the cavalry general-第7章

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VIII







It　stands　to　reason；　however；　that　in　order　to　be　able　to　inflict　real



damage　upon　a　greatly　superior　force；　the　weaker　combatant　must



possess　such　a　moral　superiority　over　the　other　as　shall　enable　him　to



appear　in　the　position　of　an　expert；　trained　in　all　the　feats　of



cavalry　performance　in　the　field；　and　leave　his　enemy　to　play　the　part



of　raw　recruits　or　amateurs。＇1＇







＇1＇　Cf。　〃Cyrop。〃　I。　v。　11；　〃Mem。〃　III。　vii。　7。







And　this　end　may　be　secured　primarily　on　this　wise：　those　who　are　to



form　your　guerilla　bands＇2＇　must　be　so　hardened　and　inured　to　the



saddle　that　they　are　capable　of　undergoing　all　the　toils　of　a



campaign。＇3＇　That　a　squadron　（and　I　speak　of　horse　and　man　alike）



should　enter　these　lists　in　careless；　disorderly　fashion　suggests　the



idea　of　a　troop　of　women　stepping　into　the　arena　to　cope　with　male



antagonists。







＇2＇　Or；　add；　〃for　buccaneers　and　free…lances　you　must　be。〃







＇3＇　Lit。　〃every　toil　a　soldier　can　encounter。〃







But　reverse　the　picture。　Suppose　men　and　horses　to　have　been　taught



and　trained　to　leap　trenches　and　scale　dykes；　to　spring　up　banks；　and



plunge　from　heights　without　scathe；　to　gallop　headlong　at　full　speed



adown　a　steep：　they　will　tower　over　unpractised　opponents　as　the　birds



of　the　air　tower　over　creatures　that　crawl　and　walk。＇4＇　Their　feet　are



case…hardened　by　constant　training；　and；　when　it　comes　to　tramping



over　rough　ground；　must　differ　from　the　uninitiated　as　the　sound　man



from　the　lame。　And　so　again；　when　it　comes　to　charging　and　retiring；



the　onward…dashing　gallop；　the　well…skilled；　timely　retreat；　expert



knowledge　of　the　ground　and　scenery　will　assert　superiority　over



inexpertness　like　that　of　eyesight　over　blindness。







＇4＇　See　〃Horse。〃　viii。　6；　cf。　〃Hunting；〃　xii。　2；　〃Cyrop。〃　I。　vi。　28



　　　　foll。







Nor　should　it　be　forgotten；　that　in　order　to　be　in　thorough　efficiency



the　horses　must　not　only　be　well　fed　and　in　good　condition；　but　at　the



same　time　so　seasoned　by　toil　that　they　will　go　through　their　work



without　the　risk　of　becoming　broken…winded。　And　lastly；　as　bits　and



saddle…cloths　（to　be　efficient）＇5＇　need　to　be　attached　by　straps；　a



cavalry　general　should　never　be　without　a　good　supply；　whereby　at　a



trifling　expense　he　may　convert　a　number　of　nonplussed　troopers　into



serviceable　fighting　men。＇6＇







＇5＇　＇｛khresima｝＇　L。D。　For　the　｛upomnema｝　itself　cf。　〃Cyrop。〃　VI。　ii。



　　　　32。







＇6＇　Or；　〃thus　at　a　trifling　outlay　he　will　be　able　to　render　so　many



　　　　non…efficients　useful。〃　Al。　〃make　the　articles　as　good　as　new。〃







But　if　any　one　is　disposed　to　dwell　on　the　amount　of　trouble　it　will



cost　him；　if　he　is　required　to　devote　himself　to　horsemanship　so



assiduously；　let　him　console　himself　with　the　reflection　that　the



pains　and　labours　undergone　by　any　man　in　training　for　a　gymnastic



contest　are　far　larger　and　more　formidable　than　any　which　the　severest



training　of　the　horseman　will　involve；　and　for　this　reason；　that　the



greater　part　of　gymnastic　exercises　are　performed　〃in　the　sweat　of　the



brow；〃　while　equestrian　exercise　is　performed　with　pleasure。　Indeed；



there　is　no　accomplishment　which　so　nearly　realises　the　aspiration　of



a　man　to　have　the　wings　of　a　bird　than　this　of　horsemanship。＇7＇　But



further；　to　a　victory　obtained　in　war　attaches　a　far　greater　weight　of



glory　than　belongs　to　the　noblest　contest　of　the　arena。＇8＇　Of　these



the　state　indeed　will　share　her　meed　of　glory；＇9＇　but　in　honour　of



victory　in　war　the　very　gods　are　wont　to　crown　whole　states　with



happiness。＇10＇　So　that；　for　my　part；　I　know　not　if　there　be　aught　else



which　has　a　higher　claim　to　be　practised　than　the　arts　of　war。







＇7＇　Cf。　〃Cyrop。〃　IV。　iii。　15；　Herod。　iv。　132；　Plat。　〃Rep。〃　v。　467　D。







＇8＇　Cf。　Eur。　〃Autolycus；〃　fr。　1；　trans。　by　J。　A。　Symonds；　〃Greek



　　　　Poets；〃　2nd　series；　p。　283。







＇9＇　Cf。　Plut。　〃Pelop。〃　34　（Clough；　ii。　p。　235）：　〃And　yet　who　would



　　　　compare　all　the　victories　in　the　Pythian　and　Olympian　games　put



　　　　together；　with　one　of　these　enterprises　of　Pelopidas；　of　which　he



　　　　successfully　performed　so　many？〃







＇10＇　〃To　bind　about　the　brows　of　states　happiness　as　a　coronal。〃







And　this；　too；　is　worth　noting：　that　the　buccaneer　by　sea；　the



privateersman；　through　long　practice　in　endurance；　is　able　to　live　at



the　expense　of　far　superior　powers。　Yes；　and　the　life　of　the



freebooter　is　no　less　natural　and　appropriate　to　landsmenI　do　not



say；　to　those　who　can　till　and　gather　in　the　fruit　of　their　fields；



but　to　those　who　find　themselves　deprived　of　sustenance；　since　there



is　no　alternativeeither　men　must　till　their　fields　or　live　on　the



tillage　of　others；　otherwise　how　will　they　find　the　means　either　of



living　or　of　obtaining　peace？＇11＇







＇11＇　Cf。　〃Econ。〃　v。　7。







Here；　too；　is　a　maxim　to　engrave　upon　the　memory：　in　charging　a



superior　force；　never　to　leave　a　difficult　tract　of　ground　in　the　rear



of　your　attack；　since　there　is　all　the　difference　in　the　world　between



a　stumble　in　flight　and　a　stumble　in　pursuit。







There　is　another　precaution　which　I　feel　called　upon　to　note。　Some



generals；＇12＇　in　attacking　a　force　which　they　imagine　to　be　inferior



to　their　own；　will　advance　with　a　ridiculously　insufficient　force；＇13＇



so　that　it　is　the　merest　accident　if　they　do　not　experience　the　injury



they　were　minded　to　inflict。　Conversely；　in　attacking　any　enemy　whose



superiority　is　a　well…known　fact；　they　will　bring　the　whole　of　their



force　into　action。







＇12＇　Or；　〃one　knows　of　generals；〃　e。g。　Iphicrates　at　Oneion；　369　B。C。



　　　　Cf。　〃Hell。〃　VI。　v。　51。







＇13＇　Lit。　〃an　absolutely　weak　force。〃







Now；　my　maxim　would　be　precisely　converse：　if　you　attack　with　a



prospect　of　superiority；　do　not　grudge　employing　all　the　power　at　your



command；　excess　of　victory＇14＇　never　yet　caused　any　conqueror　one　pang



of　remorse。







＇14＇　Or；　〃a　great　and　decided　victory。〃　Cf。　〃Hiero；〃　ii。　16。







But　in　any　attempt　to　attack　superior　forces；　in　full　certainty　that；



do　what　you　can；　you　must　eventually　retire；　it　is　far　better；　say　I；



under　these　circumstances　to　bring　a　fraction　only　of　your　whole　force



into　action；　which　fraction　should　be　the　pick　and　flower　of　the



troops　at　your　command；　both　horses　and　men。　A　body　of　that　size　and



quality　will　be　able　to　strike　a　blow　and　to　fall　back　with　greater



security。　Whereas；　if　a　general　brings　all　his　troops　into　action



against　a　superior　force；　when　he　wishes　to　retire；　certain　things



must　happen：　those　of　his　men　who　are　worse　mounted　will　be　captured；



others　through　lack　of　skill　in　horsemanship　will　be　thrown；　and　a



third　set　be　cut　off　owing　to　mere　difficulties　of　ground；　since　it　is



impossible　to　find　any　large　tract　of　country　exactly　what　you　would



desire。　If　for　no　other　reason；　through　sheer　stress　of　numbers　there



will　be　collisions；　and　much　damage　done　by　kicks　through　mutual



entanglement；　whereas　a　pick　of　horse　and　men　will　be　able　to　escape



offhand；＇15＇　especially　if　you　have　invention　to　create　a　scare　in　the



minds　of　the　pursuers　by　help　of　the　moiety　of　troops　who　are　out　of



action。＇16＇　For　this　purpose　false　ambuscades　will　be　of　use。







＇15＇　Or；　〃by　themselves；〃　reading　｛ex　auton｝；　as　L。　Dind。　suggests。



　　　　Cf。　Polyb。　x。　40。　6；　or　if　as　vulg。　｛ex　auton｝　（sub。　｛kheiron｝；



　　　　Weiske）；　transl。　〃to　slip　through　their　fingers。〃







＇16＇　Zeune　and　other　commentators　cf　Liv。　v。　38　（Diod。　xiv。　114）；　but



　　　　the　part　played　by　the　Roman　subsidiarii　at　the　battle　of　the



　　　　Allia；　if　indeed　〃una　salus　fugientibus；〃　was　scarcely　happy。



　　　　Would　not　〃Hell。〃　VII。　v。　26　be　more　to　the　point？　The　detachment



　　　　of　cavalry　and　infantry　placed　by　Epaminondas　〃on　certain　crests；



　　　　to　create　an　apprehension　in　the　minds　of　the　Athenians〃　in　that



　　　　quarter　of　the　field　at　Mantinea　was　a　｛mekhanema｝　of　the　kind



　　　　here　contemplated。







Another　serviceable　expedient　will　be　to　discover　on　which　side　a



friendly　force　may　suddenly　appear　and　without　risk　to　itself　put　a



drag　on　the　wheels　of　the　pursuer。　Nay；　it　is　self…evident；　I　think；



that；　as　far　as　work　and　speed　are　concerned；　it　is　the　small　body



which　will　assert　its　superiority　more　rapidly　over　the　larger；　and



not　vice　versanot　of　course　that　the　mere　fact　of　being　a　small　body



will　enable　them　to　endure　toil　or　give　them　wings；　but　simply　it　is



easier　to　find　five　men　than　five　hundred；　who　will　take　the　requisite



care　and　pains　with　their　horses；　and　personally　practise　of　their　own



accord　the　art　of　horsemanship。







But　suppose　the　chance　should　occur　of　entering　the　lists　against　an



equal　number　of　the　enemy's　cavalry；　according　to　my　judgment　it　were



no　bad　plan　to　split　the　squadron　into　divisions；＇17＇　the　first　of



which　should　be　commanded　by　the　squadron…leader；　and　the　other　by　the



ablest　officer　to　be　found。　This　second…officer　will　for　the　time



being　follow　in　rear　of　the　leading　division　with　the　squadron　leader；



and　by　and　by；　when　the　antagonist　is　in　near　proximity；　and　when　the



word　of　command　is　passed；　form　squadron　to　the　front　and　charge　the



hostile　ranks＇18＇a　manouvre　calculated；　as　I　conceive；　to　bring　the



whole　mass　down　upon　the　enemy　with　paralysing　force；　and　to　cause　him



some　trouble　to　extricate　himself。　Ideally　speaking；　both



divisions＇19＇　will　be　backed　by　infantry　kept　in　rear　of　the　cavalry；



these　will　suddenly　disclose　themselves；　and　rushing　to　close



quarters；　in　all　probability　clench　the　nail　of　victory。＇20＇　So　at　any



rate　it　strikes　me；　seeing　as　I　do　the　effects　of　what　is　unexpected



how；　in　the　case　of　good　things；　the　soul　of　man　is　filled　to



overflowing　with　joy；　and　again；　in　the　case　of　things　terrible；



paralysed　with　amazement。　In　proof　of　what　I　say；　let　any　one　reflect



on　the　stupor　into　which　a　body　of　men　with　all　the　weight　of



numerical　advantage　on　their　side　will　be　betrayed　by　falling　into　an



ambuscade；　or　again；　on　the　exaggerated　terror　mutually　inspired　in



belligerents　during　the　first　few　days；　of　finding　themselves　posted



in　face　of　one　another。







＇17＇　Or；　〃troops。〃







＇18＇　Possibly　on　flank。　See　Courier；　p。　35；　on　Spanish　cavalry



　　　　tactics。







＇19＇　Lit。　〃supposing　both　divisions　to　be　backed　by　footmen；〃　etc。