Quote Originally Posted by Ludens
You stated that heroics could make you immortal, citing the example of Leonides and his 300. My counter-question was: what about the Spartan allies who died there as well? Your answer is: because Spartans are more famous, which illustrates my point.
No, I said that the Spartans are remembered because they were physically stronger than the other guys and better at fighting: i.e., more hero-like.

Besides, I believe Leonidas was the lynchpin of the whole operation: the Plataeans or whoever obeyed him and followed his orders, and not the other way round.