Once more unto the breach...We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!

[diaglo]

"NUTS?" some general of Army forces, i forget right now, surrounded at the Battle of the Bulge when asked to consider terms of surrender.

 

[Darkness]

Conan is too recognizable, right? Alas...

Crom, I have never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. No one, not even you, will remember if we were good men or bad. Why we fought, and why we died. All that matters is that today, two stood against many. Valor pleases you, so grant me this one request. Grant me revenge! And if you do not listen, the HELL with you!

 

[Imperialus]

it really depends on the personality of the individual giving the speech. One of the better ones that I used came from the very foul mouth of a mercenary captain... I'll attempt to edit it down so that Erics Grandmother doesn't skin me. Get creative with the bits in between the astricks

Listen you *children of questionable birth*! We're *in a bit of a jam*. You all know why we're here! We're DOGS! and some *ajective* king pays us to fight like dogs and die like dogs! Those *gentlemen* over there are going to gut you, tear your skin off and use it for their drums while *having their way with* your *camp followers*. I say *lets avoid* that! The first one of you *children of questionable birth* to bring me the skull of one of those *ajective* big ogres over there to *use as a chamber pot* gets a *ajective* gold peice.

It was conciderably longer but that's the best I can remember it.

 

[haakon1]

For a paladin leader, some religious inspiration might make sense:

"Mine eyes have seen the coming
Of the glory of the Lord
He is trampling in the vineyards
Where the grapes of wrath of stored
I have seen the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on!
Glory glory hallejuah!
Glory glory hallejuah!
Glory glory hallejuah!
His truth is marching on!"
- The Battle Hymn of Republic, a Union fight song in the Civil War, and something all northerners memorized until about WWII. The second time I saw Ground Zero, a street musician was playing it on a flute -- good choice. Of course, I might be remembering the words or order of them wrong, but close enough.

"Praise the lord, and pass the ammunition"
- WWII era song

 

[Testament]

There's also the classic Spartan quote, upon learning that the Persian army had so many archers that their flights of arrows filled the sky and blotted out the sun:

"Then we shall fight them in the shade."

And then of course, there's Leonidas' famous response to the demand that his men lay down their arms, "Come and get them."

 

[haakon1]

"With your shields or on them" is indeed a good one, but I think it's traditionally what the Spartan mothers said to their sons departing for war, not so much for a leader going to war with them.

Some other classical ideas:

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.
- Latin for "It is sweet and fitting to die for your country." An old idea Patton was riffing on, of course.

Nos morituri, te salutamus
- Latin for "We who are about to die salute you." Traditionally what gladiators said towards the emperor before commencing their fights.

Cartago delenda est.
- Cicero's short speech on how to deal with Carthage. "Delenda" was explained to me as burn the city, kill the men, sell the women and children, slaughter the animals, and salt the fields so nothing ever grows there again. Figures the Romans would have a single word that concept.

Alea jacta est.
- "The die is cast." What Julius Caesar on bringing his army across the boundary of the city of Rome, where he was officially in rebellion, and had to conquer or die.

"Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!"
- Shakespeare quote from "Julius Caesar"

 

[Staffan]

Cartago delenda est.
- Cicero's short speech on how to deal with Carthage. "Delenda" was explained to me as burn the city, kill the men, sell the women and children, slaughter the animals, and salt the fields so nothing ever grows there again. Figures the Romans would have a single word that concept.

It's Cato the Elder, and the quote is "Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam." It means "Moreover, I advise that Carthage should be destroyed," and it was his version of "OD&D (1974) is the only true game." He ended all his speeches with that phrase.

 

[Falkus]

It's a good day to die.

Actually, I think it's a good day to retreat. Can we put off dying until a week next tuesday?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Actually, I think it's a good day to retreat. Can we put off dying until a week next tuesday?

That would be the Duke of Marlborough. "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day." Pragmatic, not heroic.

 

[Falkus]

That would be the Duke of Marlborough. "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day." Pragmatic, not heroic.

I was thinking more along the lines of Simmons and Griff from Red vs Blue.