[KevinTheOmnivore]

I think Blanco is pretty much right, soldiers who are fighting for their own state and way of life probably have more at stake than say mercenaries.

This was a big topic for Machiavelli, one that he addressed a bit in the Discourses on Livy, and one he touched upon extensively in The Prince. In Italy, I believe they were called the Hoplites. You should brush through the Prince if you haven't already, you'd prolly find some GREAT citation material.