The sacrifice of the Spartans at Thermopylae had greatly inspired other Greeks insofar as it was believed that these soldiers had given their lives to defend Greece as a nation, disdaining narrowly Spartan interests. When offered the crown of Greece by a Persian messenger, Spartan King, Leonidas answered, "If you knew what is good in life, you would abstain from wishing for foreign things. For me it is better to die for Greece than to be monarch over my compatriots." In this sense, the Battle of Thermopylae is often described as the birth of Greek nationalism, and thus of nationalism generally.
Debate Magazine
