History of the Peloponnesian War

For when a king is at the head of an army, all commands are given by him; and he communicates to the polemarchs what is to be done, they to the lochagi, those to the penteconters, these again to the enomotarchs, and these to their enomoty;

and thus their orders, whatever they wish to be done, pass in the same manner, and quickly reach the troops; for pretty nearly all the army of the Lacedaemonians, a small portion excepted, are officers over officers; and to attend to what is going on is a duty incumbent on many.