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Short description

These basic spearmen are armed in the traditional Egyptian way and fight in a sturdy phalanx that holds out well against a frontal assault.

Description

"The Egyptians, however, had the advantage both in numbers and in weapons; for the spears that they use even unto this day are long and powerful, and their shields cover their bodies much more effectually than corselets (thorax) and targets, and as they rest against the shoulder they are a help in shoving. So, locking their shields together, they advanced and shoved." – Xenophon (Kyr. 7.1.33)

These warriors from Egypt have banded together to fight against their rulers, whether those be Persians or the Ptolemaic Greek. Equipped with their traditional weaponry of long spears and large body-covering shields, they can form a deadly phalanx that is hard to penetrate with infantry alone. In a desperate situation, this Egyptian phalanx could also form a circle, where the men hid behind their shields, which would, however, completely immobilize the formation (Xen. Kyr. 7.1.40). Even though they are well protected from the front, these Egyptian warriors are only lightly armoured, making any cavalry or missile attack from the rear or sides incredibly deadly. Thus, they should be well supported by skirmishers and more mobile infantry or serve as a reserve for stronger phalangites.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Egyptian warriors (traditionally called “machimoi”/μάχιμοι, ‘the pugnacious’, or ‘troops fit for action’) were first mentioned by Herodotus, as the professional soldier caste of ancient Egypt (Hdt. 2.164f.). They were divided into “Hermotubies” (from the districs of Busiris, Saïs, Khemmis, and Papremis, the island Prosopitis, and half of Natho), who numbered 160,000 men at the time of Herodotus’ writing, and the “Kalasiries” (from the districts of Thebes, Bubastis, Aphthis, Tanis, Mendes, Sebennys, Athribis, Pharbaïthis, Thmuis, Onuphis, Anytis and Myecphoris), who numbered 250,000 men (Hdt. 2.165; 166). They received plots of tax-exempt land of the size of 12 arouras, which were tended each year by different men. Herodotus’ definition might be problematic, since Egyptian inscriptions do not hint towards a rigid caste system, ethnic differentiation, such large numbers of men among the machimoi, or a refusal to take up other trades or work (like priesthood, policing, etc.) (Fischer-Bovet, ‘Egyptian Warriors’, in: The Classical Quarterly (2013) Vol. 63, pp. 212-214). Diodorus’ account of 80,000 soldiers under the Egyptian king Tachos (Diod. Sic. 15.92.2) might be more realistic (Fischer-Bovet (2013), p. 217).

When the Ptolemies took over the Egyptian throne, they heavily employed Egyptians to fill out their ranks as auxiliaries and reserves, like at the battle of Gaza in 312 BC (Diod. Sic. 19.80–85; Plut. Demetr. 5; Justin 15.1); as naval troops during the Chremonidian war in 266 BC (Paus. 3.6.5); and as part of the Phalanx at Raphia in 217 BC (Polyb. 5.65). In the latter case, they were explicitly part of the Ptolemaic main line, the phalanx, and were perhaps even trained to fight in the Macedonian style. However, the Egyptians did already have their own tradition of fighting in a phalanx with long spears. In a battle against Cyrus the Great, the Egyptians fight in a deep phalanx formation with long spears and great shields that cover their entire body (Xen. Kyr. 7.1.33-40). Duncan Head interprets the Egyptian Spearmen as “Egyptian Marines” with padded linen cuirass, which the Persians had borrowed from the Egyptians, and a padded helmet (Head, Achaemenid Persian Army (1992) Plate 5C, p. 69). The form and size of the shield can be seen in much older depictions of Egyptian Warriors, like the Wooden figures from the tomb of Mesehti (11th Dynasty), or numerous wall paintings (Depiction of soldiers carrying spears and shields on the expedition to the Land of Punt, from the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, c.1503-1482 BC, New Kingdom).

This style of fighting might have been used by Egyptian infantrymen during the so-called “Great Revolt” (206-186 BC). Polybios claims that the revolt broke out because Ptolemy IV armed the Egyptians for the short-term success of the battle of Raphia, but did not consider the long-term consequences of this policy (Polyb. V. 107.1). His narrative is not very consistent, however, as he states that in 210 BC Egypt was the only part of the world not involved in warfare, which is why he may have conflated a potential soldiers’ rebellion directly after Raphia in 217 BC with the Great Revolt of 206 BC (Fischer-Bovet (2014), p. 89). Nevertheless, Ptolemy did arm 20,000 Egyptian soldiers for his phalanx at Raphia (Polyb. V.65.9), which may have contributed to a more experienced revolt force. During that revolt, the Egyptians crowned their own pharaos, Haronnophris and Khaonnophris, and even took upper Egypt, as well as parts of the Nile Delta from the Ptolemies. Though not much is known of their military forces, there were likely a lot of soldiers armed with the basic equipment of spears and shields, supporting those who had experience fighting in the phalanx at Raphia. The early successes of the revolt, however, did not last, and the revolt was eventually put down. Nonetheless, native Egyptians would continue to play an increasingly important part in the Ptolemaic military and security structure, both as police and as military reserves (Fischer-Bovet (2014), p. 118).