will pass by word of mouth, to every squadron, "to increase
their front"; or lastly, supposing you have reached flat country, "to
form squadron in order of battle." If only for the sake of practice,
it is well to go through evolutions of the sort; (4) besides which it
adds pleasure to the march thus to diversify the line of route with
cavalry maneuvers.

(2) See "Hell." V. iv. 40 for a case in point.

(3) Or, "advance by column of route." See "Hell." VII. iv. 23.

(4) Or, "it is a pleasant method of beguiling the road." Cf. Plat.
"Laws," i. 625 B.

Supposing, however, you are off roads altogether and moving fast over
difficult ground, no matter whether you are in hostile or in friendly
territory, it will be useful if the scouts attached to squadrons (5)
rode on in advance, their duty being, in case of encountering pathless
clefts or gullies, to work round on to practicable ground, and to
discover at what point the troopers may effect a passage, so that
whole ranks may not go blindly roaming. (6)

(5) {ton upereton} = "ground scouts," al. "orderlies." Ordonnances,
trabans (Courier). See Rustow and Kochly, p. 140. "Cyrop." II. i.
21; II. iv. 4; V. iii. 52; VII. v. 18, and VI. ii. 13; "Anab." I.
ix. 27; II. i. 9; where "adjutants," "orderlies" would seem to be
implied.

(6) Al. "to prevent whole divisions losing their way." Cf. "Anab."
VIII. iii. 18.

Again, if there is prospect of danger on the march, a prudent general
can hardly show his wisdom better than by sending out advanced patrols
in front of the ordinary exploring parties to reconnoitre every inch
of ground minutely. So to be apprised of the enemy's position in
advance, and at as great a distance off as possible, cannot fail to be
useful, whether for purposes of attack or defence; just as it is
useful also to enforce a halt at the passage of a river or some other
defile, so that the men in rear may not knock their horses all to bits
in endeavouring to overtake their leader. These are precepts known, I
admit, to nearly all the world, but it is by no means every one who
will take pains to apply them carefully. (7)

(7) See "Econ." xx. 6. foll.

It is the business of the hipparch to take infinite precautions while
it is still peace, to make himself acquainted with the details, not
only of his own, but of the hostile territory; (8) or if, as may well
betide, he personally should lack the knowledge, he should invite the
aid o