Even though both Xerxes and Leonidas represent the head leaders of their territories, their attitudes toward their own people and soldiers are different based on how they behave. According to Herodotus’ Histories, Xerxes was set as a person who was arrogant, demanding, and full of ambitious. As Xerxes said, “I am Xerxes, the Great King, King of Kings, King of countries containing, (Histories, p.111, [8])” it showed that Xerxes considered himself as the King of everything, and he was a militant leader. Moreover, Xerxes demanded that “law is the master whom [the Spartans] obey, (Histories, p.111, [9])” which showed the relationship between the Persians and their King. For Persians, they sounded like slaves to the King, and they must obey the law in order to avoid the terrible consequences. On the other hand, Leonidas treated his Spartan military as his brothers. Although Leonidas was the head leader, every single soldiers was treated equally.
Gorgo, the wife of Leonidas, was portrayed as an independent and self-confident Spartan woman who had gained her status among the Congress that was full of men by her intelligence instead of beauty. During the 300, as Gorgo said, “because only Spartan women give birth to real men (The Battle of Thermopylae, p.114),” she had claimed herself and all Spartan women a role position in the Congress. On the other hand, Herodotus’s Histories has portrayed Gorgo as a unique role, and she was seen as an active role in the Spartan political arena. Also, the women of Sparta received praise from Herodotus by being the center of attention in the ancient world. Summing up, the qualities these women were noted for, both in the 300 and Histories, represented their freedom and respects.
In Herodotus’s Histories, the fact that Leonidas asked for reinforcements when they were surrounded by Persian army did not say much for his military abilities.