Having won at Thermopylae and stopped the Persian hordes at the Delphi Passes, the Spartans only delayed the ruthless revenge of the King of Kings. Their courage may still be able to hold back the onslaught of barbarians. But, repelling new and new attacks, Leonidas understands: to win in this unequal fight, he needs a powerful weapon—the secret of which the gods gave to Gysandrus. Now Taras is already sailing back to Sparta to create there new ballistas to replace the ones lost—and to return before everything is not yet completely lost. Meanwhile, Xerxes, furious at such prolonged resistance by a puny handful of Greeks, lands a huge detachment behind their lines. Thousands of Persians, coming ashore from their ships, press toward the capital of Attica, seeking revenge for the victory at Marathon. And Xerxes is already close to his goal. Ancient Athens is burning; the Greek world is collapsing. But he still has hope, as long as at least one Spartan lives…