Praxus

EDIT: Pick which one you like the best (on the list or off) and discuss.

Veni Vidi Vici

Alexander and Ceasar tied. Veni Vidi Vici!!

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Officer of Engineers

Extremely subjective and alot of names are missing - Hamarabi, Ramses, Sun Tzu, Hannibal, Prince Yamamoto, etc

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Chimo

Anon

How do ya make an ancient general list without Hannibal on it?

Amled

...or Sun Tzu!

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Praxus

Because Scipio Africanus massacred 20,000 of his troops and captured another 20,000, while only losing 1,500

But in all seriousness he was brilliant at keeping different peoples united (exspecially the traitorous Gauls) against the Romans. Not to mention an excellent field commander that defeated (massacred is a better word) two massive Roman Armies. However once a General of equal ability came along on the Roman side, the Romans triumphed.

Yes your right. (confusing you with all these edit's aye?)

I didn't want to make a list 5 miles long (so I confined it mostly to Europe).

Praxus

Did Sun Tzu ever do anything besides write "The Art of War"?

Veni Vidi Vici

I was wondering where he was too.

Amled

http://www.sonshi.com/why.html

According to Ssu-ma Ch'ien's Shih chi, also called the Records of the Grand Historian, Sun Tzu was a military general from the state of Ch'i during the Spring and Autumn period (722-481 BC). Scholars surmise he lived from 544 BC to 496 BC.
Sun Tzu wrote the earliest -- and still the most revered -- military treatise in the world. This masterpiece is best known to most of us as The Art of War. Since naming a written work after its author was customary in ancient China, the text was originally referred to as simply "Sun Tzu." Sonshi.com uses the terms "Sun Tzu" and "The Art of War" interchangeably.
Sun Tzu means Master Sun. His first name is Wu.
Skilled and experienced in warfare matters during a time of unprecedented political turmoil, Sun Tzu presented his treatise to King Ho-lu of the Wu state. The sovereign was impressed. When asked whether its principles can be applied to anyone, Sun Tzu replied, "Yes." As proof of his competency and to confirm the principles' effectiveness, he successfully transformed 180 court women into trained soldiers in just one session.
With Sun Tzu as general, King Ho-lu captured the capital city of Ying to defeat the powerful Ch'u state in 506 BC. They then headed north and subdued Ch'i and Chin. Not surprisingly, Sun Tzu's name quickly spread throughout the land and among the feudal lords.
How he later lived or died is unknown. However, the Yueh Chueh Shu declared "ten miles outside the city gate of Wu Hsieh, there is a large tomb of the great strategist Sun Tzu." By the Han dynasty, his reputation as a wise and respected military leader was well-known. Considering the countless texts lost or destroyed throughout China's history, the remarkable survival and relevancy of Sun Tzu's The Art of War to this very day attest to its immeasurable value.

In this and in other sources he is portrayed as an extremely capable general. But that aside, it must be said that it is his treatise on the conduct of war written about 2500 years ago that should earn him if not top place then at least a close second.
A work that is still being studied and used by todays military leaders.

Praxus

I dunno, I've read "The Art of War" and 95% of it so common sensical. If you read ancient histories, then you can realize that most of what is said in this, is already being carried out in the Western World, exspecially by the Great Generals.

Officer of Engineers

Not a valid arguement. When the two finally met, Hannibal's army was already decimated beyond repair by desertion and casualties and mercenaries just seeing the pay ain't good enough.

Hannibal was a manouver general without peer in his time. Crossing the Alps was a mark of strategic brilliance. He just could not sustain his losses and could not convince the rest of Italy to abandon Rome.

Still missing alot of names. I would put Pausinias instead of Leonidas. The Spartan King who finally killed the Persian Army Leonidas could not stop at Platea.

Now it is sensical. What the Art of War actually is is a Field Manual, akin to an ancient version of FM 3.0. I really recommend you read FM 3.0 and you would see just how advance the Art of War was for its time.

Until you learn, you really don't know what is sensical or not. The Great Pharoh Ramses walked into a trap with the Hitties when he believed two Hittie spies who told him that the Hittie Army was so in awe of him that they abandonned the field. Ramses, believing the spies and without checking their stories out, walked straight into a Hittie host.

To answer your other question, Sun Tzu was a mercenary General in demand for his time. He adbhore the slaughter that usually came with combat and as a result, his advice was sought since his victories were often bloodless.

Praxus

I know, and it wasn't an argument, it was a joke (because I realized I should have put Hannibal).

Scipio Africanus had a series of three major victories. He first captured New Carthage, then he fired the enemy camps, and then outnumbered he defeated the Carthiginians (including Hannibal and his brother Hasdrubal) at the Battle of Zama while sustaining few casulties. Although Hannibal was rather screwed over by the low moral of his forces after the burning of his camp.

Leonidas died at Thermopylae with the 300 Knights, but good point.

All I'm saying is that he may have been a Great strategist but it seems to me that most (not all) of what he has said has been figured out elsewhere, as well. It just wasn't unified, and for that Sun Tzu deserves ample credit.

lemontree

Alexander the Great.
His conquests stretched from Greece to north India. With extended lines of communication and no interferance to his rear, it shows military genius and statesmanship.
Map of Alexander's empire.

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Cheers!...on the rocks!!

Praxus

If you have the time, you should read about Alexander in Plutarch's Lives, very interesting stuff.

Constantine

Well guys, i can't be objective i know...but i've done my masters thesis on Alexander's strategies so i can tell that his approaching on war strategies it was more than unique