Cavalry -- Greece -- History; Classical literature; Military art and science -- Greece -- Early works to 1800
The general of cavalry, (8) as patron of the whole department, is
naturally responsible for its efficient working. In view, however, of
the task imposed upon that officer had he to carry out these various
details single-handed, the state has chosen to associate (9) with him
certain coadjutors in the persons of the phylarchs (or tribal
captains), (10) and has besides imposed upon the senate a share in the
superintendence of the cavalry. This being so, two things appear to me
desirable; the first is, so to work upon the phylarch that he shall
share your own enthusiasm for the honour of the corps; (11) and
secondly, to have at your disposal in the senate able orators, (12)
whose language may instil a wholesome fear into the knights
themselves, and thereby make them all the better men, or tend to
pacify the senate on occasion and disarm unseasonable anger.
(8) See "Mem." III. iii.
(9) Cf. Theophr. xxix. "The Oligarchic Man": "When the people are
deliberating whom they shall associate with the archon as joint
directors of the procession." (Jebb.)
(10) Or, "squadron-leaders."
(11) "Honour and prestige of knighthood."
(12) "To keep a staff of orators." Cf. "Anab." VII. vi. 41; "Cyrop."
I. vi. 19; "Hell." VI. ii. 39.
The above may serve as memoranda (13) of the duties which will claim
your chief attention. How the details in each case may best be carried
out is a further matter, which I will now endeavour to explain.
(13) "A sort of notes and suggestions," "mementoes." Cf.
"Horsemanship," iii. 1, xii. 14.
As to the men themselves--the class from which you make your pick of
troopers--clearly according to the law you are bound to enrol "the
ablest" you can find "in point of wealth and bodily physique"; and "if
not by persuasion, then by prosecution in a court of law." (14) And for
my part, I think, if legal pressure is to be applied, you should apply
it in those cases where neglect to prosecute might fairly be ascribed
to interested motives; (15) since if you fail to put compulsion on the
greater people first, you leave a backdoor of escape at once to those
of humbler means. But there will be other cases; (16) say, of young men
in whom a real enthusiasm for the service may be kindled by recounting
to them all the brilliant feats of knighthood; while you may disarm
the opposition of their guardians by dwelling on the fact that, if not
you, at any rate some future hipparch will certainly compel them to
breed horses, (17) owing to their wealth; whereas, if they enter the
service (18) during your term of office, you will undertake to deter
their lads from mad extravagance in buying horses, (19) and take pains
to make good horsemen of them without loss of time; and while pleading
in this strain, you must endeavour to make your practice correspond
with what you preach.
(14) Lit. "by bringing them into court, or by persuasion," i.e. by
legal if not by moral pressure. See Martin, op. cit. pp. 316, 321
foll.
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