the cavalry general-第1章

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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。



















THE　DUTIES　OF　A　HIPPARCH＇1＇







or







Commander　of　Cavalry　at　Athens















I







Your　first　duty　is　to　offer　sacrifice；　petitioning　the　gods　to　grant



you　such　good　gifts＇2＇　as　shall　enable　you　in　thought；　word；　and　deed



to　discharge　your　office　in　the　manner　most　acceptable　to　Heaven；　and



with　fullest　increase　to　yourself；　and　friends；　and　to　the　state　at



large　of　affection；　glory；　and　wide　usefulness。　The　goodwill　of



Heaven＇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　will



need　to　be　a　reserve　of　remounts；　or　else　a　deficiency　may　occur　at



any　moment；＇4＇　looking　to　the　fact　that　some　will　certainly　succumb　to



old　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　will



devolve　on　you　of　seeing；　in　the　first　place；　that　your　horses　are



well　fed　and　in　condition　to　stand　their　work；　since　a　horse　which



cannot　endure　fatigue　will　clearly　be　unable　to　overhaul　the　foeman　or



effect　escape；＇6＇　and　in　the　second　place；　you　will　have　to　see　to　it



the　animals　are　tractable；　since；　clearly　again；　a　horse　that　will　not



obey　is　only　fighting　for　the　enemy　and　not　his　friends。　So；　again；　an



animal　that　kicks　when　mounted　must　be　cast；　since　brutes　of　that　sort



may　often　do　more　mischief　than　the　foe　himself。　Lastly；　you　must　pay



attention　to　the　horses'　feet；　and　see　that　they　will　stand　being



ridden　over　rough　ground。　A　horse；　one　knows；　is　practically　useless



where　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　easilya　feat



to　which　many　a　man　has　owed　his　life　ere　now。　And　next；　he　must　be



able　to　ride　with　freedom　over　every　sort　of　ground；　since　any



description　of　country　may　become　the　seat　of　war。　When；　presently；



your　men　have　got　firm　seats；　your　aim　should　be　to　make　as　many



members　of　the　corps　as　possible　not　only　skilled　to　hurl　the　javelin



from　horseback　with　precision；　but　to　perform　all　other　feats　expected



of　the　expert　horseman。　Next　comes　the　need　to　arm　both　horse　and　man



in　such　a　manner　as　to　minimise　the　risk　of　wounds；　and　yet　to



increase　the　force　of　every　blow　delivered。＇7＇　This　attended　to；　you



must　contrive　to　make　your　men　amenable　to　discipline；　without　which



neither　good　horses；　nor　a　firm　seat；　nor　splendour　of　equipment　will



be　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；　is



naturally　responsible　for　its　efficient　working。　In　view；　however；　of



the　task　imposed　upon　that　officer　had　he　to　carry　out　these　various



details　single…handed；　the　state　has　chosen　to　associate＇9＇　with　him



certain　coadjutors　in　the　persons　of　the　phylarchs　（or　tribal



captains）；＇10＇　and　has　besides　imposed　upon　the　senate　a　share　in　the



superintendence　of　the　cavalry。　This　being　so；　two　things　appear　to　me



desirable；　the　first　is；　so　to　work　upon　the　phylarch　that　he　shall



share　your　own　enthusiasm　for　the　honour　of　the　corps；＇11＇　and



secondly；　to　have　at　your　disposal　in　the　senate　able　orators；＇12＇



whose　language　may　instil　a　wholesome　fear　into　the　knights



themselves；　and　thereby　make　them　all　the　better　men；　or　tend　to



pacify　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　claim



your　chief　attention。　How　the　details　in　each　case　may　best　be　carried



out　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　themselvesthe　class　from　which　you　make　your　pick　of



troopersclearly　according　to　the　law　you　are　bound　to　enrol　〃the



ablest〃　you　can　find　〃in　point　of　wealth　and　bodily　physique〃；　and　〃if



not　by　persuasion；　then　by　prosecution　in　a　court　of　law。〃＇14＇　And　for



my　part；　I　think；　if　legal　pressure　is　to　be　applied；　you　should　apply



it　in　those　cases　where　neglect　to　prosecute　might　fairly　be　ascribed



to　interested　motives；＇15＇　since　if　you　fail　to　put　compulsion　on　the



greater　people　first；　you　leave　a　backdoor　of　escape　at　once　to　those



of　humbler　means。　But　there　will　be　other　cases；＇16＇　say；　of　young　men



in　whom　a　real　enthusiasm　for　the　service　may　be　kindled　by　recounting



to　them　all　the　brilliant　feats　of　knighthood；　while　you　may　disarm



the　opposition　of　their　guardians　by　dwelling　on　the　fact　that；　if　not



you；　at　any　rate　some　future　hipparch　will　certainly　compel　them　to



breed　horses；＇17＇　owing　to　their　wealth；　whereas；　if　they　enter　the



service＇18＇　during　your　term　of　office；　you　will　undertake　to　deter



their　lads　from　mad　extravagance　in　buying　horses；＇19＇　and　take　pains



to　make　good　horsemen　of　them　without　loss　of　time；　and　while　pleading



in　this　strain；　you　must　endeavour　to　make　your　practice　correspond



with　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　wo