against the foe, without the help of Heaven, or despite the auspices--
I say, you have a list of virtues which will make those under his
command the more obedient to their ruler.

[3] Or, "stone walls," "dykes."



VII

If prudence may be spoken of as the one quality distinctive of true
generalship, there are two respects in which a general of cavalry at
Athens should pre-eminently excel. Not only must he show a dutiful
submission to the gods; but he must possess great fighting qualities,
seeing that he has on his borders a rival cavalry equal to his own in
number and backed by a large force of heavy infantry.[1] So that, if
he undertake to invade the enemy's territory unsupported by the other
forces of the city[2]--in dealing with two descriptions of forces
single-handed, he and his cavalry must look for a desperate adventure;
or to take the converse case, that the enemy invades the soil of
Attica, to begin with, he will not invade at all, unless supported by
other cavalry besides his own and an infantry force sufficient to
warrant the supposition that no force on our side can cope with him.

[1] The reference is doubtless to the Thebans. Unfortunately we do not
know, on good authority, how many troops of either arm they had in
the field at Leuctra or at Mantinea.

[2] Lit. "without the rest of the city," i.e. the hoplites, etc.