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Short description

The machimoi phalangites are a decent defensive unit that makes up the bulk of your phalanx, and will hold the line if sufficiently protected by more mobile troops.

Description

The Machimoi Phalangites are lightly armoured infantry troops of the Ptolemaic army, mostly made up of native Egyptians, who are trained to fight in the style of the Macedonian Phalanx. Their arms and armour have been provided by their commanders, who received the necessary funds from the state (Polyb. V.63.11). Their equipment included a sarissa (a long pike of 22-24 ft./ 7 metres); a pelte shield; a Phrygian helmet with cheek pieces; as well as a quilted linen cuirass in the Kushite style (Fischer-Bovet, Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt (2014), p. 131; 135-137). Making up the reserves of the Ptolemaic forces, the Machimoi are not the strongest phalangites that can be fielded. Like any other sarissa-wielding phalanx, however, they will hold the front line reliably when feeling safe, but struggle when attacked from their flanks or from behind. Additionally, their light armour makes them vulnerable to missile fire, so the Machimoi Phalangites require additional support of light infantry and cavalry.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The term machimoi (μάχιμοι, ‘the pugnacious’, or ‘troops fit for action’) was first used by Herodotus, both for the retinue of the Persian army (Hdt. 7.186.1) and the soldiers of ancient Egypt (Hdt. 2.164f.). During the Ptolemaic era, machimoi may have been native Egyptians, employed as reserves, guards and police units (Burckhardt, ‘‘Machimoi’’, in: Brill’s New Pauly (2006)). However, their true nature remains an element of debate in the academic literature.

Although 20,000 native Egyptian soldiers were recruited for the Battle of Raphia in 217 BC, Christelle Fischer-Bovet rejects the assertion that the machimoi were exclusively made up of Egyptians, or seen as 2nd-class citizens. She opts to interpret them as professional soldiers and guards, who were allotted land to be called to the front as reserves if need arose. Greek names of machimoi appear on Ptolemaic documents, and neither Diodorus nor any other ancient author refers to Egyptian soldiers as machimoi (Christelle Fischer-Bovet: Egyptian Warriors: Herodotus and the Ptolemaic army (2013) p. 219-220).

However, incorporation into the phalanx seems to have elevated many Egyptians into higher social ranks. Before Raphia, they had mostly only served in the light infantry. From the reign of Ptolemy V onwards, the Ptolemaic pharaohs were increasingly forced to tear down the social barriers between natives and foreigners due to the limits of Graeco-Macedonian manpower, thereby allowing the Egyptians ever more participation in the political, economic and military affairs of the kingdom (Burstein, Greek Identity (2008), p. 73). That the machimoi also included non-Egyptians obviously presents a challenge to this interpretation. Perhaps the title machimoi simply referred to these soldiers’ type of land allotment, or their military function.

Though the machimoi are still obscure in sources and documents at the start of the 3rd century BC, their socio-economic situation and military importance improved significantly during the 2rd century BC, just like that of the Egyptians in general (Burstein (2008), p. 74), even though they were kleruchs with smaller plots of land. They probably served at Gaza in 312 BC, at Raphia in 217 BC, and on Crete to help Gortyn in its fight against Knossos. Under Ptolemy V, they were allotted with kleroi of 5, 7, or 10 arouras – enough to sustain themselves and their families (Fischer-Bovet & Sänger, Security and Border Policy (2019), p. 169). They mainly served as reinforcements to the two other main contingents of the Ptolemaic army: the Graeco-Macedonian settler phalangites (klerouchoi), as well as the professional troops of Egyptian and Greco-Macedonian origin who were called ‘misthophoroi’, who received a monetary remuneration instead of land allotments for their armed service (Fischer-Bovet (2013), p. 222). Machimoi are still attested around 63 BC, shortly before the arrival of the Romans (Fischer-Bovet & Sänger (2019), p. 169).