THESEUS (Troy) Lift the rock, proud Athenian, for your father's legacy To claim your royal birthright, fulfil life's destiny Stand and face, Periphetes, and smash his one-eyed head Sinis is split asunder, in the trees where the bark turns red In the land of the robber-hag, the Crommyonian Sow doth roam Sciron, eternal trickster, plunged into wild foam Cercyon with his iron grip, is snapped like broken bread Decapitation for Procrustes, all the better for the torture-bed Theseus, founding son of Athens, Wandering seafarer and unifier of cities. Eternal scourge of the Underworld, Merciless destroyer of chthonic beasts. Theseus! The Athenians roar! Brave deeds in the days of yore! Theseus! Slayer of the Minotaur! God-man of the Sphairia shore! Seven sons and seven daughters, all food for the Minotaur Bull-headed, two-legged, he likes his victims raw At the heart of the labyrinth, he dreams of virgin blood A hundred skulls from a hundred souls, lie broken in the mud Ariadne, loves her Theseus, he takes her ball of thread To find his way back to the light, when the Minotaur is dead Cut down by a mighty sword, just as the gods decree Black sails on the hero's mast, obscuring victory Theseus, founding son of Athens, Wandering seafarer and unifier of cities. Eternal scourge of the Underworld, Merciless slayer of chthonic beasts. Theseus! Slayer of the Minotaur! God-man of the Sphairia shore!

SOLON (Miklós) Sailing towards distant shores, on a mercantile career Leading a life of luxury, yet always keeping it balanced Rules of law, written down, thus shaping the years to come The archon of all Athenians, with no wish to become a tyrant The archon of all Athenians, with no wish to become a tyrant Called upon by wise men, declared wisest of them all And yet I never cease to learn as I grow old Saying goodbye to Draconian times, towards a brighter day Bringing honour and praise to Apollo down at the temples of Delphi Called upon by wise men, declared wisest of them all And yet I never cease to learn as I grow old And under the Attican skies, down by the deep blue sea I witnessed the birth of a future - for you and for me And under the Attican skies, down by the Aegean sea I witnessed the birth of a future - for you and for me To the mass of the people I gave the power they needed Neither degrading them, nor giving them too much rein For those who already possessed great power and wealth I saw to it that their interests were not harmed I stood guard with a broad shield before both parties And prevented either from triumphing unjustly Called upon by wise men, declared wisest of them all And yet I never cease to learn as I grow old And under the Attican skies, down by the deep blue sea I witnessed the birth of a future - for you and for me And under the Attican skies, down by the Aegean sea I witnessed the birth of a future - for you and for me Rules of law, written down, thus shaping the years to come Rules of law, written down, thus shaping the years to come

THEMISTOCLES (Troy) This humble man, as Fate decrees, must take this life of fire Yet all his dreams, are burning bright, he's rising from the mire A child among the low-born, stranger to the royal Maternal bloodlines flowing, from distant foreign soil Thank the gods, Themistocles For another, breath of life You rise and fall like an empire In struggle and in strife The dreams that crumble and fade, will always find a way All visions are remade, and live for another day In city streets, this democrat, was champion of the poor As magistrate, he used his mind, for justice and the law Archon Eponymous When power is the key A leader at Piraeus And ruler of the sea But when a boy of beauty, became his lustful prey Another man of the hoplite-class, was standing in his way The silver mines, at Laurium, brought things to a head Themistocles, built his fleet, to paint the islands red Aris-tee-dees, immersed in sleeze, fell out of favour one day His plans rejected, himself ejected, and sent far away Thank the gods, Themistocles For another, breath of life You rise and fall like an empire In struggle and in strife The dreams that crumble and fade, will always find a way All visions are remade, and live for another day High victory, at Salamis, dispersed the Persian horde Concealing there, his strength and might, put Xerxes to the sword But when the smoke of battle cleared, the people turned their backs The pendulum swung back again, and our hero faced the axe Amid the flames of jealousy, Aristides took his chance His rival fled the Athens storm, as the Fates began to dance

ARISTIDES (Miklós) From the tribe Antiochis there once was a man When Persian armies came about and marched into the land A true champion of justice, this was plain for all to see Stood up in defence of his people who were yearning to be free By some clever trick his rivals had him ostracized But in dire need of his presence they all quickly reconciled The rebellious and the sage Were united in dark days So, sing for Aristides The just and honourable one O, victorious at Plataea A hero at Marathon Sing for Aristides The just and honourable one O, victorious at Plataea A hero at Marathon Themistocles made him realize that to secure lasting peace It had become very important to turn the eyes towards the sea The allied parties then appealed to our man of grand prestige They made him a general and the treasurer of the Delian League As soldiers from the land Turned masters of the waves So, sing for Aristides The just and honourable one O, victorious at Plataea A hero at Marathon Sing for Aristides The just and honourable one O, victorious at Plataea A hero at Marathon At the end of his life he was a poor man whilst guarding a fortune For he had given his services freely, never asking favours in return But not all his next of kin were able to support themselves The Athenians graciously took care of them And for a long time after he had gone The city kept showing the kindness of her face

CIMON (Troy) Born to a mighty general, interred for crimes of treason And when he died in jail, for want of rhyme or reason Cimon would pay his debts, heir to his father's crime And all his battle-glory, sweet deeds are forged in time Aristocratic bearing, hard-drinking and plain-talking Destined for greater things, to set the harpies squawking In love, as in war, his women proud and fair, Arise you sons of Athens, and let the trumpets blare Into the light, our sharpened blades are flashing Under a hostile sun, on Persian skulls they're crashing Into the darkness, slicing through blood and water Tiremes are flowing east, on crested waves of slaughter Into the light, the gods of war are calling A vanquished foe, on broken limbs are crawling Into the darkness, his warrior ethos rising He bears a Spartan heart, no conquest too surprising Onwards to Asia Minor, and Eurymedon's river Blue skies are wreathed in black, with arrows all a-quiver Cimon the martial hero, this triumph ever his In place of all the slain, our new Amphipolis And tho' in spite of this, his rivals steeped in slander Unfounded claims of treason, for ties with Alexander Yet when he died in Cyprus, amid great secrecy He won his greatest battle, posthumous victory Into the light, our sharpened blades are flashing Under a hostile sun, on Persian skulls they're crashing Into the darkness, slicing through blood and water Tiremes are flowing east, on crested waves of slaughter Into the light, the gods of war are calling A vanquished foe, on broken limbs are crawling Into the darkness, his warrior ethos rising He bears a Spartan heart, no conquest too surprising Into the light, our sharpened blades are flashing Under a hostile sun, on Persian skulls they're crashing Into the darkness, slicing through blood and water Tiremes are flowing east, on crested waves of slaughter Into the light, the gods of war are calling A vanquished foe, on broken limbs are crawling Into the darkness, his warrior ethos rising He bears a Spartan heart, no conquest too surprising

PERICLES (Miklós) Behind the safety of the city walls Outside, the fields are burning in this war Once upon a longtime ago In Greece Glory to the fallen by a man Unperturbed like Zeus there he stands Praising the Athenian way of life As an ideal The Olympian, he had a vision Now forever anchored in time When the stakes were getting higher He was still willing to pay the price Still willing to pay the price As patron of festivals and the fine arts With drama lifting up the people's hearts He created a greater sense of unity Through the years Architecture and territory sprawling Not ruled by the few but by the many As science and reason forged a lasting empire Of the mind The Olympian, he had a vision Now forever anchored in time When the stakes were getting higher He was still willing to pay the price Still willing to pay the price Can you see it - can you see it? On a stroll across the long wall Can you hear it - can you hear it? Like the sound of Sirens calling Behind the safety of the city walls Outside, the fields are burning in this war Once upon a longtime ago In Greece

NICIAS (Troy) Nicias first rose to prominence at a time of plague and pestilence, when the city of Athens - citadel of philosophy and cradle of civilisation - finally withdrew from the edge of the precipice and began to bask in the wondrous splendour of Pericles and his great rallying cry for Hellenic rebirth. A generous man, Nicias used his inherited wealth for the benefit of society and the arts; the rebuilding of temples and architecture; and the construction of roads and bridges. This proud military general became a veteran fighter with a reputation for undaunted courage and leadership, unwavering justice and fortitude. It was he who, once the Truce of Laches had collapsed, ventured into the black heart of Mende to release his people from the iron grip of Spartan oppression. When Cleon tried to do the same in Amphipolis, General Brasidas won a great victory for the Spartans and yet both men were slain beneath the fierce clash of swords and the frantic cries of battle. Nicias, realising that the two main protagonists of the Peloponnesian War were no longer able to fan the eternal flames of conflict, quickly campaigned for an immediate end to hostilities. In agreement with King Pleistoanax of Sparta, as well as his main allies, the so-called Peace of Nicias brought an end to war. Or so they had thought. Wildly jealous, Alcibiades believed that he had been overlooked on account of his youth and attempted to keep his Athenian rival in check by pushing for a senseless continuation of struggle. Alcibiades was not interested in peace, the blood and fury of the battlefield was the only way that he could make his name at Nicias' expense. By intercepting a Spartan delegation on its way to negotiate terms, Alcibiades was able to deceive them into thinking that he could represent their interests among the Athenians, and yet on the following day he lied to his own people and told them that the Spartans were insincere and untrustworthy. Embarrassed, Nicias was no longer taken seriously and Alcibiades was made general in his stead. With the peace talks scuppered, the new leader was able to convince Argos, Mantinea, Elis and various other states that Spartan dominance must be ended once and for all, but Alcibiades' plans were dashed when the Athenians and their allies suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Mantinea. When Alcibiades turned his attention to Sicily, hoping to damage Spartan hegemony by defeating the Syracusans and Corinthians, Nicias stole his thunder and it was he who oversaw the construction of an enormous Athenian fleet. Embittered and outmaneuvered, Alcibiades tried to damage the credibility of the Sicilian expedition by arranging for his minions to deface the religious statues of Hermes that were scattered around the capital. Nonetheless, the dye was cast and Nicias - a general once again - set sail with both Alcibiades and Lamachus. Three generals charged with bringing the rebellious allies of Sparta to heel. This time, the gods were not on Nicias' side and the ultimate victory went to the Spartan general, Gylippus. Refusing to return to Athens and caught up in the siege of Syracuse, Nicias preferred death to the terrible humiliation of an ignominious retreat and for that he was finally captured in the churning waters of the Sicilian harbour. Reminding Gylippus that he had spared the life of his counterpart on a number of occasions, the Spartan general - remembering the kind treatment he had received in former times - ordered that Nicias be spared. It is said, however, that either the order was ignored or that the Athenian leader simply committed suicide. Regardless, it is thanks to Plutarch that Nicias, commander of legend, found his way into the timeless annals of ancient history.

ALCIBIADES (Miklós) Just when I thought I could not be stopped I sent seven chariots to the games For Athena as my claim to fame In liaison with gents and with ladies Leaning towards excess, oh well maybe Drawing our maps in the sand Of the Sicilian conquest at hand A hundred and forty ships strong Our fleet, the journey didn't take too long But the affaires of the Hermae and the Mysteries of Eleusis Robbed me of the helm and plunged the expedition into crisis Summoned back to Athens for accusations of sacrilege by my bitter rivals The situation made me realize I would not be given a fair trial But I shook off my guards at sea To boldly venture into the Peloponnese Changing my allegiance in the war I was in search of the eye of the storm Fuelled by a raging fire In everything that I desire People just too blind to see They're stronger with than without me Fuelled by a raging fire In everything that I desire People just too blind to see They're stronger with than without me As a military advisor to the Spartans I fell in love with the king's wife Timaea When over time our son was born It seemed I had worn out my welcome Then off to the coast of Asia Minor A dawning at the back of my mind If a new wind were to blow in Athens I could return as a hero Forging new alliances through wit and diplomacy With the aid of those still loyal and the Persian satrapy A benevolent oligarchy rose to power and rehabilitated me Enemies went into hiding as I was given naval supremacy In operations across the Aegean Fighting the Spartans at sea But I was blamed for a fault that wasn't mine I had to run, I had to leave it all behind Fuelled by a raging fire In everything that I desire People just too blind to see They're stronger with than without me Fuelled by a raging fire In everything that I desire People just too blind to see They're stronger with than without me

LYSANDER (Troy) Aristocleitus A man of lowly stock Brought forth a mighty son To whom all men would flock Cut from that martial cloth The blood of Hercules If you won't stand and fight He'll take you on your knees Lyyyyysander The Hellespont awaits Europe dips her toes Outside the Persian gates Lyyyyysander No flag left unfurled Let them know your name Scourge of the ancient world Lyyyyysander The walls of Athens fall Make the city yours All in the Spartan cause Lyyyyysander Warrior of old You serve your people well And shower them with gold Friend of Cyrus the younger Spartan Commander-in-Chief For Grecian naval men There shall be no relief Come hell or high water Your fleet shall win the day At Aegospotami Conon was chased away Athens is starving Pausanias at the gates Lysander and his fleet At Piraeus they wait Send in the Thirty Tyrants Eight months of utter hell But a democratic resistance Made sure that Critias fell And so to central Greece By land and not the tide One last final adventure The Phocians at your side You marched to Haliartus Where the die was cast Hundreds of Theban troops Who cut you down at last Lyyyyysander The Hellespont awaits Europe dips her toes Outside the Persian gates Lyyyyysander No flag left unfurled Let them know your name Scourge of the ancient world Lyyyyysander The walls of Athens fall Make the city yours All in the Spartan cause Lyyyyysander Warrior of old You serve your people well And shower them with gold

OUTRO (Miklós) Picture the city of Athens, home to many a hero, surrounded by mountains and the sea. Its port, the Piraeus, was a doorway to the Aegean. Its people, the Athenians, relied on an inquisitive free spirit. Not blessed with great riches from the soil, they visited adjacent and faraway lands and shores - quenching their thirst for knowledge and adventure. And they had risen to dizzying heights. And like Icarus, they had fallen. Their imperial ambitions shattered, they would never lay claim to such a vast territory again. But their legacy would live on, in the hearts and minds of countless generations to come, all over the world. The dreams that crumble and fade will always find a way.