Justified Command

In the Ancient world, war was a major aspect that ultimately determined whether or not your city would survive. The military leaders in this time were considered heroes when they were able to protect their cities and fight off imposing armies. Although some believe that the command of these military leaders was wrong, they were able to justify their command through acts that they did at home. Through properly preparing the soldiers for battle, giving the people better living environments, and providing the citizens with a democracy, Caesar, Alexander the Great and Pericles were able to justify their command in the Ancient World. Caesar and Pericles were able to properly prepare their soldiers for battle, which set them up to succeed, and this justified their command in the Ancient world. Training was a major part of preparing for battle, and if soldiers were not properly trained, they were not likely to win the battle. Pericles explained, “Then, again, in military training we are superior to our adversaries, as I shall show” (Lualdi, 58). Pericles shows that the military training that his soldiers receive is much better than any other soldiers received at the time. They were more prepared for battle, which should have set them up for success against their enemies. The superior training gave them the best chance to protect their city and also themselves when they were fighting for their people. Not only was preparing before the war important, but setting your soldiers up for success during the actual battle was also a major factor that determined the outcome of the battle. In one battle, “Caesar took over a suitable spot and found out what was happening in every quarter” (Lualdi, 121). Caesar set his soldiers up for success when fighting by acquiring the proper position that the army needed in order to win the battle. With the spots that they received, the soldiers were in the proper location in order to fend off any opposing armies that may try to attack them. Also, Caesar was so informed about what was going on around him by constantly receiving information about what was happening. This allowed him to properly plan out his strategies of what he needed to do to win the battle and this set his soldiers up for success. While the battle was going on, it was also important for the leader to think on his feet in order to protect his soldiers and be victorious. In the middle of the battle, “When he realized what was happening Caesar sent Labienus with six cohorts to help the men in trouble” (Lualdi, 122). Caesar was always looking out for the best interest of his soldiers and he wanted to make sure they were able to protect themselves form opposing forces. By sending help to the soldiers in danger, Caesar proved that he wanted the best for them because he didn’t want hem to be outmatched and lose, which would lead to death. By preparing their soldiers for battle, and constantly looking out for them while the battle was going on, Caesar and Pericles set their soldiers up to succeed which was enough to justify their command in the Ancient world. Alexander the Great was able to justify his command in the military by providing his people with great living conditions at home. Alexander explains that his father, Philip “gave you cloaks to wear instead of skins; he brought you down form the hills into the plains; he taught you to fight on equal terms with the enemy on your borders, till you knew that your safety lay not, as once, in your mountain strongholds, but in your own valor” (Lualdi, 85). This shows that the soldiers of Alexander were given a much better life than what they had before they were brought in to the Hellenic Empire. They were given the basic supplies that one needs in order to live and they were also taught skills that they would never have learned without the help of Alexander. This justifies his command because although they were putting their lives in danger,