A tad bit concerning historical accuracy: The Roman generals never fought in the first line. So much is true also for all (bar none) "Easteners". And for the Karthagenians too - they wouldn't commit to battle unless everything was lost - Hannibal himself, for instance, had escaped more than one crushing defeat (to die off poisoning later...) by simply not being among his troops.

On the contrary, of the "civilized" factions represented in the game (since the "barbarians" are a completely different story), the Greek leaders always led the battle from the first line, and in the most dangerous position possible (if in a hoplite phalanx, that would be the right wing).

That is the reason that in Greek warfare the generals usually are among the victims of any battle - they always led from the first line, that's the Greek way.

The Greeks are like that (we still are, actually): we don't like going to battle without being led directly by our supreme commander. We want him to share our fate, and put his arse on the line, just as we put ours.

It's... a Greek thing, I think.