"Be advised: Sparta will burn to the ground!"

[odiin]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe...res/index.html

ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- The Greek government declared a state of emergency for the entire country on Saturday after forest fires killed at least 41 people as they swept across the south of the country.




Unofficial death tolls reported by local media are closer to 50.
"All regions of the country are declared in a state of emergency in order to mobilize all means and forces to face this disaster," Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said in an address to the nation.
"So many fire fronts in so many locations in the country can't be a coincidence," Karamanlis said. "The state will do its utmost to find the culprits and punish them.
Greek authorities and counter-terrorism squads are investigating whether arsonists started some of the forest fires.
The blazes have destroyed numerous homes and put a damper on political campaigning ahead of next month's national elections, authorities say.
Many firefighters have told CNN they are suspicious of the fire's source, given several witness reports that the blazes cropped up simultaneously along a 20-kilometer (12 mile) front of lush greenery in southern Greece.
Counter-terrorism squads have been sent to investigate and authorities are terming the fires a "criminal act."
In the past 24 hours, hundreds of firefighters, soldiers and planes loaded with water have been battling the blazes on a dozen different fronts, authorities said. Yet, despite their efforts, officials Saturday said the flames had not been tamed.



"Our emergency services are over stretched and it is humanely impossible to battle this force of nature," a top fire official told CNN, highlighting the amount of stress emergency crews have been faced with lately.
The fires were mainly concentrated in the southern Greece Peloponnese region, but on Saturday afternoon heavy smoke billowing above Mount Hymettus southeast of Athens signaled a new fire had broken out.
It was burning close to Athens International Airport, forcing officials to close a nearby highway.
A day after government officials appealed to Greece's European Union allies for "urgent help," an EU statement said 30 countries had offered their assistance.
France on Saturday was slated to send two planes to help quell the fires and Norway and Germany pledged to send aircraft as well, the statement said.
Efforts to temper the flames have been stymied due to the sweltering heat wave currently gripping the area, which has left forests and scrubland parched.
That, coupled with strong winds fanning the flames, have led authorities to call this the country's worst fire season on record. Since June more than 3,000 fires have razed thousands of hectares of forests and scrubland across the country -- nearly triple last year's total -- according to officials.
Scores of people have been killed or hospitalized in the southern Greece Peloponnese region.
A mother, her child and at least seven other people died while trying to flee a burning, wooded area in the mountainous villages in the western Peloponnese, near the town of Zaharo -- one of the worst hit areas, according to a fire brigade official. On Friday, Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis said he planned to visit the area.
Further south, six people -- including two French tourists found by rescue crews in an embrace -- were killed in a forest fire that swept near their hotel in the town of Areopolis, located 190 km (120 miles) southwest of Athens.
Meanwhile, scores of people have been hospitalized with severe burns and respiratory problems, state-run television reported.



Emergency crews leading the charge to evacuate several hotels and villages in the south have said they are overstretched. As the deadly forest fires rage, Greece prepares for national elections, which are slated for September 16.
Greece's ruling party has called for a temporary suspension of political campaigning as a sign of respect to those who perished in the flames Friday and flags on government buildings were flying Saturday at half staff.
Journalist Anthee Carassava contributed to this report

Looks like he was right after all

[DOG LIPS]

Madness!

[Spider-Man Luvr28]

Where's that "This is Sparta!!" gif?

[Matt]

This is madness!

(wait for it...)

[BubbaGump]

Originally Posted by Matt

This is madness!

(wait for it...)

*whistles*

[Asteroid-Man]

THIS IS PERSIA!


MUHUHAHAHAHAHAHA! Xerxes is getting revenge for his racist portrayal in the movie and graphic novels!

[Matt]

Originally Posted by BubbaGump

*whistles*

*clears throat* ahem! I said...THIS IS MADNESS! *nudge nudge*

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Asteroid-Man

This Is Persia!

[Spider-Man Luvr28]

Originally Posted by Matt

*clears throat* ahem! I said...THIS IS MADNESS! *nudge nudge*

*Tumble weed rolls by..*

[black_dust]

Wouldnt be laughing if your house burnt down

[Asteroid-Man]

Originally Posted by Spidermanluvr28

*Tumble weed rolls by..*

I said...

THIS IS PERSIA!

[BubbaGump]

Originally Posted by Matt

*clears throat* ahem! I said...THIS IS MADNESS! *nudge nudge*

Oooh. A penny!

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Spidermanluvr28

*Tumble weed rolls by..*

VIDEO-CLick to Watch!:

[black_dust]

Originally Posted by Matt

VIDEO-CLick to Watch!:

Wish i knew how to work youtube tags

[Matt]

Originally Posted by black_dust

Wish i knew how to work youtube tags

Did it not work? I have no idea how to do it

[odiin]

Originally Posted by black_dust

Wouldnt be laughing if your house burnt down

Good thing no one in a movie ever said my house going to burn down, huh?

[Mee]

Originally Posted by black_dust

Wouldnt be laughing if your house burnt down

Just rebuild it, brick for brick.

[Badger]

nevermind

[Speedball]

Originally Posted by Asteroid-Man

THIS IS PERSIA!


MUHUHAHAHAHAHAHA! Xerxes is getting revenge for his racist portrayal in the movie and graphic novels!

It's movie and book that never tried to be historically or politically correct, and wasn't trying to be.

[odiin]

Originally Posted by SpeedballLives

It's movie and book that never tried to be historically or politically correct, and wasn't trying to be.

Don't tell that to him, tell it to Xerxes. He's the one burning cities to the ground.

[Speedball]

Originally Posted by odiin

Don't tell that to him, tell it to Xerxes. He's the one burning cities to the ground.

LOL!
It's not Xerxes, It's Zeus. He's pissed at Kratos.

[Mike_D202]

[Jack Rabbit]

Originally Posted by Asteroid-Man

I said...

THIS IS PERSIA!

Your country sucks.

[Speedball]

Originally Posted by Jack Rabbit

Your country sucks.

His country doesn't exist anymore, and is ruled by an extremist psycho.

[Jack Rabbit]

His heritage sucks.