THE CAVALRY GENERAL By Xenophon Translation by H. G. Dakyns Xenophon the Athenian was born 431 B. C. He was a pupil of Socrates. He marched with the Spartans, and was exiled from Athens. Sparta gave him land and property in Scillus, where he lived for many years before having to move once more, to settle in Corinth. He died in 354 B. C. The Cavalry General is a discourse on the merits a cavalry general, or hipparch, in Athens should have. Xenophon also describes the development of a cavalry force, and some tactical details to be applied in the field and in festival exhibition. PREPARER'S NOTE This was typed from Dakyns' series, "The Works of Xenophon, " a four-volume set. The complete list of Xenophon's works (though there is doubt about some of these) is: Work Number of books The Anabasis 7 The Hellenica 7 The Cyropaedia 8 The Memorabilia 4 The Symposium 1 The Economist 1 On Horsemanship 1 The Sportsman 1 The Cavalry General 1 The Apology 1 On Revenues 1 The Hiero 1 The Agesilaus 1 The Polity of the Athenians and the Lacedaemonians 2 Text in brackets "{}" is my transliteration of Greek text into English using an Oxford English Dictionary alphabet table. The diacritical marks have been lost. THE CAVALRY GENERAL THE DUTIES OF A HIPPARCH (1) or Commander of Cavalry at Athens I Your first duty is to offer sacrifice, petitioning the gods to grantyou such good gifts (2) as shall enable you in thought, word, and deedto discharge your office in the manner most acceptable to Heaven, andwith fullest increase to yourself, and friends, and to the state atlarge of affection, glory, and wide usefulness. The goodwill ofHeaven (3) so obtained, you shall proceed to mount your troopers, taking care that the full complement which the law demands is reached, and that the normal force of cavalry is not diminished. There willneed to be a reserve of remounts, or else a deficiency may occur atany moment, (4) looking to the fact that some will certainly succumb toold age, and others, from one reason or another, prove unserviceable. (1) For the title, etc. , see Schneid. "Praemon. De Xeno. " {Ipp}. Boeckh, "P. E. A. " 251. (2) Or, "with sacrifice to ask of Heaven those gifts of thought and speech and conduct whereby you will exercise your office most acceptably to the gods themselves, and with... " Cf. Plat. "Phaedr. " 273 E; "Euthr. " 14 B. (3) The Greek phrase is warmer, {theon d' ileon onton}, "the gods being kindly and propitious. " Cf. Plat. "Laws, " 712 B. (4) Lit. "at any moment there will be too few. " See "Les Cavaliers Atheniens, " par Albert Martin, p. 308. But now suppose the complement of cavalry is levied, (5) the duty willdevolve on you of seeing, in the first place, that your horses arewell fed and in condition to stand their work, since a horse whichcannot endure fatigue will clearly be unable to overhaul the foeman oreffect escape; (6) and in the second place, you will have to see to itthe animals are tractable, since, clearly again, a horse that will notobey is only fighting for the enemy and not his friends. So, again, ananimal that kicks when mounted must be cast; since brutes of that sortmay often do more mischief than the foe himself. Lastly, you must payattention to the horses' feet, and see that they will stand beingridden over rough ground. A horse, one knows, is practically uselesswhere he cannot be galloped without suffering. (5) Lit. "in process of being raised. " (6) Or, "to press home a charge a l'outrance, or retire from the field unscathed. " And now, supposing that your horses are all that they ought to be, like pains must be applied to train the men themselves. The trooper, in the first place, must be able to spring on horseback easily--a featto which many a man has owed his life ere now. And next, he must beable to ride with freedom over every sort of ground, since anydescription of country may become the seat of war. When, presently, your men have got firm seats, your aim should be to make as manymembers of the corps as possible not only skilled to hurl the javelinfrom horseback with precision, but to perform all other feats expectedof the expert horseman. Next comes the need to arm both horse and manin such a manner as to minimise the risk of wounds, and yet toincrease the force of every blow delivered. (7) This attended to, youmust contrive to make your men amenable to discipline, without whichneither good horses, nor a firm seat, nor splendour of equipment willbe of any use at all. (7) Lit. "so that whilst least likely to be wounded themselves, they may most be able to injure the enemy. " The general of cavalry, (8) as patron of the whole department, isnaturally responsible for its efficient working. In view, however, ofthe task imposed upon that officer had he to carry out these variousdetails single-handed, the state has chosen to associate (9) with himcertain coadjutors in the persons of the phylarchs (or tribalcaptains), (10) and has besides imposed upon the senate a share in thesuperintendence of the cavalry. This being so, two things appear to medesirable; the first is, so to work upon the phylarch that he shallshare your own enthusiasm for the honour of the corps; (11) andsecondly, to have at your disposal in the senate able orators, (12)whose language may instil a wholesome fear into the knightsthemselves, and thereby make them all the better men, or tend topacify the senate on occasion and disarm unseasonable anger. (8) See "Mem. " III. Iii. (9) Cf. Theophr. Xxix. "The Oligarchic Man": "When the people are deliberating whom they shall associate with the archon as joint directors of the procession. " (Jebb. ) (10) Or, "squadron-leaders. " (11) "Honour and prestige of knighthood. " (12) "To keep a staff of orators. " Cf. "Anab. " VII. Vi. 41; "Cyrop. " I. Vi. 19; "Hell. " VI. Ii. 39. The above may serve as memoranda (13) of the duties which will claimyour chief attention. How the details in each case may best be carriedout is a further matter, which I will now endeavour to explain. (13) "A sort of notes and suggestions, " "mementoes. " Cf. "Horsemanship, " iii. 1, xii. 14. As to the men themselves--the class from which you make your pick oftroopers--clearly according to the law you are bound to enrol "theablest" you can find "in point of wealth and bodily physique"; and "ifnot by persuasion, then by prosecution in a court of law. " (14) And formy part, I think, if legal pressure is to be applied, you should applyit in those cases where neglect to prosecute might fairly be ascribedto interested motives; (15) since if you fail to put compulsion on thegreater people first, you leave a backdoor of escape at once to thoseof humbler means. But there will be other cases; (16) say, of young menin whom a real enthusiasm for the service may be kindled by recountingto them all the brilliant feats of knighthood; while you may disarmthe opposition of their guardians by dwelling on the fact that, if notyou, at any rate some future hipparch will certainly compel them tobreed horses, (17) owing to their wealth; whereas, if they enter theservice (18) during your term of office, you will undertake to detertheir lads from mad extravagance in buying horses, (19) and take painsto make good horsemen of them without loss of time; and while pleadingin this strain, you must endeavour to make your practice correspondwith what you preach. (14) Lit. "by bringing them into court, or by persuasion, " i. E. By legal if not by moral pressure. See Martin, op. Cit. Pp. 316, 321 foll. (15) i. E. "would cause you to be suspected of acting from motives of gain. " (16) Reading {esti de kai ous}, or if as vulg. {eti de kai}, "More than that, it strikes me one may work on the feelings of young fellows in such a way as to disarm. " See Hartmann, "An. Xen. N. " 325. (17) Cf. Aesch. "P. V. " 474; Herod. Vi. 35; Dem. 1046. 14; Thuc. Vi. 12; Isocr. {peri tou zeugous}, 353 C. {ippotrophein d' epikheiresas, o ton eudaimonestaton ergon esti. } See Prof. Jebb's note to Theophr. "Ch. " vi. P. 197, note 16. (18) Lit. "if they mount. " (19) Like that of Pheidippides in the play; see Aristoph. "Clouds, " 23 foll. And for the price of horses, ranging from 3 minas (= L12 circa) for a common horse, or 12 minas (say L50) for a good saddle or race-horse, up to the extravagant sum of 13 talents (say 3000 guineas) given for "Bucephalus, " see Boeckh, "P. E. A. " (Eng. Tr. ) p. 74. Cf. Isaeus, 55. 22; 88. 17; Lys. "de Maled. " 133. 10; Aul. Gell. "Noct. Att. " v. 2. To come to the existing body of knights, (20) it would tend, (21) Ithink, to better rearing and more careful treatment of their horses ifthe senate issued a formal notice that for the future twice the amountof drill will be required, and that any horse unable to keep up willbe rejected. And so, too, with regard to vicious horses, I should liketo see an edict promulgated to the effect that all such animals willbe rejected. This threat would stimulate the owners of such brutes topart with them by sale, and, what is more, to exercise discretion atthe time of purchase. So, too, it would be a good thing if the samethreat of rejection were made to include horses that kick on theexercising-grounds, since it is impossible to keep such animals in theranks; and in case of an advance against a hostile force at anypoint, (22) they must perforce trail in the rear, so that, thanks tothe vice of the animal which he bestrides, the trooper himself isrendered useless. (20) Or, "As regards those who are actually serving in the cavalry. " For a plausible emend. Of this passage (S. 13) see Courier ("Notes sur le texte, " p. 54); L. Dind. Ad loc. (21) Lit. "the senate might incite to... " (22) Reading {ean}, or if {kan} with the MSS. , trans. "even in case of an advance against the enemy. " With a view to strengthening the horses' feet: if any one has aneasier or more simple treatment to suggest, by all means let it beadopted; but for myself, as the result of experience, I maintain thatthe proper course is to lay down a loose layer of cobbles from theroad, a pound or so in weight, on which the horse should be put tostand, when taken from the manger to be groomed. (23) The point is, that the horse will keep perpetually moving first one foot and thenanother on the stones, whilst being rubbed down or simply because heis fidgeted by flies. Let any one try the experiment, and, I ventureto predict, not only will he come to trust my guidance, but he willsee his horse's hoofs grow just as round and solid as the cobbles. (23) See below, "Horse. " iv. 4. The Greeks did not "shoe" their horses. Assuming, then, your horses are all that horses ought to be, how isthe trooper to attain a like degree of excellence? To that question Iwill now address myself. The art of leaping on to horseback is onewhich we would fain persuade the youthful members of the corps tolearn themselves; though, if you choose to give them aninstructor, (24) all the greater credit to yourself. And as to theolder men you cannot do better than accustom them to mount, or ratherto be hoisted up by aid of some one, Persian fashion. (25) (24) Like Pheidon, in the fragment of Mnesimachus's play "The Breeder of Horses, " ap. Athen. See Courier, ib. P. 55. (25) See "Anab. " IV. Iv. 4; "Horsemanship, " vi. 12. With a view to keeping a firm seat on every sort of ground, it may beperhaps be thought a little irksome to be perpetually marching out, when there is no war; (26) but all the same, I would have you call yourmen together and impress upon them the need to train themselves, whenthey ride into the country to their farms, or elsewhere, by leavingthe high road and galloping at a round pace on ground of everydescription. (27) This method will be quite as beneficial to them asthe regular march out, and at the same time not produce the same senseof tedium. You may find it useful also to remind them that the stateon her side is quite willing to expend a sum of nearly fortytalents (28) yearly, so that in the event of war she may not have tolook about for cavalry, but have a thoroughly efficient force to handfor active service. Let these ideas be once instilled into theirminds, and, mark my words, your trooper will fall with zest topractising horsemanship, so that if ever the flame of war burst out hemay not be forced to enter the lists a raw recruit, unskilled to fightfor fame and fatherland or even life itself. (26) In the piping days of peace. (27) See "Econ. " xi. 17. Cf. Theophr. "Ch. " viii. "The Late Learner": {kai eis agron eph' ippou allotriou katakhoumenos ama meletan ippazesthai, kai peson ten kephalon kateagenai}, "Riding into the country on another's horse, he will practise his horsemanship by the way, and falling, will break his head" (Jebb). (28) = L10, 000 circa. See Boeckh, op. Cit. P. 251. It would be no bad thing either, to forewarn your troopers that oneday you will take them out yourself for a long march, and lead themacross country over every kind of ground. Again, whilst practising theevolutions of the rival cavalry display, (29) it will be well to gallopout at one time to one district and again to another. Both men andhorses will be benefited. (29) Lit. "the anthippasia. " See iii. 11, and "Horsemanship, " viii. 10. Next, as to hurling the javelin from horseback, the best way to secureas wide a practice of the art as possible, it strikes me, would be toissue an order to your phylarchs that it will be their duty to putthemselves at the head of the marksmen of several tribes, and to rideout to the butts for practice. In this way a spirit of emulation willbe roused--the several officers will, no doubt, be eager to turn outas many marksmen as they can to aid the state. (30) (30) On competition cf. "Cyrop. " II. I. 22, and our author passim. And so too, to ensure that splendour of accoutrement which the forcerequires, (31) the greatest help may once again be looked for from thephylarchs; let these officers but be persuaded that from the publicpoint of view the splendid appearance of their squadrons (32) willconfer a title to distinction far higher than that of any personalequipment. Nor is it reasonable to suppose that they will be deaf tosuch an argument, since the very desire to hold the office of phylarchitself proclaims a soul alive to honour and ambition. And what ismore, they have it in their power, in accordance with the actualprovisions of the law, to equip their men without the outlay of asingle penny, by enforcing that self-equipment out of pay (33) whichthe law prescribes. (31) Or, "a beauty of equipment, worthy of our knights. " Cf. Aristoph. "Lysistr. " 561, and a fragment of "The Knights, " of Antiphanes, ap. Athen. 503 B, {pant' 'Amaltheias keras}. See "Hiero, " ix. 6; "Horse. " xi. 10. (32) Lit. "tribes, " {phulai} (each of the ten tribes contributing about eighty men, or, as we might say, a squadron). (33) i. E. The {katastasis}, "allowance, " so technically called. Cf. Lys. "for Mantitheos"; Jebb, "Att. Or. " i. 246; Boeckh, "P. E. A. " II. Xxi. P. 263; K. F. Hermann, 152, 19; Martin, op. Cit. P. 341. But to proceed. In order to create a spirit of obedience in yoursubordinates, you have two formidable instruments; (34) as a matter ofplain reason you can show them what a host of blessings the worddiscipline implies; and as a matter of hard fact you can, within thelimits of the law, enable the well-disciplined to reap advantage, while the undisciplined are made to feel the pinch at every turn. (34) "The one theoretic, the other practical. " But if you would rouse the emulation of your phylarchs, if you wouldstir in each a personal ambition to appear at the head of his ownsquadron in all ways splendidly appointed, the best incentive will beyour personal example. You must see to it that your own bodyguard (35)are decked with choice accoutrement and arms; you must enforce on themthe need to practise shooting pertinaciously; you must expound to themthe theory of the javelin, yourself an adept in the art throughconstant training. (36) (35) Techn. {prodromoi}, possibly = the Hippotoxotai, or corps of 200 mounted archers--Scythians; cf. "Mem. " III. Iii. 11. Or, probably, "mounted skirmishers, " distinct from the {ippotexotai}. Cf. Arrian, "An. " i. 12. 7. See Aristot. "Ath. Pol. " 49. 5. (36) Reading as vulg. {eisegoio}, or if with L. D. {egoio} (cf. Above, S. 21), trans. "you must lead them out to the butts yourself. " Lastly, were it possible to institute and offer prizes to the severaltribal squadrons in reward for every excellence of knighthood known tocustom in the public spectacles of our city, we have here, I think, anincentive which will appeal to the ambition of every true Athenian. How small, in the like case of our choruses, the prizes offered, andyet how great the labour and how vast the sums expended! (37) But wemust discover umpires of such high order that to win their verdictwill be as precious to the victor as victory itself. (37) See "Hell. " III. Iv. 15; "Hiero, " ix. 3; "Cyrop. " I. Vi. 18; Martin, op. Cit. P. 260 f. II Given, then, that your troopers are thoroughly trained in all theabove particulars, it is necessary, I presume, that they shouldfurther be instructed in a type of evolution the effect of which willshow itself not only in the splendour of the great processions (1) inhonour of the gods, but in the manouvres of the exercising-ground; inthe valorous onslaught of real battle when occasion calls; and in theease with which whole regiments will prosecute their march, or cross ariver, or thread a defile without the slightest symptom of confusion. What this formation is--essential, at least in my opinion, to thenoblest execution of their several duties--I will now, without delay, endeavour to explain. (2) (1) e. G. The Panathenaic, as depicted on the frieze of the Parthenon. (2) Or, "what this best order is, the adoption of which will give these several features fair accomplishment, I will without further pause set forth. " We take as our basis, then, the constitutional division of tentribes. (3) Given these, the proper course, I say, is to appoint, withthe concurrence of the several phylarchs, certain decadarchs (file-leaders) (4) to be selected from the men ripest of age andstrength, most eager to achieve some deed of honour and to be known tofame. These are to form your front-rank men; (5) and after these, acorresponding number should be chosen from the oldest and the mostsagacious members of the squadron, to form the rear-rank of the filesor decads; since, to use an illustration, iron best severs iron whenthe forefront of the blade (6) is strong and tempered, and the momentumat the back is sufficient. (3) See "Revenues, " iv. 30. (4) Decadarchs, lit. Commanders of ten, a "file" consisting normally (or ideally) of ten men. Cf. "Cyrop. II. " ii. 30; VIII. I. 14. It will be borne in mind that a body of cavalry would, as a rule, be drawn up in battle line at least four deep (see "Hell. " III. Iv. 13), and frequently much deeper. (The Persian cavalry in the engagement just referred to were twelve deep. ) (5) See "Cyrop. " III. Iii. 41, 57; VI. Iii. 24, 27; VII. I. 15; "Pol. Lac. " xi. 5. These front-rank men would seem to correspond to our "troop guides, " and the rear-rank men to our serre-files to some extent. (6) Cf. Aelian Tact. 26, ap. Courier. The interval between the front and rear-rank men will best be filledsupposing that the decadarchs are free to choose their own supports, and those chosen theirs, and so on following suit; since on thisprinciple we may expect each man to have his trustiest comrade at hisback. As to your lieutenant, (7) it is every way important to appoint a goodman to this post, whose bravery will tell; and in case of need at anytime to charge the enemy, the cheering accents of his voice willinfuse strength into those in front; or when the critical moment ofretreat arrives, his sage conduct in retiring will go far, we may wellconclude, towards saving his division. (8) (7) {ton aphegoumenon}, lit. "him who leads back" (a function which would devolve upon the {ouragos} under many circumstances). Cf. "Cyrop. " II. Iii. 21; "Hell. " IV. Viii. 37; Plat. "Laws, " 760 D. = our "officer serre-file, " to some extent. So Courier: "Celui qui commande en serre-file. C'est chez nous le capitaine en second. " (8) Or, "the rest of the squadron. " Lit. "his own tribesmen. " An even number of file-leaders will admit of a greater number of equalsubdivisions than an odd. The above formation pleases me for two good reasons: in the firstplace, all the front-rank men are forced to act as officers; (9) andthe same man, mark you, when in command is somehow apt to feel thatdeeds of valour are incumbent on him which, as a private, he ignores;and in the next place, at a crisis when something calls for action onthe instant, the word of command passed not to privates but toofficers takes speedier effect. (9) i. E. All find themselves in a position of command, and there is nothing like command to inspire that feeling of noblesse oblige which is often lacking in the private soldier. See Thuc. V. 66; "Pol. Lac. " xi. 5. Supposing, then, a regiment of cavalry drawn up in this formation:just as the squadron-leaders have their several positions for the march (or the attack (10)) assigned them by the commander, so the file-leaderswill depend upon the captain for the order passed along the line in whatformation they are severally to march; and all being prearranged by wordof mouth, the whole will work more smoothly than if left to chance--likepeople crowding out of a theatre to their mutual annoyance. And when itcomes to actual encounter greater promptitude will be displayed:supposing the attack is made in front, by the file-leaders who know thatthis is their appointed post; or in case of danger suddenly appearing inrear, then by the rear-rank men, whose main idea is that to desert one'spost is base. A want of orderly arrangement, on the contrary, leads toconfusion worse confounded at every narrow road, at every passage of ariver; and when it comes to fighting, no one of his own free willassigns himself his proper post in face of an enemy. (10) Lit. "where to ride, " i. E. In what formation whether on the line of march or in action. The above are fundamental matters not to be performed without theactive help of every trooper who would wish to be a zealous andunhesitating fellow-worker with his officer. (11) (11) Cf. "Hiero, " vii. 2; "Cyrop. " II. Iv. 10. III I come at length to certain duties which devolve upon the general ofcavalry himself in person: and first and foremost, it concerns him toobtain the favour of the gods by sacrifices in behalf of the statecavalry; and in the next place to make the great procession at thefestivals a spectacle worth seeing; and further, with regard to allthose public shows demanded by the state, wherever held, (1) whether inthe grounds of the Academy or the Lyceum, at Phaleron or within thehippodrome, it is his business as commander of the knights to see thatevery pageant of the sort is splendidly exhibited. (1) Cf. Theophr. "Ch. " vii. (Jebb ad loc. P. 204, n. 25). But these, again, are memoranda. (2) To the question how the severalfeatures of the pageant shall receive their due impress of beauty, Iwill now address myself. (2) Read {tauta men alla upomnemata}, or if with Pantazid. {apla}, trans. "these are simply memoranda. " And first to speak of the Processions. (3) These will, I think, berendered most acceptable to Heaven and to earth's spectators were theriders to ride round the Agora and temples, commencing from theHermae, and pay honour to the sacred beings, each in turn, whoseshrines and statues are there congregated. (Thus in the greatDionysia (4) the choruses embrace their gracious service to the othergods and to the Twelve with circling dance. (5)) When the circuit iscompleted, and the riders are back again in front of the Hermae, itwould add, I think, to the beauty of the scene (6) if at this pointthey formed in companies of tribes, and giving their horses rein, swept forward at the gallop to the Eleusinion. Nor must I omit to notethe right position of the lance, to lessen as far as possible the riskof mutual interference. (7) Each trooper should hold his lance straightbetween the ears of his charger, which in proportion to thedistinctness given to the weapon will rouse terror, and at the sametime create a vague idea of multitudinousness. (8) (3) {tas pompas}. See A. Martin, op. Cit. 147, 160. (4) Celebrated in March (Elaphebolion). (5) Or, "by dancing roundelays in honour of the gods, especially The Twelve"; and as to the Twelve cf. Aristoph. "Knights, " 235, "Birds, " 95; Plat. "Laws, " 654; Paus. I. 3. 3; 40. 3; viii. 25. 3; Plut. "Nic. " 13; Lycurg. 198. (6) Or, "it would be a beautiful sequel to the proceedings, in my opinion, if at this point they formed in squadron column, and giving rein to their chargers, swept forward at full gallop to the Eleusinion. " See Leake, op. Cit. I. 296. (7) Lit. "nor will I omit how the lances shall as little as possible overlap one another. " (8) Lit. "Every trooper should be at pains to keep his lance straight between the ears of his charger, if these weapons are to be distinct and terror-striking, and at the same time to appear numerous. " As soon as they have ceased from the charge at full gallop, the paceshould at once be changed; and now, with footing slow, let themretrace their course back to the temples. In this way every detailcharacteristic of knightly pageantry (9) will have been displayed tothe delight of god and man. That our knights are not accustomed tothese actual evolutions, I am well aware; but I also recognise thefact that the performances are good and beautiful and will givepleasure to spectators. I do not fail to note, moreover, that novelfeats of horsemanship have before now been performed by our knights, when their commanders have had the ability to get their wishes readilycomplied with. (9) Lit. "everything that may be performed on a mounted horse. " Possibly, as Cobet suggests, {kala} has dropped out. See "Horsemanship, " xi. 3, 6. But now, let us suppose it is the occasion of the march-past, (10) inthe grounds of the Lyceum, before the javelin-throwing. The scenewould gain in beauty if the tribal squadrons were to ride in line ofcolumns (11) as if for battle, in two divisions, five squadrons in theone and five in the other, with the hipparch and the phylarchs attheir head, in such formation as to allow the whole breadth of theracecourse to be filled. Then, as soon as they have gained the top (12)of the incline, which leads down to the theatre opposite, it would, Ithink, be obviously useful here to show the skill with which yourtroopers can gallop down a steep incline (13) with as broad a front asthe nature of the ground permits. I am quite clear that your troopers, if they can trust their own skill in galloping, will take kindly tosuch an exhibition; while as certainly, if unpractised, they must lookto it that the enemy does not give them a lesson in the art some day, perforce. (10) {dielaunosin en Lukeio}. See A. Martin, op. Cit. 196; cf. Arist. "Peace, " 356. (11) Or, as we might say, "in regimental order, " "with the commanding officer in front and their respective squadron-leaders"; and for the Lyceum see "Hell. " I. I. 33; II. Iv. 27. (12) Lit. "the apex of the confronting theatre. " (13) See "Horsemanship, " viii. 6; "Anab. " IV. Viii. 28. To come to the test manouvres. (14) The order in which the men willride with showiest effect on these occasions has been alreadynoted. (15) As far as the leader is himself concerned, and presuming heis mounted on a powerful horse, I would suggest that he should eachtime ride round on the outer flank; in which case he will himself bekept perpetually moving at a canter, and those with him, as theybecome the wheeling flank, will, by turns, fall into the same pace, with this result: the spectacle presented to the senate will be thatof an ever rapidly moving stream of cavaliers; and the horses having, each in turn, the opportunity to recover breath, will not be overdone. (14) {dokimasiais}, reviews and inspections. See A. Martin, op. Cit. P. 333. (15) Where? Some think in a lost passage of the work (see Courier, p. 111, n. 1); or is the reference to ch. Ii. Above? and is the scene of the {dokimasiai} Phaleron? There is no further reference to {ta Phaleroi}. Cf. S. 1, above. See Aristot. "Ath. Pol. " 49 (now the locus classicus on the subject), and Dr. Sandys ad loc. The scene is represented on a patera from Orvieto, now in the Berlin Museum, reproduced and fully described in "The Art of Horsemanship by Xenophon, " translated, with chapters on the Greek Riding-Horse, and with notes, by Morris H. Morgan, p. 76. On occasions when the display takes place in the hippodrome, (16) thebest arrangement would be, in the first place, that the troops shouldfill the entire space with extended front, so forcing out the mob ofpeople from the centre; (17) and secondly, that in the sham fight (18)which ensues, the tribal squadrons, swiftly pursuing and retiring, should gallop right across and through each other, the two hipparchsat their head, each with five squadrons under him. Consider the effectof such a spectacle: the grim advance of rival squadrons front tofront; the charge; the solemn pause as, having swept across thehippodrome, they stand once more confronting one another; and then thetrumpet sounds, whereat a second and yet swifter hostile advance, howfine the effect!--and once again they are at the halt; and once againthe trumpet sounds, and for the third time, at the swiftest pace ofall, they make a final charge across the field, before dismissal;after which they come to a halt en masse, in battle order; and, as nowcustomary, (19) ride up to salute the senate, and disband. Theseevolutions will at once approve themselves, I think, not only fortheir novelty, but for their resemblance to real warfare. The notionthat the hipparch is to ride at a slower pace than his phylarchs, andto handle his horse precisely in their style, seems to me below thedignity of the office. (16) In the hippodrome near Munychia, I suppose. (17) Lit. "... It would be beautiful to form with extended front, so as to fill the hippodrome with horses and drive out the people from the central space, beautiful to... " The new feature of the review would seem to have been the introduction of a sham fight in three parts, down to the customary advance of the whole corps, {epi phalaggos}. Cf. Virg. "Aen. " v. 545 foll. But see Martin, op. Cit. 197. (18) Lit. "the anthippasia. " (19) "As is your custom. " See "Mem. " III. Iii. 6. When the cavalry parade takes place on the hard-trodden (20) ground ofthe Academy, I have the following advice to give. To avoid beingjolted off his horse at any moment, the trooper should, in charging, lean well back, (21) and to prevent his charger stumbling, he shouldwhile wheeling hold his head well up, but along a straight stretch heshould force the pace. Thus the spectacle presented to the senate willcombine the elements of beauty and of safety. (20) Cf. Thuc. Vii. 27. (21) See "Horsemanship, " vii. 17. IV To pass to a different topic: on the march, the general will need toexercise a constant forethought to relieve the horses' backs and thetroopers' legs, by a judicious interchange of riding and of marching. Wherein consists the golden mean, will not be hard to find; since"every man a standard to himself, " (1) applies, and your sensations arean index to prevent your fellows being overdone through inadvertence. (1) The phrase is proverbial. Cf. Plat. "Theaet. " 183 B. But now supposing you are on the march in some direction, and it isuncertain whether you will stumble on the enemy, your duty is to restyour squadrons in turn; since it will go hard with you, if the enemycome to close quarters when the whole force is dismounted. (2) Or, again, suppose the roads are narrow, or you have to cross a defile, you will pass, by word of mouth, the command to diminish the front; (3)or given, again, you are debouching on broad roads, again the word ofcommand will pass by word of mouth, to every squadron, "to increasetheir front"; or lastly, supposing you have reached flat country, "toform squadron in order of battle. " If only for the sake of practice, it is well to go through evolutions of the sort; (4) besides which itadds pleasure to the march thus to diversify the line of route withcavalry maneuvers. (2) See "Hell. " V. Iv. 40 for a case in point. (3) Or, "advance by column of route. " See "Hell. " VII. Iv. 23. (4) Or, "it is a pleasant method of beguiling the road. " Cf. Plat. "Laws, " i. 625 B. Supposing, however, you are off roads altogether and moving fast overdifficult ground, no matter whether you are in hostile or in friendlyterritory, it will be useful if the scouts attached to squadrons (5)rode on in advance, their duty being, in case of encountering pathlessclefts or gullies, to work round on to practicable ground, and todiscover at what point the troopers may effect a passage, so thatwhole ranks may not go blindly roaming. (6) (5) {ton upereton} = "ground scouts, " al. "orderlies. " Ordonnances, trabans (Courier). See Rustow and Kochly, p. 140. "Cyrop. " II. I. 21; II. Iv. 4; V. Iii. 52; VII. V. 18, and VI. Ii. 13; "Anab. " I. Ix. 27; II. I. 9; where "adjutants, " "orderlies" would seem to be implied. (6) Al. "to prevent whole divisions losing their way. " Cf. "Anab. " VIII. Iii. 18. Again, if there is prospect of danger on the march, a prudent generalcan hardly show his wisdom better than by sending out advanced patrolsin front of the ordinary exploring parties to reconnoitre every inchof ground minutely. So to be apprised of the enemy's position inadvance, and at as great a distance off as possible, cannot fail to beuseful, whether for purposes of attack or defence; just as it isuseful also to enforce a halt at the passage of a river or some otherdefile, so that the men in rear may not knock their horses all to bitsin endeavouring to overtake their leader. These are precepts known, Iadmit, to nearly all the world, but it is by no means every one whowill take pains to apply them carefully. (7) (7) See "Econ. " xx. 6. Foll. It is the business of the hipparch to take infinite precautions whileit is still peace, to make himself acquainted with the details, notonly of his own, but of the hostile territory; (8) or if, as may wellbetide, he personally should lack the knowledge, he should invite theaid of others (9)--those best versed in the topography of any district. Since there is all the difference in the world between a leaderacquainted with his roads and one who is not; and when it comes toactual designs upon the enemy, the difference between knowing and notknowing the locality can hardly be exaggerated. (8) Or, "with hostile and friendly territories alike. " (9) Lit. "he should associate with himself those of the rest"; i. E. His colleagues or other members of the force. So, too, with regard to spies and intelligencers. Before war commencesyour business is to provide yourself with a supply of people friendlyto both states, or maybe merchants (since states are ready to receivethe importer of goods with open arms); sham deserters may be foundoccasionally useful. (10) Not, of course, that the confidence you feelin your spies must ever cause you to neglect outpost duty; indeed yourstate of preparation should at any moment be precisely what it oughtto be, supposing the approach or the imminent arrival of the enemywere to be announced. Let a spy be ever so faithful, there is alwaysthe risk he may fail to report his intelligence at the criticalmoment, since the obstacles which present themselves in war are not tobe counted on the fingers. (10) Cf. "Cyrop. " VI. I. 39, where one of the Persians, Araspas, undertakes to play this role to good effect. But to proceed to another topic. The enemy is less likely to get windof an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed frommouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or publicnotice. (11) Accordingly, in addition to (12) this method ofordering the march by word passed along the line, the appointmentof file-leaders seems desirable, who again are to be supplemented bysection-leaders, (13) so that the number of men to whom each pettyofficer has to transmit an order will be very few; (14) while thesection-leaders will deploy and increase the front, whatever theformation, without confusion, whenever there is occasion for themovement. (15) (11) i. E. "given by general word of command, or in writing. " As to the "word-of-mouth command, " see above, S. 3; "Hell. " VII. V. 9; and for the "herald, " see "Anab. " III. Iv. 36. (12) Reading {pros to dia p. }, or if {pros to}... Transl. "with a view to. " (13) Lit. Pempadarchs, i. E. No. 6 in the file. See "Cyrop. " II. I. 22 foll. , iii. 21. (14) Lit. "so that each officer may pass the word to as few as possible. " (15) Cf. "Anab. " IV. Vi. 6. When an advanced guard is needed, I say for myself I highly approve ofsecret pickets and outposts, if only because in supplying a guard toprotect your friends you are contriving an ambuscade to catch theenemy. Also the outposts will be less exposed to a secret attack, being themselves unseen, and yet a source of great alarm to the enemy;since the bare knowledge that there are outposts somewhere, thoughwhere precisely no man knows, will prevent the enemy from feelingconfident, and oblige him to mistrust every tenable position. Anexposed outpost, on the contrary, presents to the broad eye of day itsdangers and also its weaknesses. (16) Besides which, the holder of aconcealed outpost can always place a few exposed vedettes beyond hishidden pickets, and so endeavour to decoy the enemy into an ambuscade. Or he may play the part of trapper with effect by placing a secondexposed outpost in rear of the other; a device which may serve to takein the unwary foeman quite as well as that before named. (16) Lit. "makes plain its grounds of terror as of confidence. " Indeed I take it to be the mark of a really prudent general never torun a risk of his own choosing, except where it is plain to himbeforehand, that he will get the better of his adversary. To play intothe enemy's hands may more fitly be described as treason to one'sfellow-combatants than true manliness. So, too, true generalshipconsists in attacking where the enemy is weakest, even if the point besome leagues distant. Severity of toil weighs nothing in the scaleagainst the danger of engaging a force superior to your own. (17)Still, if on any occasion the enemy advance in any way to placehimself between fortified points that are friendly to you, let him benever so superior in force, your game is to attack on whichever flankyou can best conceal your advance, or, still better, on both flankssimultaneously; since, while one detachment is retiring afterdelivering its attack, a charge pressed home from the opposite quartercannot fail to throw the enemy into confusion and to give safety toyour friends. (17) N. B. Throughout this treatise the author has to meet the case of a small force of cavalry acting on the defensive. How excellent a thing it is to endeavour to ascertain an enemy'sposition by means of spies and so forth, as in ancient story; yet bestof all, in my opinion, is it for the commander to try to seize somecoign of vantage, from which with his own eyes he may descry themovements of the enemy and watch for any error on his part. (18) (18) As, e. G. Epaminondas at Tegea. See "Hell. " VII. V. 9. Whatever may be snatched by ruse, thief fashion, (19) your business isto send a competent patrol to seize; or again where capture by coup demain (20) is practicable, you will despatch a requisite body of troopsto effect a coup de main. Or take the case: the enemy is on the marchin some direction, and a portion of his force becomes detached fromhis main body or through excess of confidence is caught straggling; donot let the opportunity escape, but make it a rule always to pursue aweaker with a stronger force. (21) These, indeed, are rules ofprocedure, which it only requires a simple effort of the mind toappreciate. Creatures far duller of wit than man have this ability:kites and falcons, when anything is left unguarded, pounce and carryit off and retire into safety without being caught; or wolves, again, will hunt down any quarry left widowed of its guard, or thieve whatthey can in darksome corners. (22) In case a dog pursues and overtakesthem, should he chance to be weaker the wolf attacks him, or ifstronger, the wolf will slaughter (23) his quarry and make off. Atother times, if the pack be strong enough to make light of theguardians of a flock, they will marshal their battalions, as it were, some to drive off the guard and others to effect the capture, and soby stealth or fair fight they provide themselves with the necessariesof life. I say, if dumb beasts are capable of conducting a raid withso much sense and skill, it is hard if any average man cannot provehimself equally intelligent with creatures which themselves fallvictims to the craft of man. (19) e. G. Defiles, bridges, outposts, stores, etc. (20) e. G. A line of outposts, troops in billets or bivouac, etc. (21) "It is a maxim, the quarry should be weaker than the pursuer. " (22) Zeune cf. Ael. "N. A. " viii. 14, on the skill of wolves in hunting. (23) For {aposphaxas} Courier suggests {apospasas}, "dragging off what he can. " V Here is another matter which every horseman ought to know, and that iswithin what distance a horse can overhaul a man on foot; or theinterval necessary to enable a slower horse to escape one more fleet. It is the business rather of the cavalry general to recognise at aglance the sort of ground on which infantry will be superior tocavalry and where cavalry will be superior to infantry. He should be aman of invention, ready of device to turn all circumstances toaccount, so as to give at one time a small body of cavalry theappearance of a larger, and again a large the likeness of a smallerbody; he should have the craft to appear absent when close at hand, and within striking distance when a long way off; he should knowexactly not only how to steal an enemy's position, but by a masterstroke of cunning (1) to spirit his own cavalry away, and, when leastexpected, deliver his attack. Another excellent specimen ofinventiveness may be seen in the general's ability, while holding aweak position himself, to conjure up so lively an apprehension in theenemy that he will not dream of attacking; or conversely, when, beingin a strong position himself, he can engender a fatal boldness in theadversary to venture an attack. Thus with the least cost to yourself, you will best be able to catch your enemy tripping. (1) Or, "sleight of hand"; and for {kleptein} = escamoter see "Anab. " IV. Vi. 11, 15; V. Vi. 9. But to avoid suspicion of seeming to prescribe impossible feats, Iwill set down, in so many words, the procedure in certain crucialinstances. The best safeguard against failure in any attempt to enforce pursuitor conduct a retreat lies in a thorough knowledge of your horse'spowers. (2) But how is this experience to be got? Simply by payingattention to their behaviour in the peaceable manouvres of the shamfight, when there is no real enemy to intervene--how the animals comeoff, in fact, and what stamina they show in the various charges andretreats. (2) {empeiria}, "empirical knowledge. " Or suppose the problem is to make your cavalry appear numerous. In thefirst place, let it be a fundamental rule, if possible, not to attemptto delude the enemy at close quarters; distance, as it aids illusion, will promote security. The next point is to bear in mind that a mob ofhorses clustered together (owing perhaps to the creatures' size) willgive a suggestion of number, whereas scattered they may easily becounted. Another means by which you may give your troop an appearance ofnumerical strength beyond reality consists in posting, in and outbetween the troopers, so many lines of grooms (3) who should carrylances if possible, or staves at any rate to look like lances--a planwhich will serve alike whether you mean to display your cavalry forceat the halt or are deploying to increase front; in either case, obviously the bulk and volume of the force, whatever your formation, will appear increased. Conversely, if the problem be to make largenumbers appear small, supposing you have ground at command adapted toconcealment, the thing is simple: by leaving a portion of your menexposed and hiding away a portion in obscurity, you may effect yourobject. (4) But if the ground nowhere admits of cover, your best courseis to form your files (5) into ranks one behind the other, and wheelthem round so as to leave intervals between each file; the troopersnearest the enemy in each file will keep their lances erect, and therest low enough not to show above. (3) Cf. Polyaen. II. I. 17, of Agesilaus in Macedonia, 394 B. C. (our author was probably present); IV. Iv. 3, of Antipater in Thessaly, 323 B. C. (4) Lit. "steal your troopers. " See "Cyrop. " V. Iv. 48. (5) Lit. "form your decads (squads of ten; cf. Our 'fours') in ranks and deploy with intervals. " To come to the next topic: you may work on the enemy's fears by thevarious devices of mock ambuscades, sham relief parties, falseinformation. Conversely, his confidence will reach an overweeningpitch, if the idea gets abroad that his opponents have troubles oftheir own and little leisure for offensive operations. But over and beyond all that can be written on the subject--inventivenessis a personal matter, beyond all formulas--the true general must be ableto take in, deceive, decoy, delude his adversary at every turn, as theparticular occasion demands. In fact, there is no instrument of war morecunning than chicanery; (6) which is not surprising when one reflectsthat even little boys, when playing, "How many (marbles) have I got inmy hand?" (7) are able to take one another in successfully. Out goes aclenched fist, but with such cunning that he who holds a few is thoughtto hold several; or he may present several and appear to be holding onlya few. Is it likely that a grown man, giving his whole mind to methodsof chicanery, will fail of similar inventiveness? Indeed, when one comesto consider what is meant by advantages snatched in war, one will find, i think, that the greater part of them, and those the more important, must be attributed in some way or other to displays of craft; (8) whichthings being so, a man had better either not attempt to exercisecommand, or, as part and parcel of his general equipment, let him prayto Heaven to enable him to exercise this faculty and be at pains himselfto cultivate his own inventiveness. (6) Cf. "Cyrop. " IV. Ii. 26; VII. I. 18. (7) {posinda}, lit. "How many?" (i. E. Dice, nuts, marbles, etc. ); cf. The old game, "Buck! buck! how many horns do I hold up?" Schneid. Cf. Aristot. "Rhet. "iii. 5. 4. (8) "Have been won in connection with craft. " See "Cyrop. " I. Vi. 32; "Mem. " III. I. 6; IV. Ii. 15. A general, who has access to the sea, may exercise the faculty asfollows: he may either, whilst apparently engaged in fitting out hisvessels, strike a blow on land; (9) or with a make-believe of someaggressive design by land, hazard an adventure by sea. (10) (9) A ruse adopted by Jason, 371 B. C. Cf. "Hell. " VI. Iv. 21. (10) Cf. The tactics of the Athenians at Catana, 415 B. C. Thuc. Vi. 64. I consider it to be the duty of the cavalry commander to point outclearly to the state authority the essential weakness of a force ofcavalry unaided by light infantry, as opposed to cavalry withfoot-soldiers attached. (11) It is duty also, having got his footmen, toturn the force to good account. It is possible to conceal themeffectively, not only between the lines, but in rear also of thetroopers--the mounted soldier towering high above his follower on foot. (11) Or, "divorced from infantry. " In reference to {amippoi}, cf. Thuc. V. 57; "Hell. " VII. V. 23. With regard to these devices and to any others which invention maysuggest towards capturing the foeman by force or fraud, I have onecommon word of advice to add, which is, to act with God, and thenwhile Heaven propitious smiles, fortune will scarcely dare tofrown. (12) (12) Or, "and then by the grace of Heaven you may win the smiles of fortune, " reading with Courier, etc. , {ina kai e tukhe sunepaine}. Cf. "Cyrop. " III. Iii. 20. At times there is no more effective fraud than a make-believe (13) ofover-caution alien to the spirit of adventure. This itself will putthe enemy off his guard and ten to one will lure him into someegregious blunder; or conversely, once get a reputation forfoolhardiness established, and then with folded hands sit feigningfuture action, and see what a world of trouble you will thereby causeyour adversary. (13) S. 15 should perhaps stand before S. 13. VI But, after all, no man, however great his plastic skill, can hope tomould and shape a work of art to suit his fancy, unless the stuff onwhich he works be first prepared and made ready to obey thecraftsman's will. Nor certainly where the raw material consists ofmen, will you succeed, unless, under God's blessing, these same menhave been prepared and made ready to meet their officer in a friendlyspirit. They must come to look upon him as of greater sagacity thanthemselves in all that concerns encounter with the enemy. Thisfriendly disposition on the part of his subordinates, one mustsuppose, will best be fostered by a corresponding sympathy on the partof their commander towards the men themselves, and that not by simplekindness but by the obvious pains he takes on their behalf, at onetime to provide them with food, and at another to secure safety ofretreat, or again by help of outposts and the like, to ensureprotection during rest and sleep. When on active service (1) the commander must prove himselfconspicuously careful in the matter of forage, quarters, water-supply, outposts, (2) and all other requisites; forecasting the future andkeeping ever a wakeful eye in the interest of those under him; and incase of any advantage won, the truest gain which the head of affairscan reap is to share with his men the profits of success. (1) Al. "on garrison outpost duty. " (2) Reading {phulakon}, or if with Courier {thulakon}, "haversacks, " i. E. "la farine, le contenant pour le contenu. " Indeed, to put the matter in a nutshell, there is small risk a generalwill be regarded with contempt by those he leads, if, whatever he mayhave to preach, he shows himself best able to perform. Beginning with the simple art of mounting on horseback, let him sotrain himself in all particulars of horsemanship that, to look at him, the men must see their leader is a horseman who can leap a trenchunscathed or scale a parapet, (3) or gallop down a bank, and hurl ajavelin with the best. These are accomplishments which one and allwill pave the way to make contempt impossible. If, further, the menshall see in their commander one who, with the knowledge how to act, has force of will and cunning to make them get the better of theenemy; and if, further, they have got the notion well into their headsthat this same leader may be trusted not to lead them recklessslyagainst the foe, without the help of Heaven, or despite the auspices--Isay, you have a list of virtues which will make those under his commandthe more obedient to their ruler. (3) Or, "stone walls, " "dykes. " VII If prudence may be spoken of as the one quality distinctive of truegeneralship, there are two respects in which a general of cavalry atAthens should pre-eminently excel. Not only must he show a dutifulsubmission to the gods; but he must possess great fighting qualities, seeing that he has on his borders a rival cavalry equal to his own innumber and backed by a large force of heavy infantry. (1) So that, ifhe undertake to invade the enemy's territory unsupported by the otherforces of the city (2)--in dealing with two descriptions of forcessingle-handed, he and his cavalry must look for a desperate adventure;or to take the converse case, that the enemy invades the soil ofAttica, to begin with, he will not invade at all, unless supported byother cavalry besides his own and an infantry force sufficient towarrant the supposition that no force on our side can cope with him. (1) The reference is doubtless to the Thebans. Unfortunately we do not know, on good authority, how many troops of either arm they had in the field at Leuctra or at Mantinea. (2) Lit. "without the rest of the city, " i. E. The hoplites, etc. Now, to deal with this vast hostile array, if only the city willdetermine to sally out en masse to protect her rural districts, theprospect is fair. Under God, our troopers, if properly cared for, arethe finer men; our infantry of the line are no less numerous, and asregards physique, if it comes to that, not one whit inferior, while inreference to moral qualities, they are more susceptible to the spur ofa noble ambition, if only under God's will they be correctly trained. Or again, as touching pride of ancestry, what have Athenians to fearas against Boeotians on that score? (3) (3) See "Mem. " III. V. 3, where it is contended that in pride of ancestry Athenians can hold their own against Boeotians. But suppose the city of Athens determine to betake herself to hernavy, as in the old days when the Lacedaemonians, leagued with therest of Hellas, brought invasion; (4) and is content once more simplyto protect her walls through thick and thin. As to protecting whatlies outside the city wall she looks to her cavalry for that; andsingle-handed her troopers must do desperate encounter against theunited forces of the enemy. I say, under these circumstances, we shallneed in the first place the strong support of Heaven; and in thesecond place, well will it be for us if our cavalry commander provehimself a consummate officer. (5) Indeed, he will have need of largewisdom to deal with a force so vastly superior in numbers, and ofenterprise to strike when the critical moment comes. (4) See Thuc. Ii. 13, 14, 22, etc. , and in particular iv. 95, Hippocrates' speech before the battle of Delium, 424 B. C. (5) A "parfait marechal. " He must also, as it appears to me, be capable of great physicalendurance; (6) since clearly, if he has to run full tilt against anarmament present, as we picture, in such force that not even our wholestate cares to cope with it, it is plain he must accept whatever fateis due, where might is right, himself unable to retaliate. (6) So Jason, "Hell. " VI. I. 4. If, on the contrary, he elect to guard the territory outside thewalls (7) with a number just sufficient to keep a look-out on theenemy, and to withdraw into safe quarters from a distance whateverneeds protection--a small number, be it observed, is just as capableof vedette duty, as well able, say, to scan the distant horizon, as alarge; and by the same token men with no great confidence inthemselves or in their horses are not ill-qualified to guard, orwithdraw within shelter (8) the property of friends; since fear, as theproverb has it, makes a shrewd watchman. The proposal, therefore, toselect from these a corps of observation will most likely prove truestrategy. But what then of the residue not needed for outpost duty? Ifany one imagines he has got an armament, he will find it miserablysmall, and lacking in every qualification necessary to risk an openencounter. (7) Or, "His better plan would be to. " (8) Reading {anakhorizein}. Cf. "Cyrop. " II. Ii. 8; "Anab. " V. Ii. 10; or if {anakhorein eis}, transl. "or retire into safe quarters. " See "Hell. " IV. Vi. 44. But let him make up his mind to employ it in guerilla war, and he willfind the force quite competent for that, I warrant. His business, soat least it seems to me, will be to keep his men perpetually inreadiness to strike a blow, and without exposing himself, to playsentinel, waiting for any false move on the part of the hostilearmament. And it is a way with soldiers, bear in mind, the morenumerous they are, the more blunders they commit. They must needsscatter of set purpose (9) in search of provisions; or through thedisorder incidental to a march, some will advance and others lagbehind, beyond a proper limit. Blunders like these, then, our hipparchmust not let pass unpunished (unless he wishes the whole of Attica tobecome a gigantic camp); (10) keeping his single point steadily inview, that when he strikes a blow he must be expeditious and retirebefore the main body has time to rally to the rescue. (9) {epimeleia}. Cf. "Cyrop. " V. Iii. 47. (10) Lit. "or else the whole of Attica will be one encampment. " As at the date of the fortification of Decelea (413 B. C. ), which permanently commanded the whole country. See Thuc. Vii. 27. Al. Courier, "autrement vous n'avez plus de camp, ou pour mieux dire, tout le pays devient votre camp. " Again, it frequently happens on the march, that an army will get intoroads where numbers are no advantage. Again, in the passage of rivers, defiles, and the like, it is possible for a general with a head on hisshoulders to hang on the heels of an enemy in security, and todetermine with precision (11) the exact number of the enemy he willcare to deal with. Occasionally the fine chance occurs to attack thefoe while encamping or breakfasting or supping, or as the men turn outof bed: seasons at which the soldier is apt to be unharnessed--thehoplite for a shorter, the cavalry trooper for a longer period. (12) (11) See "Anab. " II. V. 18; "Cyrop. " III. Iii. 47; IV. I. 18. {tamieusasthai}, "with the precision of a controller. " (12) Cf. "Hell. " II. Iv. 6; VII. I. 16. As to vedettes and advanced outposts, you should never cease planningand plotting against them. For these in their turn, as a rule, are aptto consist of small numbers, and are sometimes posted at a greatdistance from their own main body. But if after all it turns out thatthe enemy are well on their guard against all such attempts, then, Godhelping, it would be a feat of arms to steal into the enemy's country, first making it your business to ascertain (13) his defences, thenumber of men at this, that, and the other point, and how they aredistributed throughout the country. For there is no booty so splendidas an outpost so overmastered; and these frontier outposts areespecially prone to be deceived, with their propensity to give chaseto any small body they set eyes on, regarding that as their peculiarfunction. You will have to see, however, in retiring that your line ofretreat is not right into the jaws of the enemy's reliefs hastening tothe scene of action. (13) Or, "having first studied. " Cf. "Mem. " III. Vi. 10. VIII It stands to reason, however, that in order to be able to inflict realdamage upon a greatly superior force, the weaker combatant mustpossess such a moral superiority over the other as shall enable him toappear in the position of an expert, trained in all the feats ofcavalry performance in the field, and leave his enemy to play the partof raw recruits or amateurs. (1) (1) Cf. "Cyrop. " I. V. 11; "Mem. " III. Vii. 7. And this end may be secured primarily on this wise: those who are toform your guerilla bands (2) must be so hardened and inured to thesaddle that they are capable of undergoing all the toils of acampaign. (3) That a squadron (and I speak of horse and man alike)should enter these lists in careless, disorderly fashion suggests theidea of a troop of women stepping into the arena to cope with maleantagonists. (2) Or, add, "for buccaneers and free-lances you must be. " (3) Lit. "every toil a soldier can encounter. " But reverse the picture. Suppose men and horses to have been taughtand trained to leap trenches and scale dykes, to spring up banks, andplunge from heights without scathe, to gallop headlong at full speedadown a steep: they will tower over unpractised opponents as the birdsof the air tower over creatures that crawl and walk. (4) Their feet arecase-hardened by constant training, and, when it comes to trampingover rough ground, must differ from the uninitiated as the sound manfrom the lame. And so again, when it comes to charging and retiring, the onward-dashing gallop, the well-skilled, timely retreat, expertknowledge of the ground and scenery will assert superiority overinexpertness like that of eyesight over blindness. (4) See "Horse. " viii. 6; cf. "Hunting, " xii. 2; "Cyrop. " I. Vi. 28 foll. Nor should it be forgotten, that in order to be in thorough efficiencythe horses must not only be well fed and in good condition, but at thesame time so seasoned by toil that they will go through their workwithout the risk of becoming broken-winded. And lastly, as bits andsaddle-cloths (to be efficient) (5) need to be attached by straps, acavalry general should never be without a good supply, whereby at atrifling expense he may convert a number of nonplussed troopers intoserviceable fighting men. (6) (5) ({khresima}) L. D. For the {upomnema} itself cf. "Cyrop. " VI. Ii. 32. (6) Or, "thus at a trifling outlay he will be able to render so many non-efficients useful. " Al. "make the articles as good as new. " But if any one is disposed to dwell on the amount of trouble it willcost him, if he is required to devote himself to horsemanship soassiduously, let him console himself with the reflection that thepains and labours undergone by any man in training for a gymnasticcontest are far larger and more formidable than any which the severesttraining of the horseman will involve; and for this reason, that thegreater part of gymnastic exercises are performed "in the sweat of thebrow, " while equestrian exercise is performed with pleasure. Indeed, there is no accomplishment which so nearly realises the aspiration ofa man to have the wings of a bird than this of horsemanship. (7) Butfurther, to a victory obtained in war attaches a far greater weight ofglory than belongs to the noblest contest of the arena. (8) Of thesethe state indeed will share her meed of glory, (9) but in honour ofvictory in war the very gods are wont to crown whole states withhappiness. (10) So that, for my part, I know not if there be aught elsewhich has a higher claim to be practised than the arts of war. (7) Cf. "Cyrop. " IV. Iii. 15; Herod. Iv. 132; Plat. "Rep. " v. 467 D. (8) Cf. Eur. "Autolycus, " fr. 1, trans. By J. A. Symonds, "Greek Poets, " 2nd series, p. 283. (9) Cf. Plut. "Pelop. " 34 (Clough, ii. P. 235): "And yet who would compare all the victories in the Pythian and Olympian games put together, with one of these enterprises of Pelopidas, of which he successfully performed so many?" (10) "To bind about the brows of states happiness as a coronal. " And this, too, is worth noting: that the buccaneer by sea, theprivateersman, through long practice in endurance, is able to live atthe expense of far superior powers. Yes, and the life of thefreebooter is no less natural and appropriate to landsmen--I do notsay, to those who can till and gather in the fruit of their fields, but to those who find themselves deprived of sustenance; since thereis no alternative--either men must till their fields or live on thetillage of others, otherwise how will they find the means either ofliving or of obtaining peace? (11) (11) Cf. "Econ. " v. 7. Here, too, is a maxim to engrave upon the memory: in charging asuperior force, never to leave a difficult tract of ground in the rearof your attack, since there is all the difference in the world betweena stumble in flight and a stumble in pursuit. There is another precaution which I feel called upon to note. Somegenerals, (12) in attacking a force which they imagine to be inferiorto their own, will advance with a ridiculously insufficient force, (13)so that it is the merest accident if they do not experience the injurythey were minded to inflict. Conversely, in attacking any enemy whosesuperiority is a well-known fact, they will bring the whole of theirforce into action. (12) Or, "one knows of generals, " e. G. Iphicrates at Oneion, 369 B. C. Cf. "Hell. " VI. V. 51. (13) Lit. "an absolutely weak force. " Now, my maxim would be precisely converse: if you attack with aprospect of superiority, do not grudge employing all the power at yourcommand; excess of victory (14) never yet caused any conqueror one pangof remorse. (14) Or, "a great and decided victory. " Cf. "Hiero, " ii. 16. But in any attempt to attack superior forces, in full certainty that, do what you can, you must eventually retire, it is far better, say I, under these circumstances to bring a fraction only of your whole forceinto action, which fraction should be the pick and flower of thetroops at your command, both horses and men. A body of that size andquality will be able to strike a blow and to fall back with greatersecurity. Whereas, if a general brings all his troops into actionagainst a superior force, when he wishes to retire, certain thingsmust happen: those of his men who are worse mounted will be captured, others through lack of skill in horsemanship will be thrown, and athird set be cut off owing to mere difficulties of ground; since it isimpossible to find any large tract of country exactly what you woulddesire. If for no other reason, through sheer stress of numbers therewill be collisions, and much damage done by kicks through mutualentanglement; whereas a pick of horse and men will be able to escapeoffhand, (15) especially if you have invention to create a scare in theminds of the pursuers by help of the moiety of troops who are out ofaction. (16) For this purpose false ambuscades will be of use. (15) Or, "by themselves, " reading {ex auton}, as L. Dind. Suggests. Cf. Polyb. X. 40. 6, or if as vulg. {ex auton} (sub. {kheiron}, Weiske), transl. "to slip through their fingers. " (16) Zeune and other commentators cf Liv. V. 38 (Diod. Xiv. 114), but the part played by the Roman subsidiarii at the battle of the Allia, if indeed "una salus fugientibus, " was scarcely happy. Would not "Hell. " VII. V. 26 be more to the point? The detachment of cavalry and infantry placed by Epaminondas "on certain crests, to create an apprehension in the minds of the Athenians" in that quarter of the field at Mantinea was a {mekhanema} of the kind here contemplated. Another serviceable expedient will be to discover on which side afriendly force may suddenly appear and without risk to itself put adrag on the wheels of the pursuer. Nay, it is self-evident, I think, that, as far as work and speed are concerned, it is the small bodywhich will assert its superiority more rapidly over the larger, andnot vice versa--not of course that the mere fact of being a small bodywill enable them to endure toil or give them wings; but simply it iseasier to find five men than five hundred, who will take the requisitecare and pains with their horses, and personally practise of their ownaccord the art of horsemanship. But suppose the chance should occur of entering the lists against anequal number of the enemy's cavalry, according to my judgment it wereno bad plan to split the squadron into divisions, (17) the first ofwhich should be commanded by the squadron-leader, and the other by theablest officer to be found. This second-officer will for the timebeing follow in rear of the leading division with the squadron leader;and by and by, when the antagonist is in near proximity, and when theword of command is passed, form squadron to the front and charge thehostile ranks (18)--a maneuver calculated, as I conceive, to bring thewhole mass down upon the enemy with paralysing force, and to cause himsome trouble to extricate himself. Ideally speaking, bothdivisions (19) will be backed by infantry kept in rear of the cavalry;these will suddenly disclose themselves, and rushing to closequarters, in all probability clench the nail of victory. (20) So at anyrate it strikes me, seeing as I do the effects of what isunexpected--how, in the case of good things, the soul of man is filledto overflowing with joy, and again, in the case of things terrible, paralysed with amazement. In proof of what I say, let any one reflect onthe stupor into which a body of men with all the weight of numericaladvantage on their side will be betrayed by falling into an ambuscade;or again, on the exaggerated terror mutually inspired in belligerentsduring the first few days, of finding themselves posted in face of oneanother. (17) Or, "troops. " (18) Possibly on flank. See Courier, p. 35, on Spanish cavalry tactics. (19) Lit. "supposing both divisions to be backed by footmen, " etc. (20) Or, "achieve a much more decisive victory. " Cf. "Cyrop. " III. Iii. 28. To make these dispositions is not hard; the difficulty is to discovera body of men who will dash forward (21) and charge an enemy as abovedescribed intelligently and loyally, with an eager spirit andunfailing courage. That is a problem for a good cavalry general tosolve. I mean an officer who must be competent to so assert himself inspeech or action (22) that those under him will no longer hesitate. They will recognise of themselves that it is a good thing and a rightto obey, (23) to follow their leader, to rush to close quarters withthe foe. A desire will consume them to achieve some deed of glory andrenown. A capacity will be given them patiently to abide by theresolution of their souls. (21) {parelontas}, in reference to S. 18 above, {parelaunoi}, "form squadron to the front. " (22) "To be this, he must be able as an orator as well as a man of action. " Cf. "Mem. " II. Ii. 11. (23) Cf. Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade": Their's not to make reply, Their's not to reason why, Their's but to do and die. To turn to another matter, take the case in which you have two armeisfacing one another in battle order, or a pair of fortresses (24)belonging to rival powers, and in the space between all kinds ofcavalry manouvres are enacted, wheelings and charges and retreats. (25)Under such circumstances the custom usually is for either party afterwheeling to set off at a slow pace and to gallop full speed only inthe middle of the course. But now suppose that a commander, aftermaking feint (26) in this style, presently on wheeling quickens for thecharge and quickens to retire--he will be able to hit the enemy farharder, and pull through absolutely without scathe himself mostlikely; through charging at full speed whilst in proximity to his ownstronghold (or main body), and quickening to a gallop as he retiresfrom the stronghold (or main body) of the enemy. If further, he couldsecretly contrive to leave behind four or five troopers, the bravestand best mounted of the squadron, it would give them an immenseadvantage in falling upon the enemy whilst wheeling to return to thecharge. (27) (24) Al. "fields and farmsteads between. " (25) Or, "retirements, " see "Horsemanship, " viii. 12; "Cyrop. " V. Iv. 8; "Hell. " IV. Ii. 6; "Ages. " ii. 3. (26) Or, "having precluded in this fashion. " See Theocr. Xxii. 102: {ton men anax ataraxen etosia khersi prodeiknus Pantothen}, "feinting on every side" (A. Lang). Al. "having given due warning of his intention. " Cf. Aristot. "H. A. " ix. 37. (27) Cf. Aristoph. "Knights, " 244 (Demosthenes calls to the hipparchs (?)): {andres eggus. All' amunou, kapanastrephou palin}. IX To read these observations over a few times will be sufficient, butfor giving them effect the officer will need perpetually to act ascircumstances require. (1) He must take in the situation at a glance, and carry out unflinchingly whatever is expedient for the moment. Toset down in writing everything that he must do, is not a whit morepossible than to know the future as a whole. (2) But of all hints andsuggestions the most important to my mind is this: whatever youdetermine to be right, with diligence endeavour to perform. For be ittillage of the soil, or trading, or seafaring, or the art of ruling, without pains applied to bring the matter to perfection, the besttheories in the world, the most correct conclusions, will befruitless. (1) {pros to paratugkhanon}, lit. "to meet emergencies. " Cf. Thuc. I. 122: "For war, least of all things, conforms to prescribed rules; it strikes out a path for itself when the moment comes" (Jowett). (2) Or, "is about as feasible as to foretell each contingency hid in the womb of futurity. " One thing I am prepared to insist on: it is clear to myself that byHeaven's help our total cavalry force might be much more quicklyraised to the full quota of a thousand troopers, (3) and with far lessfriction to the mass of citizens, by the enrolment of two hundredforeign cavalry. Their acquisition will be doubly helpful, asintensifying the loyalty of the entire force and as kindling a mutualambition to excel in manly virtue. (3) See Schneid. Ad loc. ; Boeckh, "P. E. A. " pp. 263, 264; Herod. Vi. 112; Thuc. Vi. 31; Aristoph. "Knights, " 223; Aeschin. "De F. L. " 334-337. See for this reform, Martin, op. Cit. 343, 368. I can state on my own knowledge that the Lacedaemonian cavalry onlybegan to be famous (4) with the introduction of foreign troopers; andin the other states of Hellas everywhere the foreign brigades stand inhigh esteem, as I perceive. Need, in fact, contributes greatly toenthusiasm. Towards the necessary cost of the horses I hold that anample fund will be provided, (5) partly out of the pockets of those whoare only too glad to escape cavalry service (in other words, those onwhom the service devolves prefer to pay a sum of money down and bequit of the duty), (6) and from wealthy men who are physicallyincompetent; and I do not see why orphans possessed of large estatesshould not contribute. (7) Another belief I hold is that amongst ourresident aliens (8) there are some who will show a laudable ambition ifincorporated with the cavalry. I argue from the fact, apparent tomyself, that amongst this class persons are to be found most zealouslydisposed to carry out the part assigned to them, in every other branchof honourable service which the citizens may choose to share withthem. Again, it strikes me that if you seek for an energetic infantryto support your cavalry, you will find it in a corps composed ofindividuals whose hatred to the foe is naturally intense. (9) But thesuccess of the above suggestions will depend doubtless on theconsenting will of Heaven. (10) (4) "Entered on an era of prestige with the incorporation of, " after Leuctra, 371 B. C. , when the force was at its worst. See "Hell. " VI. Iv. 10. (5) Or, "money will be forthcoming for them. " Cf. Lys. "Against Philon, " xxxi. 15; Martin, op. Cit. 319. (6) Cf. "Hell. " III. Iv. 15; "Ages. " i. 23. Courier brackets this sentence ({oti... Ippeuein}) as a gloss; Martin, p. 323, emends. (7) As to the legal exemption of orphans Schneid. Cf. Dem. "Symm. " 182. 15; Lys. "Against Diogeit. " 24. (8) Lit. "metoecs. " See "Revenues, " ii. (9) Lit. "men the most antagonistic to the enemy. " Is the author thinking of Boeotian emigres? Cf. "Hell. " VI. Iii. 1, 5; Diod. Xv. 46. 6. (10) Lit. "with the consenting will of the gods these things all may come to pass. " And now if the repetition of the phrase throughout this treatise "actwith God, " surprises any one, he may take my word for it that with thedaily or hourly occurrence of perils which must betide him, hiswonderment will diminish; as also with the clearer recognition of thefact that in time of war the antagonists are full of designs againsteach other, but the precise issue of these plots and counterplots israrely known. To what counsellor, then, can a man apply for advice inhis extremity save only to the gods, who know all things and forewarnwhomsoever they will by victims or by omens, by voice or vision? Is itnot rational to suppose that they will prefer to help in their need, not those who only seek them in time of momentary stress and trouble, but those rather who in the halcyon days of their prosperity make apractice of rendering to Heaven the service of heart and soul?