第 25 节
作者:      更新:2021-02-18 23:31      字数:9322
  and that the objects of their rearing be secured; so also must a general take
  care that his soldiers are safe and have their supplies; and attain the objects
  of   their  soldiering? Which   last   is   that   they  may  get   the  mastery  of   their
  enemies; and so add to their own good fortune and happiness; or tell me;
  what made him praise Agamemnon; saying
  He is both a good king and a warrior bold?'2'
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  Did he mean; perhaps; to imply that he would be a 'warrior bold;' not
  merely   in    standing    alone    and   bravely    battling   against   the  foe;   but  as
  inspiring the whole of his host with like prowess; and by a 'good king;' not
  merely one   who should   stand   forth   gallantly to protect his   own   life;  but
  who should be the source of happiness to all over whom he reigns? Since a
  man is not chosen king in order to take heed to himself; albeit nobly; but
  that those who chose him may attain to happiness through him。 And why
  do   men   go soldiering   except   to   ameliorate   existence?'3'   and   to   this   end
  they choose their generals that they may find in them guides to the goal in
  question。   He;   then;   who   undertakes   that   office   is   bound   to   procure   for
  those who choose him the thing they seek for。 And indeed it were not easy
  to find any nobler ambition than this; or aught ignobler than its opposite。
  '1' 〃Il。〃 ii。 243。 〃The People's Paster;〃 Chapman。
  '2'   〃Il。〃   iii。   179;   cf。   〃Symp。〃   iv。   6。   A   favourite   line   of   Alexander
  the Great's; it is said。
  '3' Of; 〃that life may reach some flower of happiness。〃
  After such sort he handled the question; what is the virtue of a good
  leader?   and   by   shredding   off   all   superficial   qualities;   laid   bare   as   the
  kernel of the matter that it is the function of every leader to make those
  happy whom he may be called upon to lead。'4'
  '4' Cf。 Plat。 〃Rep。〃 342。
  III
  The   following   conversation   with   a   youth   who   had   just   been   elected
  hipparch'1' (or commandant of cavalry); I can also vouch for。'2'
  '1' Cf。 〃Hipparch。〃
  '2' Lit。 〃I know he once held。〃
  Soc。 Can you tell us what set you wishing to be a general of cavalry;
  young sir? What was your object? I suppose it was not simply to ride at
  the head of the 〃knights;〃 an honour not denied to the mounted archers;'3'
  who ride even in front of the generals themselves?
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  '3'  Lit。   〃Hippotoxotai。〃   See   Boeckh;  〃P。   E。 A。〃   II。  xxi。  p。   264   (Eng。
  tr。)
  Hipp。 You are right。
  Soc。 No more was it for the sake merely of public notoriety; since a
  madman might boast of that fatal distinction。'4'
  '4' Or; 〃as we all know; 'Tom Fool' can boast;〃 etc。
  Hipp。 You are right again。
  Soc。    Is  this   possibly    the   explanation?      you   think   to   improve     the
  cavalryyour aim would be to hand it over to the state in better condition
  than you find it; and; if the cavalry chanced to be called out; you at their
  head would be the cause of some good thing to Athens?
  Hipp。 Most certainly。
  Soc。    Well;   and    a  noble   ambition     too;  upon    my    wordif    you    can
  achieve your object。 The command to which you are appointed concerns
  horses and riders; does it not?
  Hipp。 It does; no doubt。
  Soc。   Come   then;   will   you   explain   to   us   first   how   you   propose   to
  improve the horses。
  Hipp。 Ah;   that will scarcely form  part   of my  business; I   fancy。  Each
  trooper is personally responsible for the condition of his horse。
  Soc。 But suppose; when they  present themselves and their   horses;'5'
  you find that some have brought beasts with bad feet or legs or otherwise
  infirm; and others such ill…fed jades that they cannot keep up on the march;
  others;   again;   brutes   so   ill   broken   and   unmanageable   that   they   will   not
  keep their place in the ranks; and others such desperate plungers that they
  cannot   be   got   to   any   place   in   the   ranks   at   all。   What   becomes   of   your
  cavalry force then? How will you charge at the head of such a troop; and
  win glory for the state?
  '5' For this phrase; see Schneider and Kuhner ad loc。
  Hipp。 You are right。 I will try to look after the horses to my utmost。
  Soc。    Well;    and   will  you    not   lay  your    hand    to  improve     the   men
  themselves?
  Hipp。 I will。
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  Soc。   The   first   thing   will   be   to   make   them   expert   in   mounting   their
  chargers?
  Hipp。   That   certainly;   for   if   any   of   them   were   dismounted   he   would
  then have a better chance of saving himself。
  Soc。 Well; but when it comes to the hazard of engagement; what will
  you do then? Give orders to draw the enemy down to the sandy ground'6'
  where you are accustomed to manouvre; or endeavour beforehand to put
  your men through their practice on ground resembling a real battlefield?
  '6' e。g。 the hippodrome at Phaleron。
  Hipp。 That would be better; no doubt。
  Soc。 Well; shall you regard it as a part of your duty to see that as many
  of your men as possible can take aim and shoot on horseback?'7'
  '7' Cf。 〃Hipparch;〃 i。 21。
  Hipp。 It will be better; certainly。
  Soc。 And have you thought how to whet the courage of your troopers?
  to kindle in them rage to meet the enemy?which things are but stimulants
  to make stout hearts stouter?
  Hipp。 If I have not done so hitherto; I will try to make up for lost time
  now。
  Soc。 And have you troubled your head at all to consider how you are to
  secure   the   obedience   of   your   men?   for   without   that   not   one   particle   of
  good will you get; for all your horses and troopers so brave and so stout。
  Hipp。 That is a true saying; but how; Socrates; should a man best bring
  them to this virtue?'8'
  '8' {protrepsasthai}。 See above; I。 ii。 64; below; IV。 v。 1。
  Soc。   I   presume   you   know   that   in   any   business   whatever;   people   are
  more apt to follow the lead of those whom they look upon as adepts; thus
  in case of sickness they are readiest to obey him whom they regard as the
  cleverest physician; and so on a voyage the most skilful pilot; in matters
  agricultural the best farmer; and so forth。
  Hipp。 Yes; certainly。
  Soc。 Then in this matter of cavalry also we may reasonably  suppose
  that he who is looked upon as knowing his business best will command
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  the readiest obedience。
  Hipp。 If; then; I can prove to my troopers that I am better than all of
  them; will that suffice to win their obedience?
  Soc。 Yes; if along with that you can teach them that obedience to you
  brings greater glory and surer safety to themselves。
  Hipp。 How am I to teach them that?
  Soc。 Upon my word! How are you to teach them that? Far more easily;
  I take it; than if you had to teach them that bad things are better than good;
  and more advantageous to boot。
  Hipp。    I  suppose    you   mean     that;  besides   his  other   qualifications    a
  commandant of cavalry must have command of speech and argument?'9'
  '9'   Or;   〃practise   the  art  of  oratory〃;    〃express    himself    clearly   and
  rationally。〃 See Grote; 〃H。 G。〃 VIII。 lxvii。 p。 463 note;                  〃Hipparch;〃 i。
  24; viii。 22。
  Soc。 Were you under the impression that the commandant was not to
  open his mouth? Did it never occur to you that all the noblest things which
  custom'10'       compels     us   to  learn;   and   to  which    indeed    we    owe    our
  knowledge   of   life;   have   all   been   learned   by   means   of   speech'11'   and
  reason; and if there be any other noble learning which a man may learn; it
  is this same reason whereby he learns it; and the best teachers are those
  who   have   the   freest   command   of   thought   and   language;   and   those   that
  have the best knowledge of the most serious things are the most brilliant
  masters of disputation。 Again; have you not observed that whenever this
  city of ours fits out one of her chorusessuch as that; for instance; which
  is sent to Delos'12' there is nothing elsewhere from any quarter of the
  world