第 5 节
作者:溜溜      更新:2021-02-19 00:32      字数:9322
  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。
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  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;
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  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
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  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。
  But to proceed to another topic。 The enemy is less likely to get wind of
  an advance of cavalry; if the orders for march were passed from mouth to
  mouth   rather   th