the cavalry general-第4节
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time 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 pace
should at once be changed; and now; with footing slow; let them
retrace their course back to the temples。 In this way every detail
characteristic of knightly pageantry'9' will have been displayed to
the delight of god and man。 That our knights are not accustomed to
these actual evolutions; I am well aware; but I also recognise the
fact that the performances are good and beautiful and will give
pleasure to spectators。 I do not fail to note; moreover; that novel
feats of horsemanship have before now been performed by our knights;
when their commanders have had the ability to get their wishes readily
complied 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' in
the grounds of the Lyceum; before the javelin…throwing。 The scene
would gain in beauty if the tribal squadrons were to ride in line of
columns'11' as if for battle; in two divisions; five squadrons in the
one and five in the other; with the hipparch and the phylarchs at
their head; in such formation as to allow the whole breadth of the
racecourse 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; I
think; be obviously useful here to show the skill with which your
troopers can gallop down a steep incline'13' with as broad a front as
the nature of the ground permits。 I am quite clear that your troopers;
if they can trust their own skill in galloping; will take kindly to
such an exhibition; while as certainly; if unpractised; they must look
to 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 will
ride with showiest effect on these occasions has been already
noted。'15' As far as the leader is himself concerned; and presuming he
is mounted on a powerful horse; I would suggest that he should each
time ride round on the outer flank; in which case he will himself be
kept perpetually moving at a canter; and those with him; as they
become the wheeling flank; will; by turns; fall into the same pace;
with this result: the spectacle presented to the senate will be that
of 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 refernece 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' 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 t