Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS. 71compare to that of the Ten Thousand ?Cesar's legions cameclosest to them. In one quality alone is the modern soldiertheir equal, or superior. The soldier of the last two hundredyears has been called on to stand greater decimation on thebattlefield, and has cheerfully stood it. But in the otherqualifications of the soldier, especially the ability to march farand fast on slender rations, the Greek is incomparable.Discipline varied much at different times and with differentnations, being naturally a reflection of the character ofthe people, or of the leaders. Down to the Peloponnesianwar, discipline and the feeling of honor among the troops wasmarkedly good in almost all Greekstates.Military faults were severelypunished, grave ones by death, or,what to the Greeks was worse, openbranding with dishonor. Rewardswere equally pronounced. The commonestcitizen might rise to distinctionby a signal act of bravery. Theleader who won a victory became theworshiped hero of the people. Butgreat rewards were jealously given.Miltiades was not awarded the croAvnof laurel because he had not wonalone. The army must have the firstreward, the general the next. Bootywas largely distributed to both ; andbooty included prisoners of war, whowere ransomed at high prices or soldVictorious Greek.into slavery. The place of victory was marked by trophies,or piles of weapons, or weai)ons hung on masts, and by columnswith inscriptions reciting the event. Sometimes allGreece would join in recognizing the services of some state,