(11) Al. "to envelop the victims in the nets."(12) Lit. "whatever the creature is in contact with inside."(13) Cf. Aesch. "Prom." 87, {Poto tropo tesd' ekkulisthesei tukhes}.(14) Or, "if the creature is not first suffocated in the snow itself."(15) See Pollux, v. 50. "She must presently be tired out in the heavysnow, which balls itself like a fatal clog clinging to the underpart of her hairy feet."
IX
For hunting fawns (1) and deer, (2) Indian dogs (3) should be employed, as being strong, large, and fleet-footed, and not devoid of spirit; with these points they will prove well equal to the toil.
(1) See Hom. "Il." xxii. 189, x. 361; "Od." iv. 35; Aelian, "N. A."xiv. 14; xvii. 26; Geopon. xix. 5.(2) {e elaphos} (generic, Attic) = hart or hind, of roe (Capreoluscaprea) or red (Cervus elaphus) deer alike, I suppose. See St.John, "Nat. Hist. and Sport in Moray."(3) Of the Persian or Grecian greyhound type perhaps. See Aristot. "H.A." viii. 28; Aelian, "N. A." viii. 1; Pollux, v. 37, 38, 43;Plin. "H. N." vii. 2, viii. 28; Oppian, "Cyn." i. 413.
Quite young fawns (4) should be captured in spring, that being the season at which the dams calve. (5) Some one should go beforehand into the rank meadowlands (6) and reconnoitre where the hinds are congregated, and wherever that may be, the master of the hounds will set off—with his hounds and a supply of javelins—before daylight to the place in question. Here he will attach the hounds to trees (7) some distance off, for fear of their barking, (8) when they catch sight of the deer. That done he will choose a specular point himself and keep a sharp look-out. (9) As day breaks he will espy the hinds leading their fawns to the places where they will lay them severally to rest. (10) Having made them lie down and suckled them, they will cast anxious glances this way and that to see that no one watches them; and then they will severally withdraw to the side opposite and mount guard, each over her own offspring. The huntsman, who has seen it all, (11) will loose the dogs, and with javelins in hand himself advance towards the nearest fawn in the direction of where he saw it laid to rest; carefully noting the lie of the land, (12) for fear of making some mistake; since the place itself will present a very different aspect on approach from what it looked like at a distance.
(4) See above, v. 14. I do not know that any one has answeredSchneider's question: Quidni sensum eundem servavit homoreligiosus in hinnulis?(5) "The fawns (of the roe deer) are born in the spring, usually earlyin May," Lydekker, "R. N. H." ii. p. 383; of the red deer"generally in the early part of June," ib. 346.(6) {orgadas} = "gagnages," du Fouilloux, "Comment le veneur doitaller en queste aux taillis ou gaignages pour voir le cerf aveue," ap. Talbot, op. cit. i. p. 331.(7) Or, "off the wood."(8) It seems they were not trained to restrain themselves.(9) Or, "set himself to observe from some higher place." Cf. Aristoph."Wasps," 361, {nun de xun oplois} | {andres oplitai diataxamenoi}| {kata tas diodous skopiorountai}. Philostr. 784.(10) See Pollux, v. 77; Aristot. "H. A." ix. 5. Mr. Scrope ap.Lydekker, "R. N. H." ii. p. 346, states that the dam of the reddeer makes her offspring "lie down by a pressure of her nose,"etc.(11) Lit. "when he sees these things."(12) Or, "the features of the scene"; "the topography."
When his eye has lit upon the object of his search, he will approach quite close. The fawn will keep perfectly still, glued (13) as it were to earth, and with loud bleats suffer itself to be picked up; unless it happen to be drenched with rain; in which case, it will not stay quiet in one place. No doubt, the internal moisture of the animal congeals quickly with the cold (14) and causes it to shift its ground. Caught in that case it must needs be; but the hounds will have work enough to run the creature down. (15) The huntsman having seized the fawn, will hand it to the keeper. The bleating will continue; and the hind, partly seeing and partly hearing, will bear down full tilt upon the man who has got her young, in her desire to rescue it. Now is the moment to urge on the hounds and ply the javelins. And so having mastered this one, he will proceed against the rest, and employ the same method of the chase in dealing with them.
(13) {piesas}, "noosling, nestling, buried."(14) "The blood runs cold."(15) Or, "but it will give them a good chase; the dogs will have theirwork cut out."
Young fawns may be captured in the way described. Those that are already big will give more trouble, since they graze with their mothers and the other deer, and when pursued retire in the middle of the herd or occasionally in front, but very seldom in the rear. The deer, moreover, in order to protect their young will do battle with the hounds and trample them under foot; so that capture is not easy, unless you come at once to close quarters and scatter the herd, with the result that one or another of the fawns is isolated. The effort implies (16) a strain, and the hounds will be left behind in the first heat of the race, since the very absence of their dams (17) will intensify the young deer's terror, and the speed of a fawn, that age and size, is quite incredible. (18) But at the second or third run they will be quickly captured; since their bodies being young and still unformed cannot hold out long against fatigue.
(16) Lit. "after that violent effort."(17) Or, "alarm at the absence of the herd will lend the creaturewings."(18) Or, "is past compare"; "is beyond all telling."
Foot-gins (19) or caltrops may be set for deer on mountains, in the neighbourhood of meadows and streams and wooded glens, on cross-roads (20) or in tilled fields at spots which they frequent. (21) These gins should be made of twisted yew twigs (22) stripped of the bark to prevent their rotting. They should have well-rounded hooplike "crowns" (23) with alternate rows of nails of wood and iron woven into the coil. (24) The iron nails should be larger, so that while the wooden ones yield to the foot, the others may press into it. (25) The noose of the cord which will be laid upon "the crown" should be woven out of esparto and so should the rope itself, this kind of grass being least liable to rot. The rope and noose itself should both alike be stout. The log or clog of wood attached should be made of common or of holm oak with the bark on, three spans in length, and a palm in thickness. (26)
(19) {podostrabai}, podostrabai so called. Cf. "the boot."(20) {en tais diodois}, "at points where paths issue," or "cross."(21) {pros o ti prosie}, "against whatever they are likely toapproach."(22) Or, "should be woven out of Smilax"; "Ebenholz," Lenz; "Ifs,"Gail.(23) {tas de stephanas euk. ekh.} "having circular rims."(24) {en to plokano} (al. {plokamo}) = the plaited rope, which formedthe {stephane}. See Pollux, v. 32, ap. Schneid. and Lenz.(25) Al. "so as to press into the foot, if the wooden ones yield."(26) Or, "27 inches x 3."
To set the trap, dig a hole in the soil to a depth of fifteen inches, (27) circular in shape, with a circumference at the top exactly corresponding to the crown and narrowing towards the bottom. For the rope and wooden clog likewise remove sufficient earth to let them both be lightly buried. That done, place the foot-gin deep enough to be just even with the surface of the soil, (28) and round the circle of the crown the cord-noose. The cord itself and wooden clog must now be lowered into their respective places. Which done, place on the crown some rods of spindle-tree, (29) but not so as to stick out beyond the outer rim; and above these again light leaves, such as the season may provide. After this put a final coating of earth upon the leaves; in the first place the surface soil from the holes just dug, and atop of that some unbroken solid earth from a distance, so that the lie of the trap may be as much as possible unnoticed by the deer. Any earth left over should be carried to a distance from the gin. The mere smell of the newly-turned-up soil will suffice to make the animal suspicious; (30) and smell it readily she will.
(27) Or, "remove a mass of soil to the depth of five palms so as toform a circular hole corresponding in size with the rim above-named."(28) Or, "like a door over the cavity, somewhat below the surface,flatwise"; i.e. "in a horizontal position."(29) So literally, but really Carthamus creticus, a thistle-like plantused for making spindles (Sprengel ap. L. & S.), the Euonymouseuropaeus being our spindle-tree. Aristot. "H. A." ix. 40, 49;Theocr. iv. 52.(30) Lit. "if she once sniffs the new-turned soil the deer grows shy,and that she will quickly do." See Plat. "Laws," 933 A; "Phaedr."242 C; "Mem." II. i. 4.
The hunter should take his hounds and inspect the traps upon the mountains, early in the morning if possible, though he should do so also during the day at other times. Those set on cultivated land must always be inspected early, before the sun is up in fact, (31) and for this reason: on the hills, so desert is the region, (32) the creatures may be caught not only at night but at any time of day; while, on the cultivated lands, owing to their chronic apprehension of mankind in daytime, night is the only time. (33)
(31) "Before the sun is up."(32) Or, "thanks to the lonesomeness of the region."(33) "It is night or never, owing to the dread of man which haunts thecreature's mind during daytime."
As soon as the huntsman finds a gin uprooted he will let slip his hounds and with cheery encouragement (34) follow along the wake of the wooden clog, with a keen eye to the direction of its march. That for the most part will be plain enough, since stones will be displaced, and the furrow which the clog makes as it trails along will be conspicuous on tilled ground; or if the deer should strike across rough ground, the rocks will show pieces of bark torn from the clog, and the chase will consequently be all the easier. (35)
(34) See vi. 20; "with view-halloo."(35) Or, "along that track will not be difficult."
Should the deer have been caught by one of its fore-feet it will soon be taken, because in the act of running it will beat and batter its own face and body; if by the hind-leg, the clog comes trailing along and must needs impede the action of every limb. Sometimes, too, as it is whirled along it will come in contact with the forked branches of some tree, and then unless the animal can snap the rope in twain, she is fairly caught; there ends the chase. But even so, if caught in this way or overdone with fatigue, it were well not to come too close the quarry, should it chance to be a stag, or he will lunge out with his antlers and his feet; better therefore let fly your javelins from a distance.
These animals may also be captured without aid of gin or caltrop, by sheer coursing in hot summer time; they get so tired, they will stand still to be shot down. If hard pressed they will plunge into the sea or take to water of any sort in their perplexity, and at times will drop down from sheer want of breath. (36)
(36) "From mere shortness of breath."
X
To cope with the wild boar the huntsman needs to have a variety of dogs, Indian, Cretan, Locrian, and Laconian, (1) along with a stock of nets, javelins, boar-spears, and foot-traps.
(1) For these breeds see Pollux, v. 37: for the Laconian, Pind. "Fr."73; Soph. "Aj." 8; cf. Shakesp. "Mids. N. D." iv. 1. 119, 129foll.
To begin with, the hounds must be no ordinary specimens of the species named, (2) in order to do battle with the beast in question.
(2) Or, "these hounds of the breed named must not be any ordinaryspecimens"; but what does Xenophon mean by {ek toutou tou genous}?
The nets should be made of the same flaxen cord (3) as those for hares above described. They should be forty-five threaded in three strands, each strand consisting of fifteen threads. The height from the upper rim (4) (i.e. from top to bottom) should be ten meshes, and the depth of the nooses or pockets one elbow-length (say fifteen inches). (5) The ropes running round the net should be half as thick again as the cords of the net; and at the extremities (6) they should be fitted with rings, and should be inserted (in and out) under the nooses, with the end passing out through the rings. Fifteen nets will be sufficient. (7)
(3) i.e. "of Phasian or Cathaginian fine flax."(4) {tou koruphaiou}.(5) {pugon}. The distance from the elbow to the first joint of thefinger = 20 {daktuloi} = 5 {palaistai} = 1 1/4 ft. + (L. & S.)(6) {ep akrois}. Cf. {akreleniois}.(7) Reading {ikanai}, vid. Lenz ad loc. and ii. 4.
The javelins should be of all sorts, (8) having blades of a good breadth and razor-sharpness, and stout shafts.
(8) Al. "of various material." See Pollux, v. 20 ap. Schneid.
The boar-spears should in the first place have blades fifteen inches long, and in the middle of the socket two solid projecting teeth of wrought metal, (9) and shafts of cornel-wood a spear-shaft's thickness.
(9) Wrought of copper (or bronze).
The foot-traps should resemble those used for deer.
These hunts should be conducted not singly, (10) but in parties, since the wild boar can be captured only by the collective energy of several men, and that not easily.
(10) Lit. "There should be a band of huntsmen"; or, "It will take theunited energies of several to capture this game." See Hom. "Il."ix. 543, of the Calydonian boar:
{ton d' uios Oineos apekteinen Meleagros, polleon ek polion theretoras andras ageiras kai kunas. ou men gar k' edame pauroisi brotoisin tossos een, pollous de pures epebes' alegeines.}
"But him slew Meleagros the son of Oineus, having gatheredtogether from many cities huntsmen and hounds; for not of few mencould the boar be slain, so mighty was he; and many an one broughthe to the grievous pyre" (W. Leaf).
I will now explain how each part of the gear is to be used in hunting.
The company being come to some place where a boar is thought to lie, the first step is to bring up the pack, (11) which done, they will loose a single Laconian bitch, and keeping the rest in leash, beat about with this one hound. (12) As soon as she has got on the boar's track, let them follow in order, one after another, close on the tracking hound, who gives the lead to the whole company. (13) Even to the huntsmen themselves many a mark of the creature will be plain, such as his footprints on soft portions of the ground, and in the thick undergrowth of forests broken twigs; and, where there are single trees, the scars made by his tusks. (14) As she follows up the trail the hound will, as a general rule, finally arrive at some well-wooded spot; since, as a general rule, the boar lies ensconced in places of the sort, that are warm in winter and cool in summer.
(11) {kunegesion}, "a hunting establishment, huntsmen and hounds, apack of hounds," L. & S. cf. Herod. i. 36; Pollux. v. 17. InAristot. "H. A." viii. 5. 2, of wolves in a pack; v. {monopeirai}.{upagein}—"stealthily?"(12) Or, "go on a voyage of discovery."(13) Reading {te ikhneuouse}, or if vulg. {ikhneusei}, transl. "sether to follow the trail, at the head of the whole train."(14) Schneid. cf. Aristot. "H. A." vi. 18; Plin. viii. 52; Virg."Georg." iii. 255, "ipse ruit, dentesque Sabellicus exacuit sus";Hom. "Il." xi. 416, xiii. 475; Hes. "Shield," 389; Eur. "Phoen."1389; Ovid, "Met." viii. 369.
As soon as she has reached his lair she will give tongue; but the boar will not get up, not he, in nine cases out of ten. The huntsman will thereupon recover the hound, and tie her up also with the rest at a good distance from the lair. (15) He will then launch his toils into the wild boar's harbourage, (16) placing the nooses upon any forked branches of wood to hand. Out of the net itself he must construct a deep forward-jutting gulf or bosom, posting young shoots on this side and that within, as stays or beams, (17) so that the rays of light may penetrate as freely as possible through the nooses into the bosom, (18) and the interior be as fully lit up as possible when the creature makes his charge. The string round the top of the net must be attached to some stout tree, and not to any mere shrub or thorn-bush, since these light-bending branches will give way to strain on open ground. (19) All about each net it will be well to stop with timber even places (20) "where harbrough nis to see," so that the hulking brute may drive a straight course (21) into the toils without tacking.
(15) Lit. "accordingly recover the dog, and tie her up also with therest," etc.(16) {ormous}. Lit. "moorings," i.e. "favourite haunts." Cf. {dusorma}below. Al. "stelle die Fallnetze auf die Wechsel," Lenz.(17) {anteridas}. See a note in the "Class. Rev." X. i. p. 7, by G. S.Sale: "It can only mean long sticks used as stretchers orspreaders to hold up the net between and beyond the props." Cf.Thuc. vii. 36, 2.(18) Or, "within the bay of network."(19) {sunekhontai en tois psilois ai e}. "Denn diese werden anunbestandenen Orten durch die Leine niedergezogen," Lenz;{sunelkontai} conj. Schn.; {sunerkhontai} al., "concurrunt," vid.Sturz.(20) {ta dusorma}, met. from "bad harbourage." Cf. Arsch. "Pers." 448;"Ag." 194. Cf. Lat. "importunus," also of "rough ground."(21) Or, "make his rush."
As soon as the nets are fixed, the party will come back and let the hounds slip one and all; then each will snatch up his javelin (22) and boar-spear, and advance. Some one man, the most practised hand, will cheer on the hounds, and the rest will follow in good order at some considerable distance from one another, so as to leave the animal a free passage; since if he falls into the thick of them as he makes off, there is a fair chance of being wounded, for he will certainly vent his fury on the first creature he falls foul of.
(22) Lit. "then they will take their javelins and boar-spears andadvance."
As soon as the hounds are near his lair, they will make their onslaught. The boar, bewildered by the uproar, will rise up and toss the first hound that ventures to attack him in front. He will then run and fall into the toils; or if not, then after him full cry. (23) Even if the ground on which the toils environ him be sloping, he will recover himself promptly; (24) but if level, he will at once plant himself firm as a rock, as if deliberating with himself. (25) At that conjuncture the hounds will press hard upon him, while their masters had best keep a narrow eye upon the boar and let fly their javelins and a pelt of stones, being planted in a ring behind him and a good way off, until the instant when with a forward heave of his body he stretches the net tight and strains the skirting-rope. Thereupon he who is most skilful of the company and of the stoutest nerve will advance from the front and deliver a home thrust with his hunting-spear.
(23) Or, "a pretty chase must follow."(24) Or, "if within the prison of the net the ground be sloping, itwill not take long to make him spring up; he will be up again onhis legs in no time."(25) Or, "being concerned about himself."
Should the animal for all that rain of javelins and stones refuse to stretch the skirting-rope, should he rather relax (26) in that direction and make a right-about-face turn bearing down on his assailant, there is nothing for it, under these circumstances, but to seize a boar-spear, and advance; firmly clutching it with the left hand forward and with the right behind; the left is to steady it, and the right to give it impulse; and so the feet, (27) the left advanced in correspondence with the left arm, and right with right. As he advances, he will make a lunge forward with the boar-spear, (27) planting his legs apart not much wider than in wrestling, (28) and keeping his left side turned towards his left hand; and then, with his eye fixed steadily on the beast's eye, he will note every turn and movement of the creature's head. As he brings down the boar-spear to the thrust, he must take good heed the animal does not knock it out of his hands by a side movement of the head; (29) for if so he will follow up the impetus of that rude knock. In case of that misfortune, the huntsman must throw himself upon his face and clutch tight hold of the brushwood under him, since if the wild boar should attack him in that posture, owing to the upward curve of its tusks, it cannot get under him; (30) whereas if caught erect, he must be wounded. What will happen then is, that the beast will try to raise him up, and failing that will stand upon and trample him.
(26) {epanieis}. See Sturz, s.v.(27) Lit. "forwards the left foot will follow the left arm and theright foot the other."(28) "Statum venatoris aprum venabulo excipientis pinxitPhilostratus," "Imag." i. 28, Schn.(29) Or, "he will step forward and take one stride not much longerthan that of a wrestler, and thrust forward his boar-spear."(30) Cf. Hes. "Shield," 387; Hom. "Il." xii. 148: "Then forth rushedthe twain, and fought in front of the gates like wild boars thatin the mountains abide the assailing crew of men and dogs, andcharging on either flank they crush the wood around them, cuttingit at the root, and the clatter of their tusks waxes loud, tillone smite them and take their life away" (A. Lang).
From this extremity there is but one means of escape, and one alone, for the luckless prisoner. One of his fellow-huntsmen must approach with boar-spear and provoke the boar, making as though he would let fly at him; but let fly he must not, for fear of hitting the man under him. The boar, on seeing this, will leave the fallen man, and in rage and fury turn to grapple his assailant. The other will seize the instant to spring to his feet, and not forget to clutch his boar-spear as he rises to his legs again; since rescue cannot be nobly purchased save by victory. (31) Let him again bring the weapon to bear in the same fashion, and make a lunge at a point within the shoulder-blade, where lies the throat; (32) and planting his body firmly press with all his force. (33) The boar, by dint of his might and battle rage, will still push on, and were it not that the teeth of the lance-blade hindered, (34) would push his way up to the holder of the boar-spear even though the shaft run right through him. (35)
(31) "Safety can only be won with honour by some master-stroke ofvictory."(32) {sphage}. Aristot. "H. A." i. 14. 2. "Straight at the jugular."(33) Or, "throwing his whole weight on the thrust, press home with allhis force."(34) Or, "but for the intervention of the two projecting teeth of thelance-blade." See the account of the passage of arms between Col.Pollock and a boar in his "Incidents of Foreign Sport and Travel."There the man was mounted, but alone.(35) Lit. "force his heavy bulk along the shaft right up to the holderof the boar-spear."
Nay, so tremendous is the animal's power, that a property which no one ever would suspect belongs to him. Lay a few hairs upon the tusk of a boar just dead, and they will shrivel up instantly, (36) so hot are they, these tusks. Nay, while the creature is living, under fierce excitement they will be all aglow; or else how comes it that though he fail to gore the dogs, yet at the blow the fine hairs of their coats are singed in flecks and patches? (37)
(36) {euthus}, i.e. "for a few seconds after death."(37) The belief is still current, I am told, in parts of India.
So much and even greater trouble may be loked for from the wild boar before capture; I speak of the male animal. If it should be a sow that falls into the toils, the huntsman should run up and prod her, taking care not to be pushed off his legs and fall, in which case he cannot escape being trampled on and bitten. Ergo, he will not voluntarily get under those feet; but if involuntarily he should come to such a pass, the same means (38) of helping each the other to get up again will serve, as in the case of the male animal; and when he has regained his legs, he must ply the boar-spear vigorously till she too has died the death.
(38) {dianastaseis}, "the same methods of mutual recovery."
Wild pigs may be captured further in the following fashion: The nets are fixed for them at the entrances of woody glens, (39) in coppices and hollows, and on screes, where there are outlets into rank meadow-lands, marshes, and clear pools. (40) The appointed person mounts guard at the nets with his boar-spear, while the others work the dogs, exploring the best and likeliest spots. As soon as the quarry is found the chase commences. If then an animal falls into the net, the net-keeper will grip his boar-spear and (41) advance, when he will ply it as I have described; if he escape the net, then after him full cry. In hot, sultry weather the boar may be run down by the hounds and captured. Though a monster in strength, the creature becomes short of breath and will give in from sheer exhaustion.
(39) Al. "at the passages from woodland lakes into oak-coppices."(40) {udata}, "waters," lakes, pools, rivers, etc.(41) Or, "and proceed to tackle him."
It is a form of sport which costs the lives of many hounds and endangers those of the huntsmen themselves. Supposing that the animal has given in from exhaustion at some moment in the chase, and they are forced to come to close quarters; (42) whether he has taken to the water, or stands at bay against some craggy bank, or does not choose to come out from some thicket (since neither net nor anything else hinders him from bearing down like a tornado on whoever approaches); still, even so, advance they must, come what come may, to the attack. And now for a display of that hardihood which first induced them to indulge a passion not fit for carpet knights (43)—in other words, they must ply their boar-spears and assume that poise of body (44) already described, since if one must meet misfortune, let it not be for want of observing the best rules. (45)
(42) Reading {prosienai} ({ta probolia}). (The last two words areprobably a gloss, and should be omitted, since {prosienai} (from{prosiemi}) {ta probolia} = "ply," or "apply their boar-spears,"is hardly Greek.) See Schneid. "Add. et Corr." and L. Dind. adloc.(43) {ekponein}, "to exercise this passion to the full."(44) Lit. "assume their boar-spears and that forward attitude ofbody."(45) Lit. "it will not be at any rate from behaving correctly."
Foot-traps are also set for the wild boar, similar to those for deer and in the same sort of places; the same inspections and methods of pursuit are needed, with consequent attacks and an appeal to the boar-spear in the end.
Any attempt to capture the young pigs will cost the huntsman some rough work. (46) The young are not left alone, as long as they are small; and when the hounds have hit upon them or they get wind of something wrong, they will disappear like magic, vanishing into the forest. As a rule, both parents attend on their own progeny, and are not pleasant then to meddle with, being more disposed to do battle for their young than for themselves.
(46) Lit. "the piglings will resent it (sc. {to aliskesthai})strongly"; al. "the adult (sub. {to therion}) will stand anythingrather."
XI
Lions, leopards, lynxes, panthers, bears and all other such game are to be captured in foreign countries—about Mount Pangaeus and Cittus beyond Macedonia; (1) or again, in Nysa beyond Syria, and upon other mountains suited to the breeding of large game.
(1) Of these places, Mt. Pangaeus (mod. Pirnari) (see "Hell." V. ii.17), Cittus (s. Cissus, mod. Khortiatzi), N. W. of the Chalcidice,Mysian Olympus, and Pindus are well known. Nysa has not beenverified hitherto, I think. Sturz cf. Bochart, "Hieroz." Part I.lib. iii. c. 1, p. 722. Strabo, 637 (xv. 1. 7), mentions a MountNysa in India sacred to Dionysus, and cites Soph. "Frag." 782—
{othen kateidon ton bebakkhiomenen brotoisi kleinon Nusan... k.t.l.},
but it is a far cry from Xenophon's Syria to India. Possibly it isto be sought for in the region of Mt. Amanus.
In the mountains, owing to the difficulty of the ground, (2) some of these animals are captured by means of poison—the drug aconite—which the hunters throw down for them, (3) taking care to mix it with the favourite food of the wild best, near pools and drinking-places or wherever else they are likely to pay visits. Others of them, as they descend into the plains at night, may be cut off by parties mounted upon horseback and well armed, and so captured, but not without causing considerable danger to their captors. (4)
(2) Or, "the inaccessibility of their habitats."(3) "The method is for the trapper to throw it down mixed with thefood which the particular creature likes best."(4) For the poison method see Pollux, v. 82; Plin. "H. N." viii. 27.
In some cases the custom is to construct large circular pits of some depth, leaving a single pillar of earth in the centre, on the top of which at nightfall they set a goat fast-bound, and hedge the pit about with timber, so as to prevent the wild beasts seeing over, and without a portal of admission. What happens then is this: the wild beasts, hearing the bleating in the night, keep scampering round the barrier, and finding no passage, leap over it, and are caught. (5)
(5) See "Tales from the Fjeld," Sir George W. Dasent, "Father Bruin inthe Corner."
XII
With regard to methods of procedure in the hunting-field, enough has been said. (1) But there are many benefits which the enthusiastic sportsman may expect to derive from this pursuit. (2) I speak of the health which will thereby accrue to the physical frame, the quickening of the eye and ear, the defiance of old age, and last, but not least, the warlike training which it ensures. To begin with, when some day he has to tramp along rough ways under arms, the heavy infantry soldier will not faint or flag—he will stand the toil from being long accustomed to the same experiences in capturing wild beasts. In the next place, men so trained will be capable of sleeping on hard couches, and prove brave guardians of the posts assigned them. In the actual encounter with the enemy, they will know at once how to attack and to carry out the word of command as it passes along the lines, because it was just so in the old hunting days that they captured the wild game. If posted in the van of battle, they will not desert their ranks, because endurance is engrained in them. In the rout of the enemy their footsteps will not falter nor fail: straight as an arrow they will follow the flying foe, on every kind of ground, through long habituation. (3) Or if their own army encounter a reverse on wooded and precipitous ground beset with difficulties, these will be the men to save themselves with honour and to extricate their friends; since long acquaintance with the business of the chase has widened their intelligence. (4)
(1) Or, "Respecting the methods employed in different forms of thechase, I have said my say." As to the genuineness of this and thefollowing chapter see L. Dind. ad loc.; K. Lincke, "Xenophon'sDialog." {peri oikonomias}, p. 132.(2) Lit. "this work"; and in reference to the highly Xenophontineargument which follows see "Hellenica Essays," p. 342; cf."Cyrop." I. vi. 28, 39-41.(3) "For the sake of 'auld lang syne.'"(4) Or, "will place them on the vantage-ground of experts."
Nay, even under the worst of circumstances, when a whole mob of fellow-combatants (5) has been put to flight, how often ere now has a handful (6) of such men, by virtue of their bodily health (7) and courage, caught the victorious enemy roaming blindly in some intricacy of ground, renewed the fight, and routed him. Since so it must ever be; to those whose souls and bodies are in happy case success is near at hand. (8)
(5) Or, "allies."(6) Or, "a forlorn hope."(7) {euexia}, al. {eutaxia}, "by good discipline."(8) "Fortune favours the brave," reading {to eutukhesai} (L. D.); orif {tou eutukhesai}, (vulg.) "those whose health of soul and bodyis established are ipso facto nigh unto good fortune."
It was through knowledge that they owed success against their foes to such a training, that our own forefathers paid so careful a heed to the young. (9) Though they had but a scant supply of fruits, it was an immemorial custom "not to hinder (10) the hunter from hunting any of earth's offspring"; and in addition, "not to hunt by night (11) within many furlongs of the city," in order that the adepts in that art might not rob the young lads of their game. They saw plainly that among the many pleasures to which youth is prone, this one alone is productive of the greatest blessings. In other words, it tends to make them sound of soul and upright, being trained in the real world of actual things (12) (and, as was said before, our ancestors could not but perceive they owed their success in war to such instrumentality (13)); and the chase alone deprives them of none of the other fair and noble pursuits that they may choose to cultivate, as do those other evil pleasures, which ought never to be learned. Of such stuff are good soldiers and good generals made. (14) Naturally, those from whose souls and bodies the sweat of toil has washed all base and wanton thoughts, who have implanted in them a passion for manly virtue—these, I say, are the true nobles. (15) Not theirs will it be to allow their city or its sacred soil to suffer wrong.
(9) Al. "looked upon the chase as a pursuit incumbent on the young."(10) {me koluein (dia) to meden ton epi te ge phuomenon agreuein}. Thecommentators generally omit {dia}, in which case translate as intext. Lenz reads {un koluein dia meden} (see his note ad v. 34),and translates (p. 61), "Dass man die Jager nicht hindern solle,in allem was die Erde hervorbrachte zu jagen," "not to hinder thehuntsmen from ranging over any of the crops which spring fromearth"; (but if so, we should expect {dia medenos}). Sturz, s.v.{agreuein}, notes "festive," "because the hunter does not huntvegetable products." So Gail, "parce que le chasseur rien veut pasaux productions de la terre."(11) Or, "set their face against night-hunting," cf. "Mem." IV. vii.4; Plat. "Soph." 220 D; "Stranger: There is one mode of strikingwhich is done at night, and by the light of a fire, and is calledby the hunters themselves firing, or spearing by firelight"(Jowett); for which see Scott, "Guy Mannering," ch. x. It seems"night hunting was not to be practised within a certainconsiderable radius, whereby the proficients in that art mightdeprive it (lit. in order that they might not deprive) them (theyoung huntsmen) of their game."(12) Lit. "in truth and reality (not among visionary phantoms)."(13) These words are commonly regarded as an addition; and what does{te} signify?(14) Or, "Here you have the making of brave soldiers and generals.Here in embryo are to be found your future soldiers and generalsworthy the name."(15) {outoi aristoi}: these are prima virorum, the true aristocrats.
Some people tell us it is not right to indulge a taste for hunting, lest it lead to neglect of home concerns, not knowing that those who are benefactors of their country and their friends are in proportion all the more devoted to domestic duties. If lovers of the chase pre-eminently fit themselves to be useful to the fatherland, that is as much as to say they will not squander their private means; since with the state itself the domestic fortunes of each are saved or lost. The real fact is, these men are saviours, not of their own fortunes only, but of the private fortunes of the rest, of yours and mine. Yet there are not a few irrational people amongst these cavillers who, out of jealousy, would rather perish, thanks to their own baseness, than owe their lives to the virtue of their neighbours. So true is it that the mass of pleasures are but evil, (16) to which men succumb, and thereby are incited to adopt the worse cause in speech and course in action. (17) And with what result?—from vain and empty arguments they contract emnities, and reap the fruit of evil deeds, diseases, losses, death—to the undoing of themselves, their children, and their friends. (18) Having their senses dulled to things evil, while more than commonly alive to pleasures, how shall these be turned to good account for the salvation of the state? Yet from these evils every one will easily hold aloof, if once enamoured of those joys whose brief I hold, since a chivalrous education teaches obedience to laws, and renders justice familiar to tongue and ear. (19)
(16) See "Hellenica Essays," p. 371.(17) "To depravity of speech and conduct" (whether as advocates orperformers). See Aristoph. "Clouds."(18) Or, "bring down on themselves, their children, and their friendsa spring of misfortunes in the shape of diseases, losses, or evendeath."(19) "For what does a chivalrous education teach save to obey the law,and to make the theme of justice familiar to tongue and ear?"
In the one camp are those who, subjecting themselves ever to new toil and fresh instruction, have, at the cost of lessons and exercises painful to themselves, obtained to their several states salvation; and in the other are those who for the very irksomeness of the process choose not to be taught, but rather to pass away their days in pleasures unseasonable—nature's abjects these. (20) Not theirs is it to obey either laws or good instruction; (21) nay, how should they, who never toil, discover what a good man ought to be?—in other words, wisdom and justice are alike beyond their power. Subject to indiscipline, they have many a fault to find with him who is well educated.
(20) Lit. "the sorriest of mankind these by nature."(21) Or, "virtuous argument"; {logois agathois}, lit. "good words."
Through the instrumentality of such as these nothing can go well; whereas every blessing which mankind enjoys has been discovered by the efforts of the nobler sort. Nobler, I say, are those who choose to toil. (22)
(22) Or, "of choice spirits; and who are the choice spirits?—Clearlythose who choose to toil."
And this has been proved conclusively by a notable example. If we look back to the men of old who sat at the feet of Cheiron—whose names I mentioned—we see that it was by dedicating the years of their youth to the chase (23) that they learnt all their noble lore; and therefrom they attained to great renown, and are admired even to this day for their virtue—virtue who numbers all men as her lovers, as is very plain. Only because of the pains it costs to win her the greater number fall away; for the achievement of her is hid in obscurity; while the pains that cleave to her are manifest. Perchance, if only she were endowed with a visible bodily frame, men would less have neglected her, knowing that even as she is visible to them, so they also are not hid from her eyes. For is it not so that when a man moves in the presence of him whom he dearly loves, (24) he rises to a height above himself, being incapable of aught base or foul in word or deed in sight of him? (25) But fondly dreaming that the eye of virtue is closed to them, they are guilty of many a base thing and foul before her very face, who is hidden from their eyes. Yet she is present everywhere, being dowered with immortality; and those who are perfect in goodness (26) she honours, but the wicked she thrusts aside from honour. If only men could know that she regards them, how eagerly would they rush to the embrace of toilful training and tribulation, (27) by which alone she is hardly taken; and so should they gain the mastery over her, and she should be laid captive at their feet.
(23) Or, "that they made their first essay in hunting when mere boys,and from hunting upwards were taught many noble arts."(24) Lit. "is beheld by his beloved." Cf. "Symp." iv. 4; viii. 31.(25) Lit. "in order not to be seen of him."(26) Lit. "good with respect to her."(27) Or, "to those toils and that training."
XIII
Now what astonishes me in the "sophists," as they are called, (1) is, that though they profess, the greater part of them, to lead the young to virtue, they really lead them in the opposite direction. Never have we set eyes on the man anywhere who owed his goodness to the sophists of to-day. (2) Nor do their writings contain anything (3) calculated to make men good, but they have written volumes on vain and frivolous subjects, in which the young may find pleasures that pall, but the essence of virtue is not in them. The result of this literature is to inflict unnecessary waste of time on those who look to learn something from it all and look in vain, cutting them off from wholesome occupations and even teaching what is bad. I cannot then but blame them for certain large offences (4) more than lightly; but as regards the subject matter of their writings my charge is, that while full of far-fetched phraseology, (5) of solid wholesome sentiments, by which the young might be trained to virtue, I see not a vestige. Speaking as a plain man, I know that to be taught what is good by one's own nature is best of all, (6) and next best to learn of those who really do know some good thing rather than of those who have an art to deceive. It may well be that I fail to express myself in subtle language, (7) nor do I pretend to aim at subtlety; what I do aim at is to express rightly-conceived thoughts such as may serve the need of those who have been nobly disciplined in virtue; for it is not words and names that give instruction, but thoughts and sentiments worthy the name.