ese there is nothing in the least difficult to learn.

But how it is possible for men in this arrangement, even if they are
thrown into confusion, to fight with an enemy presenting themselves on
any quarter alike, it is not so easy to understand, except for those
who have been brought up under the institution of Lycurgus. The
Lacedaemonians do with the greatest ease what appears extremely
difficult to other men that are even accustomed to arms. For when they
march in column, one enomotia follows in the rear of another; and if,
when they are in this order, a body of the enemy shows itself in
front, orders are given to each enomotarch to bring up his enomotia to
the front on the left; and this movement is made throughout the whole
army, until it presents itself in full array against the enemy. But if
again, while they are in this order, the enemy should show themselves
in the rear, each rank performs the evolution, that the strongest may
always be presented to the enemy.

But when the commander is on the left, they do not in that case
consider themselves in a worse condition, but sometimes even in a
better; for if an enemy should attempt to encompass them, he would
come round, not on the defenseless, but on the armed side. If on any
occasion, again, it should appear advantageous, for any particular
object, that the commander should occupy the right wing, they wheel
the troop toward the wing, and maneuver the main body until the
commander is on the right, and the rear becomes the left. But if,
again, the body of the enemy appear on the right, marching in column,
they do nothing else but turn each century round, like a ship, so as
to front the enemy; and thus the century which was in the rear comes
to the right. But if the enemy approach on the left, they do not allow
them to come near, but repulse them, or turn their centuries round to
face the enemy; and thus again the century that was in the rear takes
its place on the left.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 53: From the treatise on "The Government of Lacedaemon."
Translated by J. S. Watson. This work is believed to be the earliest
extant specimen of Attic prose. Mahaffy describes it as "one of the
most interesting and instructive documents of the age, very remarkable
for its Machiavellian tone, in its calm ignoring of the right and
wrong of the case as irrelevant."]

V

HOW TO CHOOSE AND MANAGE SADDLE-HORSES[54]

When a person would buy a horse that has been alrea