第 8 节
作者:溜溜      更新:2021-02-19 00:32      字数:9321
  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
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  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。〃
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  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;
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  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。 Again;   in   the   passage   of   rivers;
  defiles;    and   the  like;  it  is  possible   for   a  general    with   a  head   on   his
  shoulders to hang on the heels of an enemy in security; and to determine
  with precision'11' the exact number of the enemy he