The Path of Betrayal
Victory seems possible until a local resident named Ephialtes betrays his people. For the promise of Persian gold, he shows Xerxes' army a secret mountain path that leads behind the Spartan lines. By dawn, Leonidas realizes they are surrounded. He orders the rest of the Greek allies to retreat, but the 300 Spartans refuse to budge. A Spartan never retreats; a Spartan never surrenders.