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

168 RANK AND COMMAND.of high extraction, who surrounded the person of the king,waited upon him, brought him his horse, stood watch at hisbedside at night, did his confidential errands, sat at his table,studied the art of war while thus serving at court or at headquartersin the field and became personally known to him.They underwent the same kind of training which is usual atmodern military schools, and their places were far from beingThey were so hard-worked in Asia that many ofsinecures.them died. Alexander usually pushed his subordinates hard.He himself was capable of unremitting labor, and he requiredit of others. These pages, after a certain number of years'training, were gradually appointed, according to their meritor the confidence of the monarch, to moderate commands,and from these positions were in the way of success as theirability and courage won it. They might rise to be chosensomatophylaxes, ofwhom there usually were seven, and whowere like adjutants-general, or prominent aides of the king,or army leaders ; they might fail and never gain promotionbeyond a modest rank. In line of battle these pages servedas a part of the hypaspists. In Asia they were under commandofSeleucus.In the army of Alexander, the following may be given asthe successive ranks from the king down. Philip had introducedthe graduated system of rank and command, and ofadvancement strictly according to merit.1. Alexander, king and commander-in-chief.2. Parmenio and Antipater, army commanders immediatelyunder Alexander. Among the noble families clusteringabout Philip, two were prominent. Of one of these Parmenio,Philip's (and later Alexander's) oldest and mosttrusted lieutenant, was the head ; of the other, Antipater.The first, in the Macedonian economy of Alexander's reign,represented the military, the other the civil government.