| The Marble Armrest of Xerxes | |
|---|---|
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Production Number |
3-12 (92) |
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Airdate |
September 4, 1995 |
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Winning Team |
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Contestants |
Noelle & Pat |
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Artifact Location |
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1½ | |
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Temple Layout |
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Previous Episode |
The Bent Shaving Pan of Jedediah Smith (Production Order) |
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Next Episode |
The Smashed Printing Plate of Frederick Douglass (Production Order) |
The Marble Armrest of Xerxes is the 92nd episode of Legends of the Hidden Temple.
Moat Crossing
In this Moat, Hanging above it is a ancient rope wall. The contestants must climb across. If one player falls into the water, both must start over. When both players crossed the wall and both players' feet touch the ground, they can run over and ring the gong.
| Moat Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| Finish | Team | Time |
| 1st | Orange Iguanas | 0:19 |
| 2nd | Purple Parrots | 0:21 |
| 3rd | Green Monkeys | 0:25 |
| 4th | Red Jaguars | 0:26 |
Steps of Knowledge
One of the most powerful rulers of the ancient world was Xerxes. As Persian emperor in 480 B.C., he launched one of history's largest invasions against Greece. Nothing could stop him. He built a canal two miles overland so his fleet wouldn't have to sail around a dangerous reef, and to cross the fast-flowing Hellespont, he built a floating bridge. But when it was finished, a huge storm arose, and it destroyed it. Xerxes shook his fist at the boiling sky.
"You won't get away with this— as soon as the storm stops, I want that water whipped!"
The next day, Xerxes' men lashed the unruly water 300 times. And with each stroke the commander cried:
"Oh, bitter water, this punishment is for disobeying our master— don't do it again!"
To prove his dominance over the water, Xerxes built another bridge. This time the Persians tied together ships and built a road across them. From his marble throne on a cliff top, Xerxes watched his men cross. But the outnumbered Greeks lured the Persians into a trap and smashed them. Legend has it, Xerxes fled so fast, he left his marble throne. Only one armrest survives, which found its way to The Temple.
| Steps of Knowledge Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Question | Choices | Response | |
| Xerxes was the ruler of what empire? |
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Purple Parrots (2 steps left) | |
| What country did Xerxes invade? |
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Purple Parrots (1 step left) | |
| What did Xerxes build to protect his sailing fleet? |
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Purple Parrots (Advanced to Temple Games) | |
| What did Xerxes do to the water when his bridge was destroyed? |
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Orange Iguanas (2 steps left) | |
| After the bridge was destroyed, Did Xerxes build a ...? |
|
Green Monkeys (2 steps Left) | |
| Where did Xerxes flee when his army was beaten? |
|
Green Monkeys (1 step Left) | |
| Which of these did Xerxes leave behind when he fled the Greeks? |
|
Green Monkeys (Advanced to Temple Games) | |
Temple Games
The Purple Parrots consist of Candace, who collects erasers, plays softball, alongside the saxophone and Levi, who is a comic collector and owns five hamsters. The Green Monkeys consist of Noelle, who collects rocks, seashells and has a horse by the name of Wildfire, and Pat, who likes soccer, track and collects basketball cards.
Hellespont Crossing (Sinking Steps)
When Xerxes built the new bridge, he roped all the ships together so the soldiers could easily cross the Hellespont; here, Candace and Noelle would cross a series of masts over the Hellespont to the other side. When Kirk gave the signal, each girl would step onto a ship, hoping it wouldn't sink and make them restart, then continue; whoever reached the other side first, or was furthest along within 60 seconds would win. This was a close match, but Noelle won by reaching the 7th step, awarding the Green Monkeys a half-Pendant (Candace was one step behind).
Against the Greeks (Trampoline/Rock Basketball)
In the Greek siege, they vanquished the Persians, but it's a level playing field here; when Kirk gave the signal, Levi and Pat each had to hurl rocks over the net on each others' sides. Shots could be blocked by either player, but Levi could only shoot his red blocks, and Pat could only shoot his dark blue blocks. Whoever scored the most within 60 seconds would win; Pat ran out of rocks prematurely, giving Levi the slight edge to win 7-6, tying both teams with a half-Pendant apiece.
Clearing the Canal (Boulders and Chutes)
To dig the canal, Xerxes had teams of workers going day and night to clear boulders; when Kirk gave the signal, the boys would toss a boulder onto the overhead chute— when it rolled off the opposite side, the girls would catch it and whoever passed along the most boulders within 60 seconds would win. Both throwers struggled throughout the game, but both teams surprisingly tied with 2 boulders each, leading to the Tiebreaker.
Tiebreaker
Olmec: "What was Xerxes' throne made of: The bones of Greeks, marble, or driftwood?" After a slight stumble, Noelle rang in first and correctly answered Marble, sending her and Pat to the Temple.
| Temple Run Results | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Pendants Won | Tiebreaker |
| Green Monkeys | Won | Lost | Tied | 1½ Pendants | Won |
| Purple Parrots | Lost | Won | Tied | 1½ Pendants | Lost |
Temple Run
Noelle headed into the temple at a sluggish pace. She started into the crypt but headed into the ledges after pulling only one book. In the pit, Noelle slide off the pendulum and wasted time trying to climb back up instead of realizing she could knock it down with her bare hands. Eventually Noelle pushed it down and entered the tomb of the ancient Kings and met her first guard.
Noelle in the Jester's Court.
Noelle continued on the bottom floor and was eventually taken out of the Quicksand bog. Pat, despite being faster, lacked the time to make further progress. Time expired as he was climbing the Pharaoh's Secret Passage.
Pat climbing pharaoh's tunnel
| Temple Run Results | |
|---|---|
| Victory | No |
| Reached the Artifact | No |
| Method of Loss | Failed Acquisition |
| Temple Guard Locations | |
| Half-Pendant Location | The Jester's Court |
Watch Episode
Trivia
- The Purple Parrot male, Levi was the younger brother of Zac from The Secret Map of the Bandit Queen.
- This episode's run marks the first time a contestant pushes the column down in the Pit of the Pendulum using their own hands.
- This was considered one of the hardest temple runs on the show.