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

46 WHAT MAKES A GREAT CAPTAIN.search In vain for something akin to the military science ofto-day, something which has added to the art of war.The same thing can be said of most historical conquerors.The greatest of these may by no means rank as a great captain.To overrun vast regions, devastate well-peopled countries,reduce to servitude brave tribes, may constitute a greatconqueror. But it is the method with which this is done whichmakes a great captain. A lesser actor in the world's dramamay well be a greater captain. Alexander was a type of boththe great conqueror and the great captain. He had transcendentgenius ; he had fit opportunity to give scope to hisgenius. He was the greatest of conquerors, because he overranand subdued the largest territory and the most peoples ;was a great captain because he did this with a method whichteaches us lessons of incalculable value. It is the purpose ofthis work to narrate the deeds of those great captains whohave peculiarly influenced the art of war, as we understand itto-day.However great men may have been as generals, howevervaluable their life's work in the world's economy, unlessthey have made an essential contribution to the science ofwar, they find no place within the scope of this and succeedingvolumes.Cyrus is not only a historical verity, but we know from theGreek historians what he did, and to a certainheextent how hedid it. All histories vary, — often to a material degreenor is this wonderful of the ancients, when we read the conflictingaccounts in vogue to-day relating to the wars of thelast hundred — the last twenty-five — years. But from theancient histories we can generally arrive at something likethe truth. No one historian can be relied upon in all things.But by diligent comparison of the statements of all, the studyof the topography of the campaigns or battlefields, and theestimate of probability as between conflicting statements, a