the cavalry general-第5章

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On　occasions　when　the　display　takes　place　in　the　hippodrome；＇16＇　the



best　arrangement　would　be；　in　the　first　place；　that　the　troops　should



fill　the　entire　space　with　extended　front；　so　forcing　out　the　mob　of



people　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　hipparchs



at　their　head；　each　with　five　squadrons　under　him。　Consider　the　effect



of　such　a　spectacle：　the　grim　advance　of　rival　squadrons　front　to



front；　the　charge；　the　solemn　pause　as；　having　swept　across　the



hippodrome；　they　stand　once　more　confronting　one　another；　and　then　the



trumpet　sounds；　whereat　a　second　and　yet　swifter　hostile　advance；　how



fine　the　effect！and　once　again　they　are　at　the　halt；　and　once　again



the　trumpet　sounds；　and　for　the　third　time；　at　the　swiftest　pace　of



all；　they　make　a　final　charge　across　the　field；　before　dismissal；



after　which　they　come　to　a　halt　en　masse；　in　battle　order；　and；　as　now



customary；＇19＇　ride　up　to　salute　the　senate；　and　disband。　These



evolutions　will　at　once　approve　themselves；　I　think；　not　only　for



their　novelty；　but　for　their　resemblacne　to　real　warfare。　The　notion



that　the　hipparch　is　to　ride　at　a　slower　pace　than　his　phylarchs；　and



to　handle　his　horse　precisely　in　their　style；　seems　to　me　below　the



dignity　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　of



the　Academy；　I　have　the　following　advice　to　give。　To　avoid　being



jolted　off　his　horse　at　any　moment；　the　trooper　should；　in　charging；



lean　well　back；＇21＇　and　to　prevent　his　charger　stumbling；　he　should



while　wheeling　hold　his　head　well　up；　but　along　a　straight　stretch　he



should　force　the　pace。　Thus　the　spectacle　presented　to　the　senate　will



combine　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　to



exercise　a　constant　forethought　to　relieve　the　horses'　backs　and　the



troopers'　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　are



an　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　is



uncertain　whether　you　will　stumble　on　the　enemy；　your　duty　is　to　rest



your　squadrons　in　turn；　since　it　will　go　hard　with　you；　if　the　enemy



come　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　of



command　will　pass　by　word　of　mouth；　to　every　squadron；　〃to　increase



their　front〃；　or　lastly；　supposing　you　have　reached　flat　country；　〃to



form　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　it



adds　pleasure　to　the　march　thus　to　diversify　the　line　of　route　with



cavalry　mavouvres。







＇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　over



difficult　ground；　no　matter　whether　you　are　in　hostile　or　in　friendly



territory；　it　will　be　useful　if　the　scouts　attached　to　squadrons＇5＇



rode　on　in　advance；　their　duty　being；　in　case　of　encountering　pathless



clefts　or　gullies；　to　work　round　on　to　practicable　ground；　and　to



discover　at　what　point　the　troopers　may　effect　a　passage；　so　that



whole　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　general



can　hardly　show　his　wisdom　better　than　by　sending　out　advanced　patrols



in　front　of　the　ordinary　exploring　parties　to　reconnoitre　every　inch



of　ground　minutely。　So　to　be　apprised　of　the　enemy's　position　in



advance；　and　at　as　great　a　distance　off　as　possible；　cannot　fail　to　be



useful；　whether　for　purposes　of　attack　or　defence；　just　as　it　is



useful　also　to　enforce　a　halt　at　the　passage　of　a　river　or　some　other



defile；　so　that　the　men　in　rear　may　not　knock　their　horses　all　to　bits



in　endeavouring　to　overtake　their　leader。　These　are　precepts　known；　I



admit；　to　nearly　all　the　world；　but　it　is　by　no　means　every　one　who



will　take　pains　to　apply　them　carefully。＇7＇







＇7＇　See　〃Econ。〃　xx。　6。　foll。







It　is　the　business　of　the　hipparch　to　take　infinite　precautions　while



it　is　still　peace；　to　make　himself　acquainted　with　the　details；　not



only　of　his　own；　but　of　the　hostile　territory；＇8＇　or　if；　as　may　well



betide；　he　personally　should　lack　the　knowledge；　he　should　invite　the



aid　of　others＇9＇those　best　versed　in　the　topography　of　any　district。



Since　there　is　all　the　difference　in　the　world　between　a　leader



acquainted　with　his　roads　and　one　who　is　not；　and　when　it　comes　to



actual　designs　upon　the　enemy；　the　difference　between　knowing　and　not



knowing　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　commences



your　business　is　to　provide　yourself　with　a　supply　of　people　friendly



to　both　states；　or　maybe　merchants　（since　states　are　ready　to　receive



the　importer　of　goods　with　open　arms）；　sham　deserters　may　be　found



occasionally　useful。＇10＇　Not；　of　course；　that　the　confidence　you　feel



in　your　spies　must　ever　cause　you　to　neglect　outpost　duty；　indeed　your



state　of　preparation　should　at　any　moment　be　precisely　what　it　ought



to　be；　supposing　the　approach　or　the　imminent　arrival　of　the　enemy



were　to　be　announced。　Let　a　spy　be　ever　so　faithful；　there　is　always



the　risk　he　may　fail　to　report　his　intelligence　at　the　critical



moment；　since　the　obstacles　which　present　themselves　in　war　are　not　to



be　counted　on　the　fingers。







＇10＇　Cf。　〃Cyrop。〃　VI。　i。　39；　where　one　of　the　Persians；　Araspas；



　　　　undertakes　to　play　this　role　to　good　effect。