Why did the Persian army collapse after Mardonius was killed at Plataea?

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Greco-Persian Wars The Battle of Salamis (480 bce), in which Greece gained an uncontested victory over the Persian fleet.

At the Battle of Plataea in 479 BCE, the Persian army’s collapse was a direct consequence of the death of their commander, Mardonius.

During the engagement, the Greek hoplite infantry, led by the Spartan commander Pausanias, successfully gained the upper hand in close-quarters combat. When Mardonius was killed in action while fighting the Spartans, the Persian forces were left without leadership. This loss of command caused the remaining troops to break formation and flee, leading to a chaotic rout in which thousands of Persians were slaughtered by the Greek forces.12