第 9 节
作者:溜溜      更新:2021-02-19 00:32      字数:9321
  shoulders to hang on the heels of an enemy in security; and to determine
  with precision'11' the exact number of the enemy he will care to deal with。
  Occasionally the fine chance occurs to atack the foe while encamping or
  breakfasting or supping; or as the men turn out of bed: seasons at which
  the soldier is apt to be unharnessedthe hoplite for a shorter; the cavalry
  trooper for a longer period。'12'
  '11'    See    〃Anab。〃      II。  v。   18;   〃Cyrop。〃     III。   iii。  47;   IV。   i。  18。
  {tamieusasthai}; 〃with the precision of a controller。〃
  '12' Cf。 〃Hell。〃 II。 iv。 6; VII。 i。 16。
  As    to   vedettes    and    advanced      outposts;    you   should     never    cease
  planning and plotting against them。 For these in their turn; as a rule; are
  apt   to   consist   of   small   numbers;   and   are   sometimes   posted   at   a   great
  distance   from   their   own   main   body。   But   if   after   all   it   turns   out   that   the
  enemy are well on their guard against all such attempts; then; God helping;
  it would be a feat of arms to steal into the enemy's country; first making it
  your business to ascertain'13' his defences; the number of men at this; that;
  and the other point; and how they are distributed throughout the country。
  For there is no booty so splendid as an outpost so overmastered; and these
  frontier outposts are especially prone to be deceived; with their propensity
  to give chase to any small body they set eyes on; regarding that as their
  peculiar function。 You will have to see; however; in retiring that your line
  of retreat is not right into the jaws of the enemy's reliefs hastening to the
  scene of action。
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  '13' Or; 〃having first studied。〃 Cf。 〃Mem。〃 III。 vi。 10。
  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
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  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
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  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