Strategy, Strategic Leadership and Strategic Control in Ancient Greece
By Burkhard Meissner
Journal of Military and Strategic Studies, Vol 13: No 1 (2010)
Introduction: The purpose of the following paper is to describe the role of strategies and strategist in classical and hellenistic Greece: how political and military strategies were decided upon, how far such strategies, once they were conceived of, influenced or governed what actually happened on the battlefield, if, how and to what extent strategic control was exercised in battles. In a paper like this describing the role of strategy can be achieved only partially, however: We will be looking at a selection of significant examples which show us how institutions for operative and strategic decisions and how strategic thinking developed in Greece.
Consider the first example, which comes from Herodotus’ description of the battle of Marathon in 490 BC:
The opinions of the Athenians generals (στρατηγοί) were divided: While some preferred not to risk a battle, because they were too few to engage the Medians, others advised to risk a battle immediately. Among the latter was Miltiades. Opinions having become that divided and the less worthy opinion prevailing, Miltiades approached the polemarch; for the latter one was the eleventh to cast his vote, since from the olden days the Athenians make the polemarch have the same vote as the generals. At that time, Callimachus of Aphidnae was polemarch, whom Miltiades told: … (Herodotus VI 109).
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