[5] Lit."form your decads (squads of ten; cf.our 'fours') in ranks and deploy with intervals."To come to the next topic: you may work on the enemy's fears by the various devices of mock ambuscades, sham relief parties, false information.Conversely, his confidence will reach an overweening pitch, if the idea gets abroad that his opponents have troubles of their own and little leisure for offensive operations.
But over and beyond all that can be written on the subject-- inventiveness is a personal matter, beyond all formulas--the true general must be able to take in, deceive, decoy, delude his adversary at every turn, as the particular occasion demands.In fact, there is no instrument of warmore cunning than chicanery;[6] which is not surprising when one reflects that even little boys, when playing, "How many (marbles) have I got in my hand?"[7] are able to take one another in successfully.Out goes a clenched fist, but with such cunning that he who holds a few is thought to hold several; or he may present several and appear to be holding only a few.Is it likely that a grown man, giving his whole mind to methods of chicanery, will fail of similar inventiveness? Indeed, when one comes to consider what is meant by advantages snatched in war, one will find, i think, that the greater part of them, and those the more important, must be attributed in some way or other to displays of craft;[8] which things being so, a man had better either not attempt to exercise command, or, as part and parcel of his general equipment, let him pray to Heaven to enable him to exercise this faculty and be at pains himself to cultivate his own inventiveness.
[6] Cf."Cyrop." IV.ii.26; VII.i.18.
[7] {posinda}, lit."How many?" (i.e.dice, nuts, marbles, etc.); cf.the old game, "Buck! buck! how many horns do I hold up?" Schneid.cf.Aristot."Rhet."iii.5.4.
[8] "Have been won in connection with craft." See "Cyrop." I.vi.32; "Mem." III.i.6; IV.ii.15.
A general, who has access to the sea, may exercise the faculty as follows: he may either, whilst apparently engaged in fitting out his vessels, strike a blow on land;[9] or with a make-believe of some aggressive design by land, hazard an adventure by sea.[10]
[9] A ruse adopted by Jason, 371 B.C.Cf."Hell." VI.iv.21.
[10] Cf.the tactics of the Athenians at Catana, 415 B.C.Thuc.vi.
64.
I consider it to be the duty of the cavalry commander to point outclearly to the state authority the essential weakness of a force of cavalry unaided by light infantry, as opposed to cavalry with foot- soldiers attached.[11] It is duty also, having got his footmen, to turn the force to good account.It is possible to conceal them effectively, not only between the lines, but in rear also of the troopers--the mounted soldier towering high above his follower on foot.
[11] Or, "divorced from infantry." In reference to {amippoi}, cf.
Thuc.v.57; "Hell." VII.v.23.
With regard to these devices and to any others which invention may suggest towards capturing the foeman by force or fraud, I have one common word of advice to add, which is, to act with God, and then while Heaven propitious smiles, fortune will scarcely dare to frown.[12]
[12] Or, "and then by the grace of Heaven you may win the smiles of fortune," reading with Courier, etc., {ina kai e tukhe sunepaine}.Cf."Cyrop." III.iii.20.
At times there is no more effective fraud than a make-believe[13] of over-caution alien to the spirit of adventure.This itself will put the enemy off his guard and ten to one will lure him into some egregious blunder; or conversely, once get a reputation for foolhardiness established, and then with folded hands sit feigning future action, and see what a world of trouble you will thereby cause your adversary.
[13] S.15 should perhaps stand before S.13.
