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

34 MILITARY COMMAND.invariably by the right, and the flanks of the column of marchwere covered by the psiloi.Engineering, as applied to fortification and sieges, stillremained singularly crude. The latter were wont to be oflong duration. They scarcely amounted even to blockades.Ithome was besieged eight years ; Ira, eleven ; Crissa, nine.To tlie government, whatever it might be, was intrustedthe care of all things pertaining to the military establishment;but the right to declare war and to make treaties wasreserved by the people, which expressed itself inpublic gatherings.The weak feature of the Greek mihtary organizationwas the lack of unity of command. Thearmies were as a rule commanded alternately,for a given period, — often but aday, — by one of several leaders, elected bythe people, who jointly made a council ofwar, and who were apt tobe under the controlof other non-military officials sent by thegovernment to watch them. This systemvery naturally arose from the history andtendencies towards liberty of the variousstates, but was coupled with very difficultproblems, and often resulted in disaster.Greek Strategos.The Greek served his country withoutpay. To receive money for a duty was inearly days considered an indignity. Plunder, however, madeup for this lack of remuneration. After a victory, the bootywas collected ;part was vowed to the gods and placed in theirtemples, and the rest was divided according to rank andmerit, — the leaders being usually entitled to the lion's share.Punishment for military crimes involved loss of honor,sometimes of civil rights, — the penalties most dreaded bythe patriotic Greek. Rewards were embodied in an increased