Why did Herodotus and Greeks think Persians were weak?

Herodotus and many Greeks perceived the Persians as weak due to their view of Persian governance and social structure, which emphasized despotism and a lack of civic engagement among the populace. Greeks valued their own democratic ideals and the active participation of citizens in governance, contrasting it with the Persian monarchy, where power was centralized in a single ruler. Additionally, the Greeks often highlighted the Persians' reliance on vast, diverse territories and satraps, which they believed made the empire less cohesive and more vulnerable to internal strife. This cultural bias reinforced the Greek belief in their own superiority and the perceived fragility of Persian power.