the cavalry general-第8章

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When　on　active　service＇1＇　the　commander　must　prove　himself



conspicuously　careful　in　the　matter　of　forage；　quarters；　water…supply；



outposts；＇2＇　and　all　other　requisites；　forecasting　the　future　and



keeping　ever　a　wakeful　eye　in　the　interest　of　those　under　him；　and　in



case　of　any　advantage　won；　the　truest　gain　which　the　head　of　affairs



can　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　general



will　be　regarded　with　contempt　by　those　he　leads；　if；　whatever　he　may



have　to　preach；　he　shows　himself　best　able　to　perform。







Beginning　with　the　simple　art　of　mounting　on　horseback；　let　him　so



train　himself　in　all　particulars　of　horsemanship　that；　to　look　at　him；



the　men　must　see　their　leader　is　a　horseman　who　can　leap　a　trench



unscathed　or　scale　a　parapet；＇3＇　or　gallop　down　a　bank；　and　hurl　a



javelin　with　the　best。　These　are　accomplishments　which　one　and　all



will　pave　the　way　to　make　contempt　impossible。　If；　further；　the　men



shall　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　the



enemy；　and　if；　further；　they　have　got　the　notion　well　into　their　heads



that　this　same　leader　may　be　trusted　not　to　lead　them　recklesssly



against　the　foe；　without　the　help　of　Heaven；　or　despite　the　auspices



I　say；　you　have　a　list　of　virtues　which　will　make　those　under　his



command　the　more　obedient　to　their　ruler。







＇3＇　Or；　〃stone　walls；〃　〃dykes。〃















VII







If　prudence　may　be　spoken　of　as　the　one　quality　distinctive　of　true



generalship；　there　are　two　respects　in　which　a　general　of　cavalry　at



Athens　should　pre…eminently　excel。　Not　only　must　he　show　a　dutiful



submission　to　the　gods；　but　he　must　possess　great　fighting　qualities；



seeing　that　he　has　on　his　borders　a　rival　cavalry　equal　to　his　own　in



number　and　backed　by　a　large　force　of　heavy　infantry。＇1＇　So　that；　if



he　undertake　to　invade　the　enemy's　territory　unsupported　by　the　other



forces　of　the　city＇2＇in　dealing　with　two　descriptions　of　forces



single…handed；　he　and　his　cavalry　must　look　for　a　desperate　adventure；



or　to　take　the　converse　case；　that　the　enemy　invades　the　soil　of



Attica；　to　begin　with；　he　will　not　invade　at　all；　unless　supported　by



other　cavalry　besides　his　own　and　an　infantry　force　sufficient　to



warrant　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　will



determine　to　sally　out　en　masse　to　protect　her　rural　districts；　the



prospect　is　fair。　Under　God；　our　troopers；　if　properly　cared　for；　are



the　finer　men；　our　infantry　of　the　line　are　no　less　numerous；　and　as



regards　physique；　if　it　comes　to　that；　not　one　whit　inferior；　while　in



reference　to　moral　qualities；　they　are　more　susceptible　to　the　spur　of



a　noble　ambition；　if　only　under　God's　will　they　be　correctly　trained。



Or　again；　as　touching　pride　of　ancestry；　what　have　Athenians　to　fear



as　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　her



navy；　as　in　the　old　days　when　the　Lacedaemonians；　leagued　with　the



rest　of　Hellas；　brought　invasion；＇4＇　and　is　content　once　more　simply



to　protect　her　walls　through　thick　and　thin。　As　to　protecting　what



lies　outside　the　city　wall　she　looks　to　her　cavalry　for　that；　and



single…handed　her　troopers　must　do　desperate　encounter　against　the



united　forces　of　the　enemy。　I　say；　under　these　circumstances；　we　shall



need　in　the　first　place　the　strong　support　of　Heaven；　and　in　the



second　place；　well　will　it　be　for　us　if　our　cavalry　commander　prove



himself　a　consummate　officer。＇5＇　Indeed；　he　will　have　need　of　large



wisdom　to　deal　with　a　force　so　vastly　superior　in　numbers；　and　of



enterprise　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　physical



endurance；＇6＇　since　clearly；　if　he　has　to　run　full　tilt　against　an



armament　present；　as　we　picture；　in　such　force　that　not　even　our　whole



state　cares　to　cope　with　it；　it　is　plain　he　must　accept　whatever　fate



is　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　the



walls＇7＇　with　a　number　just　sufficient　to　keep　a　look…out　on　the



enemy；　and　to　withdraw　into　safe　quarters　from　a　distance　whatever



needs　protectiona　small　number；　be　it　observed；　is　just　as　capable



of　vedette　duty；　as　well　able；　say；　to　scan　the　distant　horizon；　as　a



large；　and　by　the　same　token　men　with　no　great　confidence　in



themselves　or　in　their　horses　are　not　ill…qualified　to　guard；　or



withdraw　within　shelter＇8＇　the　property　of　friends；　since　fear；　as　the



proverb　has　it；　makes　a　shrewd　watchman。　The　proposal；　therefore；　to



select　from　these　a　corps　of　observation　will　most　likely　prove　true



strategy。　But　what　then　of　the　residue　not　needed　for　outpost　duty？　If



any　one　imagines　he　has　got　an　armament；　he　will　find　it　miserably



small；　and　lacking　in　every　qualification　necessary　to　risk　an　open



encounter。







＇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　will



find　the　force　quite　competent　for　that；　I　warrant。　His　business；　so



at　least　it　seems　to　me；　will　be　to　keep　his　men　perpetually　in



readiness　to　strike　a　blow；　and　without　exposing　himself；　to　play



sentinel；　waiting　for　any　false　move　on　the　part　of　the　hostile



armament。　And　it　is　a　way　with　soldiers；　bear　in　mind；　the　more



numerous　they　are；　the　more　blunders　they　commit。　They　must　needs



scatter　of　set　purpose＇9＇　in　search　of　provisions；　or　through　the



disorder　incidental　to　a　march；　some　will　advance　and　others　lag



behind；　beyond　a　proper　limit。　Blunders　like　these；　then；　our　hipparch



must　not　let　pass　unpunished　（unless　he　wishes　the　whole　of　Attica　to



become　a　gigantic　camp）；＇10＇　keeping　his　single　point　steadily　in



view；　that　when　he　strikes　a　blow　he　must　be　expeditious　and　retire



before　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　into



roads　where　numbers　are　no　advantage。　Agai