighting to the last. Some fought with swords, some with daggers, and some with only their fists and teeth.

Sepanjang hari pasukan Persia berhasil ditahan. Namun ketika matahari terbenam, tidak ada satu pun prajurit Sparta yang tersisa hidup-hidup. Di tempat mereka berdiri, yang tersisa hanyalah tumpukan orang-orang yang tewas, penuh tertancap tombak dan panah.

All day long the army of the Persians was kept at bay. But when the sun went down, there was not one Spartan left alive. Where they had stood there was only a heap of the slain, all bristled over with spears and arrows.

Dua puluh ribu prajurit Persia telah tewas di hadapan segelintir orang itu. Dan Yunani terselamatkan.

Twenty thousand Persian soldiers had fallen before that handful of men. And Greece was saved.

Ribuan tahun telah berlalu sejak saat itu; namun orang-orang masih suka menceritakan kisah Leonidas dan tiga ratus orang pemberani yang gugur demi negeri mereka.

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.