Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?
This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.
Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
Did the greeks/romans/ancients write about leadership and management? (surely they did) Any specific recommendations here? I have not read much at all from the classical world, other than Seneca's letters, which are mostly about personal matters.
Its a strictly military manual, but the Strategikon is pretty good.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategikon_of_Maurice
It was attributed to Maurice but there isn't good evidence he wrote it, or even a single author did. While there are a lot of similar guides for military issues produced throughout the Roman period, the Strategikon comes from time and place of incredible pragmatism. Things weren't going great for the empire and they needed smart and effective, no bullshit professional officers. Its an interesting historical text as well as it is much concerned with educating future officers about the neighboring peoples they were mostly likely to fight, their dispositions and technological levels, the terrains of the empires, and economics.
My fellow Slav friend and myself, also a Slav, concur.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
Plutarch was more or less writing for this exact purpose. Ditto Xenophon's Cyropaedia, which presented the education of an ideal leader. The Aeneid was largely also presenting an ideal hero/leader. Much of ancient history writing was pedagogic, meant to present ideal leaders to emulate, and mistakes to avoid.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link