PERIOD I. 



CHAP, n.] THE GREEK CAVALRY . 43 



them properly, and how to exercise them in peace and 

 in war. 



The work shows that, in very many essential points, 

 the Greeks of his age had attained a considerable skill in 

 the management of their cavalry. The weapons and 

 system of fighting, both among the infantry and horse- 

 men of that time, were so different from the arms and 

 system at present in use, that the mere details of drill 

 are of but little interest to us now, but upon the general 

 principles which govern the use and employment of 

 cavalry Xenophon's views merit close attention. 



In his first chapter he impresses upon the reader the 

 absolute necessity of great care in the choice of horses 

 for the cavalry service — kicking and unmanageable 

 iiorses are to be avoided, and well-trained ones alone 

 kept in the force. Attention is also to be paid to their 

 feet, that they may be in a condition to be ridden on 

 rough ground, and he advises having the horses stand 

 upon smooth round stones while being groomed, so as to 

 harden the hoof, the use of iron shoes being unknown in 

 his day. 



The next point he urges is to exercise the men 

 thoroughly, so that they may be well able to vault on 

 their horses readily, and to ride them easily upon all 

 kinds of ground. As soon as the riding-school course 

 was completed, and the recruit could sit firm, then he 

 was to be taught and drilled as much as possible to 

 throw the javelin on horseback. Having armed both 

 men and horses with defensive armour, the next duty of 

 the commander was to inculcate obedience, " for without 

 obedience there will be no profit either in good horses or 

 in firm-seated riders, or in fine arms." 



Xenophon also advises the cavalry in drilling to ride 

 out into the country, to leave the beaten road, to gallop 

 their horses over ground of all sorts, and to have mock 

 combats in such pjaces. General Seidlitz, Frederick the 

 Great's best cavalry general, used to exercise his regi- 

 ment in this way over rough ground so violently that 

 Frederick once found fault with him on account of the 

 number of deaths caused by it Seidlitz coolly answered, 



