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 dark-ened the sun.
"So much the better," said the Spartans; "we shall fight in the
shade."
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.
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.
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.
Twenty thousand Persian soldiers had fallen before that handful of
men. And 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.
SOCRATES AND HIS HOUSE.
There once lived in Greece a very wise man whose name was Soc'ra-tes.
Young men from all parts of the land went to him to learn wisdom from
him; and he said so many pleasant things, and said them in so
delightful a way, that no one ever grew tired of listening to him.
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