Masters Of Command: Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar... -
Strauss identifies ten traits that these commanders shared, though each displayed them in varying degrees:
: The "strategic intuition" to make sound decisions with imperfect information.
: The willingness to take massive calculated risks, like Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps. Masters of Command: Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar...
: A mix of decisive command and the "common touch" that earned their soldiers' trust.
: Using grand causes and symbols to appear as liberators or demigods. Strauss identifies ten traits that these commanders shared,
: Being "soldiers for all seasons," capable of shifting from conventional war to counterinsurgency or urban combat.
: The strategic use of massacres and harsh punishment to break enemy resistance. Masters of Command: Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar...
: Driven by philotimia (love of honor) and megalopsychia (greatness of soul).