Strategist
A strategist (of the old Greek στρατηγός/stratêgós) is a higher military officer.
Ancient Greece
In ancient Greece, it is the commander of a military unit or a flotte.
With Athens at fifth century BC, the strategists enjoyed an political authority as well as military. It is starting from 501 that 10 strategists were elected each year by the assembly of the people, at a rate of one per tribe, unbounded of re-election; each strategist ordered the regiment of Hoplites of his tribe, under the supreme command of the Polémarque.
Starting from 487 all, the Archonte S, even the polémarque one, were chosen by drawing lot; this system which cannot guarantee the value of the military chiefs, the polémarque one gave up its capacities of supreme command to the strategists who continued to be élus.
Those concentrated little by little almost all the executive power between their hands, as it was the case for Thémistocle, Cimon or Périclès, which was strategist in a practically uninterrupted way of 443 to its death (429). Cléon, Nicias and Alcibiade also filled this charge.
The law stipulating that each tribe was to have its strategist was then amended; two strategists could thus come from the same tribe, leaving a tribe not représentée.
When the strategists obtained the supreme command, in fact the Taxiarque S took the head of the régiments.
When a military campaign was decided, the assembly designated also the strategist to whom it supreme command was entrusted; this one, although subjected like any magistrate to the “rendering of account” at the end of the load, enjoyed a personal authority then very étendue.
In Ve century, the college of the strategists formed an administrative body of first importance, person in charge of all that related to the war, in particular enrôlement citizens in the army or the marine and the organization of the triérarchies.
Byzance
In the Byzantine Empire, as from the 9th century, a strategist is the commander of a topic and its army.
| Random links: | Hicham El Guerrouj | Reterre | Fawn McKay Brodie | Neapolitan republic (1647) | Automobile Grand Prix of San Marino 1981 |