When Xerxes, king of Persia, was preparing for the Battle of Thermopylae, he sent for Demaratus, an exiled Spartan King who had accompanied him in his march. He asked him whether the Greeks would really stand up and fight or if they would flee before his mighty army.
Demaratus explained that the Spartans would certainly fight rather than being reduced to slavery because the Greeks value their freedom above all else. "They are sure to join battle with you even if all the rest of the Greeks surrendered to you. As for Spartan numbers, do not ask how many or few they are, hoping for them to surrender. For if a thousand of them should take the field, they will meet you in battle, and so will any other number, whether it is less than this, or more."
Xerxes laughed at his. "What wild words, Demaratus! A thousand men join battle with such an army as mine! Come then, will you fight alone right now against ten men? I think not. Your bragging is weak. Use common sense: how could a thousand men, or ten thousand, or even fifty thousand -- particularly if they are all free, and not under one lord -- how could such a force stand against a united army like mine? Even if the Greeks have larger numbers than our highest estimate, we still would outnumber them 100 to 1."
"If they had a single master as our troops have, their obedience to him might make them courageous beyond their own desire, or they might be pushed onward by the whip against an enemy which far outnumbered them. But left to their own free choice, they will surely act differently. For my part, I believe that if the Greeks had to contend with the Persians only, and the numbers were equal on both sides, the Greeks would still find it hard to stand their ground. We too have men among us as tough as those you described. For instance, some of my bodyguard would willingly engage singly with three Greeks. But this you did not know; and so you talked foolishly."
Demaratus answered, "Look, I am no match for ten men or even two, and given the choice, I would rather not fight at all. But if necessary, I would rather go against those who boast that they are a match for any three Greeks. The same goes for the Spartans. One-against-one, they are as good as anyone in the world. But when they fight in a body, they are the best of all. For though they are free men, they are not entirely free. They accept Law as their master. And they respect this master more than your subjects respect you. Whatever he commands, they do. And his command never changes: He forbids them to flee in battle, whatever the number of their foes. He requires them to stand firm -- to conquer or die."True freedom comes from obedience to law. Working united as a team, individuals can accomplish great things.
When the Greeks went to war it was because the soldiers individually voted to go to war in the assembly not because they were forced to go to war by a master. They fought because they believed in their cause and were willing to die to defend it and their families. They were also a very disciplined fighting unit. The Persian troops and mercenaries were not particularly loyal to anything but their paycheck and fear of punishment by their masters.
See Title of Liberty
Source: Herodotus and Here
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