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.bylegal if not by moral pressure.See Martin, op.cit.pp.316, 321foll.[15] i.e."would cause you to be suspected of acting from motives ofgain."
[16] Reading {esti de kai ous}, or if as vulg.{eti de kai}, "More than that, it strikes me one may work on the feelings of young fellows in such a way as to disarm." See Hartmann, "An.Xen.N." 325.
[17] Cf.Aesch."P.V." 474; Herod.vi.35; Dem.1046.14; Thuc.vi.12; Isocr.{peri tou zeugous}, 353 C.{ippotrophein d' epikheiresas, o ton eudaimonestaton ergon esti.} See Prof.Jebb's note to Theophr."Ch." vi.p.197, note 16.
[18] Lit."if they mount."
[19] Like that of Pheidippides in the play; see Aristoph."Clouds," 23 foll.And for the price of horses, ranging from 3 minas (= L12 circa) for a common horse, or 12 minas (say L50) for a good saddle or race-horse, up to the extravagant sum of 13 talents (say 3000 guineas) given for "Bucephalus," see Boeckh, "P.E.A." (Eng.tr.) p.74.Cf.Isaeus, 55.22; 88.17; Lys."de Maled." 133.10; Aul.Gell."Noct.
Att." v.2.
To come to the existing body of knights,[20] it would tend,[21] I think, to better rearing and more careful treatment of their horses if the senate issued a formal notice that for the future twice the amount of drill will be required, and that any horse unable to keep up will be rejected.And so, too, with regard to vicious horses, I should like to see an edict promulgated to the effect that all such animals will be rejected.This threat would stimulate the owners of such brutes to part with them by sale, and, what is more, to exercise discretion at the time of purchase.So, too, it would be a good thing if the same threat of rejection were made to include horses that kick on the exercising-grounds, since it is impossible to keep such animals in the ranks; and in case of an advance against a hostile force at any point,[22] they must perforce trail in the rear, so that, thanks to the vice of the animal which he bestrides, the trooper himself is rendered useless.
[20] Or, "As regards those who are actually serving in the cavalry." For a plausible emend.of this passage (S.13) see Courier ("Notessur le texte," p.54); L.Dind.ad loc.
[21] Lit."the senate might incite to..."[22] Reading {ean}, or if {kan} with the MSS., trans."even in case of an advance against the enemy."With a view to strengthening the horses' feet: if any one has an easier or more simple treatment to suggest, by all means let it be adopted; but for myself, as the result of experience, I maintain that the proper course is to lay down a loose layer of cobbles from the road, a pound or so in weight, on which the horse should be put to stand, when taken from the manger to be groomed.[23] The point is, that the horse will keep perpetually moving first one foot and then another on the stones, whilst being rubbed down or simply because he is fidgeted by flies.Let any one try the experiment, and, I venture to predict, not only will he come to trust my guidance, but he will see his horse's hoofs grow just as round and solid as the cobbles.
[23] See below, "Horse." iv.4.The Greeks did not "shoe" their horses.
Assuming, then, your horses are all that horses ought to be, how is the trooper to attain a like degree of excellence? To that question I will now address myself.The art of leaping on to horseback is one which we would fain persuade the youthful members of the corps to learn themselves; though, if you choose to give them an instructor,[24] all the greater credit to yourself.And as to the older men you cannot do better than accustom them to mount, or rather to be hoisted up by aid of some one, Persian fashion.[25]
[24] Like Pheidon, in the fragment of Mnesimachus's play "The Breeder of Horses," ap.Athen.See Courier, ib.p.55.
[25] See "Anab." IV.iv.4; "Horsemanship," vi.12.
