The Greek culture at the time of the Persian War, as described by the historian Herodotus, was a rich, developing, and determined one. Upon reading their story, one gets the sense that they thought themselves to be carrying out a sort of divine destiny, one that would not include compromising to the rule of another who would challenge their freedoms. Here men saw themselves not only as ordinary men, but also as indomitable athletes, heroes, and leaders. They felt themselves capable of self-governance, and paid heed to the virtue of humility before their gods. In many ways they defined themselves not by what they were, but by that which they fought to resist.
The seeds of democracy as we know it were being realized in their basic forms throughout the Greek peninsula while the Persians, led by Xerxes, planned their invasion from the north. Though speaking with fellow Greeks, debating ways to govern themselves, Sosicles of Corinth nonetheless states: "this is like turning the universe upside-down. Earth and sky will soon be changing places- men will be living in the sea and fish on land, now that you Spartans are proposing to abolish political equality and restore political despotism in the cities." Athens had only recently won her freedoms, and some wanted to put it back under rule. He continues, "Believe me there is nothing wickeder or bloodier than tyranny- [5, 92] So, the threat to freedom came not only from outside their borders, but also from within. Could it be thought that the very reason the Greeks fought so gallantly against the Persian invasion, that such a loosely banded group of men, with so many leaders, could withstand such a massive Persian army, is simply because each man was fighting for his own freedom and that of his brother's and not at the demand of his ruler?.
One cannot look at this "Greek culture" without noting that at this time it seems there was little binding each of these city states together outside of geography, family bloodlines, and what might be referred to as mythology or legend developed over the long course of history.
