FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   >>  
n}, 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 versa--not 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 maneuver 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 terribl
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   >>  



Top keywords:

squadron

 

cavalry

 

infantry

 

suddenly

 

officer

 

leader

 
divisions
 

things

 

follow

 
effects

unexpected

 

ablest

 

commanded

 

judgment

 
terribl
 

suppose

 
chance
 

horsemanship

 

personally

 

horses


practise
 

accord

 

entering

 

filled

 

leading

 
number
 

overflowing

 

division

 

trouble

 

probability


extricate

 

clench

 

victory

 

paralysing

 

Ideally

 
quarters
 

disclose

 
backed
 

speaking

 

proximity


command

 
passed
 

strikes

 

rushing

 

antagonist

 

calculated

 
conceive
 

maneuver

 
charge
 
hostile