Gabriel Richard A. Great Captains of Antiquity

Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000. — 261 p.To gain a true understanding of wars in their political setting and of battles within the strategy of war, it is incumbent upon us to conduct their study, in all its multifaceted complexity, according to their various components. These may be grouped under the headings of human, geographical, social, administrative, and technical. Of all of them, the first one holds a special fascination because of the peculiarity of each individual and of each group involved. This field of research includes the scrutiny, study, and interpolation of the lives of the greatest military ancient commanders. To be sure, certain common traits belong to all great captains of war, yet not necessarily in the same degree of excellence. Other characteristics are those belonging singularly to each of the men as a group, combining with the former to create the captains’ personal brand of leadership and explain their great achievements. At the political military levels there are Thutmose III of Egypt, Sargon II of Assyria, Phillip II of Macedon, and Caesar Augustus of Rome; at the operational and tactical military levels there are Hannibal and Scipio Africanus, the famed adversaries in the Second Punic War.