The first duty is to sacrifice to the gods and
						pray them to grant you the thoughts, words and deeds likely to render your
						command most pleasing to the gods and to bring yourself, your friends and
						your city the fullest measure of affection and glory and advantage. Having gained the goodwill of the gods, you have then to recruit a sufficient
						number of mounted men that you may bring the number up to the total required
						by the law, 1,000; but, as we shall see,
							the number had fallen to something like 650 at the time Xenophon
							wrote. and also may prevent any decrease in the cavalry
						establishment. Unless additional recruits are enrolled in the force, the
						number will constantly dwindle, for some men are bound to retire through old
						age and others to drop off for various reasons.