The Fearless 300

The Fearless 300 © Rudolph 1993 

“The Fearless 300,” written by Christopher Rudolph, is a poem about the Spartans that fought in the Battle of Thermopylae. Led by King Leonidas, they held back the Persians for three days.

  • “The Fearless 300” is published in the book, Father and Son – Rite of Passage (pages 54-56), written by Neil Campbell.

Four Hundred and Eighty years
before Christ
the fearless 300
paid with their lives
The bravest men
that fought side by side
They fought the fiercest battle
until they all had died 

The Persians were marching
300 hundred thousand strong
Xerxes determined to 
do Greece some wrong
They burned and destroyed
as they moved from 
town to town
These Greeks they laughed
are nothing but clowns 

They came to the Hot Gates
of Thermopylae
Where three armed men
could hold a company at bay
There was no way around
except the narrowest of paths
They’d have to forge ahead
and risk an attack 

The Persians found
the path was blocked
A Spartan King
sprang from the rocks
With a spear in his hands
and Greeks at his heels
they drove back the Persians
The path had been sealed  

A traitor went to Xerxes
and told him a way
A secret path around
Thermopylae
He said, “If I succeed you will pay me well
If I fail, you can have my head” 

The secret path was real
and they attacked from the rear
The Greeks were doomed to
die right there
The Spartan King Leonidas
ordered a decree
The Spartans will stay
but the others must flee

“Go warn Athens
Prepare for war!
The Persians are coming
and they want to fight some more”
The Spartans held for three long days
Fighting with spears
they drove them away 

When their spears were broken
they fought with their daggers
When their daggers were broken
they fought with their hands
Until all 300
had died for their land

The Oracle at Delphi
had sealed his fate
King Leonidas
died at the Hot Gates 

The descendent of Hercules lay on
the mound of the slain
His men bought Greece some time
They didn’t die in vain       

                   by – Christopher Rudolph

The Fearless 300 Poem Printable
Go to more History Poems and Songs

Make a donation to Christopher Rudolph to help support the creation, production, and administration of Rudolph Academy which continues to operate and offer thousands of free educational materials thanks to people like you. Please take the time now to make a small donation. Thanks for all of your generous support!

Please make a one-time donation $5 – $25

Recent Posts

Science Vocabulary

Science Vocabulary for K-8

Science Vocabulary Desk Boy Loves Studying Vocabulary!

Mastering science vocabulary is crucial for students in grades K-8 to excel in their science education and lays the foundation for understanding complex concepts and communicating effectively about scientific phenomena. To enhance their proficiency in science terminology, students can engage in various activities such as completing science vocabulary crosswords, word searches, and quizzes. Crossword puzzles offer an interactive and engaging way for students to reinforce their understanding of science vocabulary. By filling in the blanks with the correct terms, students actively recall and apply the meanings of scientific terms, promoting retention and comprehension. Word searches provide another enjoyable method for students to familiarize themselves with science vocabulary. Searching for terms horizontally, vertically, and diagonally within a grid encourages visual recognition of words and reinforces spelling. Quizzes serve as valuable assessment tools to gauge students’ grasp of science vocabulary. By regularly engaging in science vocabulary activities such as crosswords, word searches, and quizzes, students can develop a robust scientific vocabulary that will benefit them throughout their academic journey and beyond. These activities not only enhance students’ comprehension of science concepts but also improve their ability to communicate effectively about scientific topics. Moreover, the interactive nature of these activities makes learning enjoyable and encourages active participation in the learning process.

Science Crossword Puzzles

Kindergarten     1st     2nd     3rd     4th     5th     6th     7th     8th

Solar System     Biology     Insects

Science Word Searches

2nd     3rd     4th     5th     6th     7th     8th    Biology

Science Quizzes

5th     6th     7th     8th    Biology

Go to K-8 Math Vocabulary

Go to K-8 Language Arts Vocabulary

Go to US History Crosswords

Go to World History Crosswords

Go to Geography Crosswords

Go to Literature Crosswords

Go to Sudoku Worksheets

Join Rudoph Academy Facebook Page

Subscribe FREE to Rudolph Academy to get the latest updates to the entire archive of FREE Educational PDFs including academic worksheets, crosswords, word searches, math worksheets, and quizzes.

Get a Test Overview and 100 FREE Practice Questions for the following GATE Tests!
AABL®     Bracken School Readiness Assessment™ (BSRA™)     CCAT™   CogAT®    

California Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)    CTY (Center for Talented Youth) Program
Chicago Area Gifted Programs     CTP®-ERB     Fairfax County AAP
Gifted and Talented Test     Houston Vanguard Test     InView™     ISEE®     NNAT®
HCHS (Hunter College High School®)     OLSAT®     Ravens Progressive Matrices™
Iowa Assessments® (ITBS®)     KABC™-II     KBIT™-2     MAP®    SCAT®
Los Angeles Unified School District GATE Program     RIAS™     SAGES-2™
New York State (NYS) Assessments     NYC Gifted Test     Renaissance STAR®        
SHSAT     STB®     Stanford Binet®-V     Thinking and Engagement Assessment
TerraNova®     STAAR Test     Torrance® (TTCT®)     WASI™     Woodcock-Johnson®
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test® (WIAT)     WISC®     WPPSI™

  1. Language Arts Vocabulary Comments Off on Language Arts Vocabulary
  2. Math Vocabulary Comments Off on Math Vocabulary