Armies of the Ancient Near East, 3000 BC-539 BC: organisation, tactics, dress and equipment

210 Pages·1984·26.08 MB·English

Armies of the
Ancient Near East
3,000 BC to 539 BC
Organisation, tactics, dress and equipment. 210 illustrations and 9 maps.
by Nigel StiUman
and Nigel Tallis
Egyptian Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, New Kingdom, S,itc, libyan, Nubian, KU5hiu~.
Sumerian, Akkadian, Eblaitc. Amoritc, HammUl1lpic lhhylonian, Old Assyrian, Human, MilaMian,
K.ssitc, Middle: Assyrian, Neo Assyrian, Neo Babylonian, Chaldun, GUlian, Mannatan, Iranian,
Cimmerian, Hyluos. Canaanite, Syrian, Ugaritic, Hebrew, Philistine, Midianitc Arab, Cypriot,
Phoenician, Hanian. Hillile, Anatolian, Sea Peoples, Neo Hinile, Aramaun, Phrygian. Lydian.
Uranian, Elamilc, Minoan. Mycenaean, Harappan.
A WARGAMES RESEARCH GROUP PUBLICATION
INTRODUCTION
This book. chronologically the finl in the W.R.G. series, attempts the diflkulltaP: ofd ucribinglhe military organisa
tion and equipment of the many civilisations ohhe ancienl Near East over a period of 2,500 years. It is du.slening
to note tbatthis span oftime is equivalent to half of all recorded history and that a single companion volume, should
anyone wish to attempt it, wou.ld have to encompass the period 539 BC to 1922 AD! We hope that our researches
will rcOca the: .... St amount of archacologiaJ, pictorial and tarual evidence ..... hich has survived and been rW)vered
from this region. It is a matter of some rcp-ct that tbe results of much of the research accumulated in this century
has tended to be disperKd among a variety of sometimes obscure publications. Consequently, it is seldom that this
mJterial is aplo!ted to its full potcoti.al IS a source for military history.
We have attempted 10 be as comptcbensive IS possible and to make UK of the lcuer known sourcCI and the most
recent ruearm. Since, although scveral works have coocen~raled on the military aspectS oflhe: bener·known general
'Biblical' nations in some depth, other nations, such IS MitaMi and Urartu, which probably had a greater impact
in terms of military developments, hive remained in comparative obKurity. Previous research has also tended 10
focus on the better documented periods while the later dynutiCi of Egypt and the: Early Dynastic and Akkadian
periods in Muopotamia for aample, are often summarily dealt with.
Within tbe usually accepted ceographicallimits of the Near East (Anatolia, Syria, Egypt, the Levant, Mesopotamia
and Iran) _ have included the Aegean civilisations because their military orpniAlion and equipment ..... ere dosely
related to their Ncar Eastern contemporarin and because It times they played a signiflcant pan in the politia of
the re,ion.
For the ,eneral reader the nature of the evideo« with which we are dealin, often presents problems of interpreta
tion. Ancient styles of an appear unusual and di$toned to the modem eye, the: anistic principles and aims of ancient
anisllare frequently not our own. M regards written evidence, we do not pouess the type of histories and military
manuab that researches ofiuer ages can dnw on. Instead, one musl utilise the often equally valuable royal annals,
chrooklcs, letters, commemorative stelae and all manner of bureaucratic evidence in order (0 ,lean items or military
relevance. That many nations were fully competcot in mJtten of organisation, tletia and drill is clear from the
Idministrative and economk tats which were conamed only with day to day reality. Obviously, ..... hat can be Aid
concerning the various nations ofthc Near Easl at diffuent periods depends on the nature and amount ofthc IUMv'
inC cvidencc. HoftYU, this evidence is subject 10 cmtinual iDCale and rc-inttrpmllion IS arch:teoloPcal in\utiptioD
in the repon procrCIKI.
For those readers who wilb to pursue tbe subject fuMer we have included I bibliography Illhe bKlt ofthc booIt..
It. lenph well illustrates the IJlUI of infomtation lvailable. In ,eneral it lists only those works either of most usc
during out research or those most nsily available for the ,eocral reader, Ind we ofTet our lpolOCicsto tbose tcholtn
who were Dot' included, but whose works provided maoy valUlble inai,htl into this period of military history.
We would like to thank Phil Barlter and Bob O'Brien ofW.R.G. for livin, us the: opponunity to write this boolt,
and for Iheir great patiencc during the liter stages of the work.
N. R. Stillman,
N. C. Tallis
October 1984
Copyrighl 1984 © N. R. Slillman and N. C. Tallis
Note OD Term.laololY
Military terminolOl)', in the lanJUagcs of the nations concerned, appctn throughout in ittlic. These (emlS often
defy adequate tran.llllon, .Ithough Iheir context in ancientlexu indicates their meanin,. In DUny CIJCS it is from
the intensive study of such terms thlt military organisations can be reconstructed, it is therefore most relevant to
include them_ El}'Ptiao terms have been rendered II Egyptologists would pronounce the c:oruonantal skeleton writ
ten in hlc:roc.Iyphic and we have followed the convenlion of rendering the Sumerian in capitals with stpartte syllables.
Fonunltciy the ocher lanrua,es can be rendered directly.
PbocOKl and printed in England by Flu:iprinl Ltd., Wonhin" SIWCX
2
CONTENTS
P.,.
INTRODUCTION .....•.•.............•...................... .. ........ •...... 2
ORGANiSATION .............................................................. 5
Egypt .............•. ..••.•.•..•••.....•••.•..•.•••••.••....••.... 5
Th~ Libyans ............•..•.•....•.•....•......•.•..•.•......•.... 13
Nubia ..................... .........................•........ 13
Sum~r and Akkad ....................................•.•......•.... 15
Th~ Old Babylonian and Old Assyrian Kingdoms........................ 20
Milanni and Mesopotamia .... ......................•.•..•.•....•.. .. 23
Assyria ...............................................•......•.... 26
Babylon ....... ...... ........•. ...•.•....•........•....•.•....•.... 32
Canaan and Syria .....•......•••..•••••..••••.....••...•. ••....••... 32
Th~ H~br~ws ............•...•.•..•.•.............•....•.•.. ..•.... 36
Th~ Philistin~s ......................•.............•......•.... •.... 38
Phoenicia and Cyprus ..............•••••...••..•..•••....••••..•••.. 38
Anatolia and lh~ Hittit~ Empir~ .......•......•......•......•......... 39
Th~ Sea· Peoples ...................•.............. .•.. .. ..•....•.... 42
Th~ Neo-Hiniles and Aramaeans ..... ................................. 43
Phrygians and Lydians ..............•••••.•••••.....•......••...•... 46
Uranu .............................•.•....•...............•....... 46
Elam ............ ..................•......•...............•....... 47
The A~g~an ..........•..... , .......•.•. " .•••. , .. ,' •... "......... 48
Th~ Indus Vall~y ... , ..•. , .... , ••... , ..•. ,........... ............... 53
TACTICAL METHODS ..................... ................ .... ............... 53
Egypt .", ... , .......................•.. ..•. , .............•.•..... 53
Th~ Libyans and Nubians ................ .. , .. .... ,................. 58
Sumerian tactics ............... , ........ ,., ... ,..................... 59
The Old Babylonian and Old Assyrian Kingdoms. . . . . . . . . •. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
The Mitannians and Kassites .......... , ... ,.......................... 60
The Assyrians ...................................•.••.•......•..... 60
The Babylonians ...............•••.....••.....••.•....•.•....•..... 62
Th~ Elamit~s .............•......•...............•....•....... ..... 63
Canaan and Syria ................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . •. • . . . . •. . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Hittit~ tactics ......................•...•.•. .....•••••••••..•..•.... 64
Th~ N~o-Hittites and Arama~ans ......•.............•.•..•.•.... ...... 65
Th~ Minoans and Myc~na~ans ........ ............ ... , . . . •. . . . . . . . . . . . 66
The Mountain Kingdoms ............•.•..•••.....••.....••••....•... 67
Th~ Nomads ...................•..•.•.. •.•.............•.•....•... 68
MAJOR BATTLES OF THE PERIOD ......................................... .. 69
DRESS AND EQUIPMENT ............................................. ....... 91
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................... 203
CHRONOLOGICAL CHART 208
3
NILE DELTA EGYPT AND
NAUKRATIS ,
NUBIA
~. GUI
Lower
Egyptian Nomes
Egypt
Upper Egypt lower Egypt
(' 1
1 Abu 1 Ineb-hedj
~ fAYUM<:::::?, " (E~ph,anu,,4t1
(McmpI>o1l
;7L1 - " "• Huald4topol'l Sinai 2 Djeba (Edlu) 2 Khem
" TdlOl 3
of' Ne'hen 3 Hut-ihyt
,, " " (H.ulkonpol.ll
JSIWA " H4..tr mopol!l 4 Waset (TheMI) 4 Merke•
•
5 Gebtu (CopI011 5 Sa;t (Sa.d
" Upper
" 6 funet 6 Per-Wadj et
"
" Egypt 7 7 (Buto, XO!l)
EGYPT • Hut-selc.hem MUEI ..
ID .. ,
-. -. 8 Abedju tAbydo 8 Per. Alum
•,. ,..
~"".,1 ~01'1 f'1\ 9 Khem-Min 9 Ptpe,lrh-OAl'ul) sor
. . 5 f8u~.m)
- ,W ES H"N ••, THESES 10 Ojebo 10 Kem-We,
_, OASES' , • , (AOw.b!l1
11 Shos-hotep 11 Ka-hebes
12 12
ELEPHANTINE Tu-ile( Tjeb-nelJer
-- IXM""yIOiI
'" CHHln 13 SOU! 1Alrul) 13 funu
(H4tI.opo/,,)
14 Qu IeUIU} 14 1jel f~"uml
NUBIA
15 Khmun 15 8o'h
Wawat lHumopol,,)
16 Hebenu 16 Djedjef
tc)ty.·_l ~ndul
~~" 17 Ko-Sa 17 8ehutet
lC,nopoI")
Buhf" _ -< Medj.y 18 H,pponul 18 Per-8ostet
~ (Bubuml
19 Per-me~ed 19 Djane! 1T1llt11
10.,.,n< II
20 20
Henen-nesut Pe,-Iopdu
fHt:r,kkopol.l)
Kush 21 N./opohl Fayum,' AM.OdIe-
22 /(In,IIIOI'I'I '" n ld'
I" . Aph,od'I~1
Prow"",
.... ,,,
~ N~P~f' E,'(fIt'''' "amu.o: Abu, lunu, Khmun EU,
•
LA REACH
4
ORGANISATION
EGYPT
THE OLD AND MIDDLE KlNGDOMS
The basis of civil and military organisation was the 'nomes' or provinces. These originated as prehistoric tribal
districts which combined 10 form the kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt. 'The Two Lands' wcrc united into
one country around 3000 BC, by the legendary King Menes. He wu possibly HOT-Aha ('Fighting-Falcon'). E:.Jch
nomt wu administered by a hat)Nlo meaning 'hereditary-noble' or 'nomarch',
The Names
The general reserve of young men eligible for conscription was known as djamu. and from this were drawn those
eligible for military service, known as htwt'"~-lUfru. (youthful recruits). In addition there were hereditary profes
sional soldiers called D."QUlyu (warriors) who WOtt red ostrich plumes in their hair. unain highly ,rained soldiers
werc called mOljIJI, offen uanslated as 'shock-troopll'.
Raising and mining of recruits was probably the responsibility oftbe jmy~r lrnN.nu'Mjrv (Commander of Recruits)
a function which was usually performed by the nomlrch. The Middle Kingdom Nomarch, Thuthotep, records the
muster of the 'youthful r«:mits of the West of the Hare Nome', those of the EaSt of the Hate Nome, and also
the 'youths of the warriors of the Hare Nome'. Thus nomes that were simated asuide Ihe Nile had an aUlomalic
division of lroops into at lt3st IWO bodies. The 'youlhs of the warriors' refers to the muster of the next generation
of hereditary soldiers eligible for service. The 'lnstmctions for King Merykare' (composed by Khety of the 10th
Dynasty for his son), mention trull recruits 'went forth' althe age of20. The mmjar, or shock-troops, had tbeir
own commander; the jm~ mmjar (Commander of shock troops). The various types ofuoops available in the nomes
refleets the fact lhat many of the 'reemin' would bt mainly employed as a source oflabout. Good soldier material
would have been selected from the youths recruited from the peasantry, 10 be trained and formed into units to sup
plement the hereditary soldiers. The hereditary soldiers were perhaps a surviwl from the predynastic organisation
of the nome. The ordinary recruit may han had a limited term of service while the warrior repla~ his father
and served throughout his active life_T his system continued up to the btginning of the New Kingdom, for Ahmose,
son-ofEbana, states in his tomb inscription; 'my father was a soldier of the King ... Sekenenre ... then I was
a soldier in his stead, in the ship, The Wild Bull, in the time of . .. Nebpehtire (Ahmose I)'.
Nomarchs were required to supply contingents for national eITons when requested by the king, and normally led
them on campaign as their commanders. In the reign of Senusret I (1971-1926 Bq, Amunemhat of the Oryx nome
took 400 'of all the most select' of his trOOps on the king's campaign intO Nubia, He took 600 'of all the bravest
of the Oryx nome' on a subsequent campaign led by the Vizier SenusreL Nome contingents would wry in size
according to the population of the nome concerned, This nome was situated in Middle Egypt, and larger numbers
would probably bt mustered from areas such as Memphis, Thebes and the Delta where the cultivated Lands were
more extensive.
Nomarchs acted as the generals of the forccs of their nome. A nomarch might be: commissioned by the king [0
use his forces to carry OUt cenain tuks, such as obtaining stone from remote quarrics in the desert, or undenaking
trading mission! to distant lands, Small military expeditions might bt mounted by nomarchs as pan of their respon
sibilities for cenain regions or frontiers. Some nomarchs bore the tille im~ ow, meaning 'scout-kader' or possibly
even 'commander offoreigo auxiliaries'. The most notable of these was Harkhufin the 6th Dynasty who led expedi
tions d~p ioto Africa, Their forccs were likely to include such fortign auxiliaries as Nubians and Aamu Bedouin.
ProtOC1)is from tomb inscriptions show (hat nomarchs could often hold sever~l other offices such as priest, scout·
lcader, sole-<ompanion and Royal Seal-Bearer. This might mean control of yel fUrlher sources of troops and would
represent I great concentration of pollo-er in the hands of such magnates. The political reality of the king (nelu) was
perhaps that he was just the biggcst nomarch. In timc.s of weak centr.al authority a nomarch could use his position
10 seize control of other nomes and even make himself king. The Nomarch Ankhtify of Hieraconpolis united three
nomes under his control during the period of anarchy following the fall of tbe Old Kingdom. The lOth Dynasty
was originally comprised of the nomarchs of Heraklcopolis who bcame kings ofNonhern Egypt during this time,
Their main rivals were !.he nomarchs of Thebes who led the Southern nomes against them. One of these was Men
thuhotep who fought his way 10 the kingship of a united Egypt and founded the Middle Kingdom. The kings of
the Old Kingdom had apprC(:iDted their position and sought to strengthcQ it by exalting the inslitution of monarchy
through religious meam. This was ultimately not enough and later kings were to make sure that they commanded
sufficient OUIteriai power.
5
Retalne" and the Royal Army
A nonarch would usually maintain a body or personal retainers, or slrmuu. In tomb paintings orthe Middle Kingdom
these are usually armed with a large shield and hefty axe. They closely accompanied the noble as he carried out
his duties and no doubt comprised his personal bodyguard in battle. The king also possessed slrml1u, and an inner
retinue of highly truSted officials known as 'Sole·Companions' to whom might be entrusted any important commis·
sion. In the Old Kingdom the slremsu were a very small and select body, possibly nOi entirely military in character.
During the Middle Kingdom the slrmlSu of the king were expanded and organised as a military unit. In the reign
of Senusret III (1878·1841 Bq, Sebek·Khu was one of the royal retainers and began his ar«:r in command of
a unit of 6 men. He was subsequently promoted to a slremsu tn Irtqa (Retainer of the Ruler) and given command
of 60 men on an expedition into Nubia. His gallantry won him promotion to a sthtdj Shemsu (Instructor of Re·
tainers) in command ofa unit of 100 men. Sebek·Khu fought at the battle ofSekmem as commander of the rearguard,
indicating that the royal retainers had an important role on the battlefield.
The slrtmtu were supplemented by 1r00pS conscripted from the provinces for the Royal Army. These: were called
Irtnu.ntJnI (Household Recruits) and were commanded by an imY"" Irmu·nt/nI, (Commander of the Household
Recruits). An 'Army·Scribe' was sent into each nome to select one man in a hundred malt'S to form a company
for the Royal Army.
A unit mentioned in the Old Kingdom is the tjtstt (battalion), m"ning simply a large body of troops. The sa (Com·
pany) appears in the Middle Kingdom but there is no record of its size at this time. Model soldiers from a tomb
al Asyut were organised into two bodies of 40 men, which may represent a basic unit of organisation. They march
in 10 ranks, "ch rank being 4 abreast, so they are clC2tly drilled troops and probably typical of most provincial soldiers.
Foreign Auxiliaries
Of the Nubian uibesmen who served the Egyptians, the most favoured were the Medjay. They were employed
as $COUIS and skirmishers from the Old Kingdom and figure prominently in the campaign of Kamose. The Medjay
may be identical to a group known as tbe 'Pan-Gn.ve' people, of whom archaeological evidence has been found
in Upper Egypt. Their cemeteries do not atend funher nonh than tbe limit ofTheban territory during the Hyksos
period, so they probably featured mainly in Upper Egyptian forces. They originated in the desens east of the Nile,
in Lower Nubi •. Burials conain weaponry and various trinkets of Egyptian manufacture, tbe presenC1: of which
might indicate their employment IS mercenaries by the Egyptians. Weapon fmds demonstrate tbat tbey were ar·
chers. By the beginning of the New Kingdom the Medjay had begun to assimilate Egyplian culture and become
indistinguishable in tbe archaeological record.
The model soldiers from a tomb at Asyut comprised a body of Egyptian spearmen and one of Nubian archers. The
laner are or~nised in the same way IS the Egyptians, suggesting that some auxiliaries may have been drilled on
Egyptian lines as close-order tlOOpt.
Apan from the Medjay other foreign troops employed by tbe Egyptians were Nubians from the tribes of In;el,
Yam, Wawat. and Kaau, Tjemehu·Libyans and Bedouin nomads from the eastern dcsens, Sinai and Southern Palestine.
NatJoDal Army
The tomb inscription of Weni contains an order of battle for a major national effon against the nomads ('Sand·
Dwellers') of Southern Palestine. They must have posed a seriou5threat to Egypt in the reign of Pc pi I (2289·2255
BC) to require an army numbering 'lens of thousands' to be despatched against them fIVe times. Every a\l1lilable
source of troops seems to have been aploited and thus reflects the state of military organisation of the 6th Dynasty.
Overall command was given to Weni, a highly trusted royal official.
Egyptian troops were dr.Iwn from tbe whole of Upper and Lower Egypt, troops from Sedjer and Kensedjeru (unknown
loations) and auxiliaries from the Nubians of In jet, Mcdjay, Yam, Wawat and Kaau and Tjemebu·Lib)'2DS.
EgyptJao eommande" Possible troop sources represented.
Nomarchs Nome contingents.
Royal Seal Bearers Royal troops.
Sole·Companions of Palace King's inner retinue of officers.
6
H~dmen of Senlements Town militias.
Companions Royal retainers.
Scout-Leader. Foreign auxiliaries.
Chief PrieSlS Troops f1iKd from temple lands.
Chief District Officials Royal troops from provinces.
Many of Weni'. subordinates would have held several of these offiCeS at the ume time and so not 111 the titles
may have b«:n included because they have I militlry aspect. Weni may have listed such titles simply to emphatise
the great Authority which had b«:n delegated to him.
There were. twO centntl arsenals, one for Upper and one for Lower Egypt, supervised by the im~ WtIJ
(ovUS«.r of the tWO ancnals). These could have functioned as cc.ntro for the:: manufacture and storage ofwapon.
to be issued to royal troops and to bring those: mustered for national elTons up to scratch.
THE NEW KINGDOM
As a result of the slfuggle against the Hyksos and imperial cspansion into Asil, the Egyptian army became a major
state institution, recruited and maintained csclusively by the « ntral authority.
The coDlllWlder-in-chief of the entire armed forett was the Pharaoh. Directly responsible to him was the Vizier,
in his role as Minister of War.
Originally there were only tWO Irmy corps, one positioned in the North, the:: ()(her in the South. These are mentioned
in In edict of Horemhab (1148-1120 BC). This was later increased to three; A"um, Re (PTe) and Ptall, named after
the patron gods orthe regions in which they were stationed; Thebes, Hdiopolis and Memphis. A rourth army was
created in the 19th Dynasty, named &1 (or Sultkh), arter the patron god or the new capital, Pi-Ramesses. This
gave a disposition of twO armies in the Eastern Odta, one Centrallnd one Southern army. The main strength was
directed towards the CllStern frontier and pj·Rarnesscs was the marshalling point for campaigns into Asia. SigniflClDt1y,
there was no army 10 cover the Western Delta, which had nOl been under threat since the Middle Kingdom. Thi.
may aplain the difficulty in preventing Libyan incursions at the end ofthe:: New Kingdom even tbough the Western
Deltl and desert areas were heavily fortified.
Each army corps (muha) provided a field army for foreign campaigns. The Army was commanded by an imy""
mlslla, or '"tr-,"lSita (Irmy·general), assisled by an idlfu (adjutant or deputy).
Against I rebellion in Hamath, which was in danger of sprelding and threalened Bctb-5han, Sed 1(1118-1304 BC)
senl three armies 10 different objectives. The 'First Army ofA mu,,·Mighty of Bows' was sent 10 Hamatb, the 'Firsl
Army of Re-Plentiful of Valour' was scnt to relieve Beth-Shan, Ind the 'Fint army of Stl-Strong of Bows' was des
patched to Yenoam (furthcst away from the centre of trouble). The designations 'First Army' and the specill tides
mighl indicate thai each army corps could provide more lhan one army, possibly one in the field aDd ODe iD reserve.
Alternatively, the home base may have acted II a recruitment and replacement depot, only the best tTOOPS being
picked for service in the 'Fint Army'. It also seems likely that there wn a miliary protocol in which the umy
or AmUIi held seniority, was given tbe most importlnltasks, and formed tbe vanguard 00 the march (as al Kadesh).
Armies could clearly operale IS fully independent forces at some distance from each other; the umy of Set was
sent to Yenoam possibly 10 block Iny foreign intervention.
Frontler fortresses were divided into a Northern and Southern command, each under an i,"y--tr /tAtum (overscc:r
of fortresses). Glrrison tTOOPS were ailed iwaytr.
RecrWtmeDt
Most ordinary soldiers were enlisted by conscription. In the reign orRamesscs III (1198-1166 Bq Ihis was a draft
or one man in ten ofthosc eligible for service (djamu). It was arried 01.11 by the 'Scribe of the Recruits'. One source
records an incident ofrecruiUDent by impressment. Officers and administrative personnel were usuilly wlunteen.
An army career offered greal prospectS of advancement for an educated man. Horemhab began his career II In
army scribe and eventually became Phafloh. Ay (1152-1348 BC) and Ramesses l (1320-1318 Bq abo begin in
the army. Social StltuS and f.mily COMect.iOns played. part in the recruitment of the chariotry.
The best of tht recruits, or rre/ru, were formed into ulflttptrU (drill-complnies) It Memphis or Thebes, and went
from there to Ictive service. The term ,"lII/yr was now used ror seasoned soldiery in general. The term for 'private
soldier' was wow.
7
w~""
There were two basic types ofinfannYi mtgau (shooters) and na*'ull-QD (band-to-hand fighten, lilerally 'suong-arm
boys').
The basic tactical and administrative unit was the 10 (company). The: full romplcmcnI was 250 mcn but it could
sometimes be under strength. Each $1:1 tu.d its own name and standard. This was carried by the: rjai',oyt (5Ilndaed.
bearer), who commanded the: unit. Three adminiSlrlltivc: personnel were anached to the W; a scribe, adjutant (idnu),
and quancemlster.
The so was subdivided into 5 platoons of 50 men each under I 'Grc:uesl ofFifly', These in turn comprised 5 squads
of 10 men each under a 'Greatest ofTen',
Two or morc: companies could be: combined to form a pdjtt (host). This was comnunded by I "~JNdjtt (hOSt
commander), Attached (0 the pldjtl were a StlUl (assault~fficcr) and a muhltlb (transpon officer). The pdjtt was
probably a tactical formation, the uact sizc of which is not known and may not havc been fIXed. Thc orp nisation
ofmc sa was based on multiples offivc. If this WIIS extcndcd to thc pedjCt it would havc comprised 5 companies
(1250 men).
Thc hery-p.tdjet could also act as a garrison commandcr.
Thc names of many infantry companics havc survived and a selection is included below:
Bull in Nubia
TIte company oJleing Ntbmare; TIte Aton G/ittm
(Ntbmare was thc 'Thronc-namc' of Amunhotcp JJI (1417-1379 BC).
TIte company oj Shootmi Aun ApptJlrt For Him
Mtnlthtprure; Dtstroyn oj Syria (fhutmoK IV, 1425·1417 BC).
Amun; Strmgth oj tlte Army
P(Jdfor oj Gods
Strong in V(Jlour
Mmkh~t; Ruler oj Rulm (Thutmose UI, 150+1450 BC).
Somc SOUfCC1 mcntion companies of only 200 men, such as a papyrus which statcs that a force of three companics
contained 600 mcn, and somc of thc Amarna lettcn in which 200 men or multiples of 200 arc requcsted. It is dif·
ficullto discern any paint at which thc unit size was altered although it had been suggested as pan of a military
rcform in the 20th Dynasty. Most probably, 250 men was a muimum and somc units wcrc dcliberatelY maintained
at only 200 mcn, or could nOI maintain full strength.
Chari.""
Thc Egyptian term for chariotry was t(J·fUt.ltetry. The basic unit was the vehicle itKlfwhich was driven by a ludjm.
'chariotw, often also called a leerQUI, 'shield·bearer'. The fighting crcwman was called a lomry.
Attached to each ChariOI was a ptA"", 'runner', who fought on foot in suppan oflhe chariot. Also associated with
thc cbariony is the taletm-barer, whose function is unknown. It is perhaps an altcrnativc tcrm for onc of thc other
soldiers.
Tcn charion and crcws formed a trOOp of charimry, commanded by a letdjm·ttpy, 'lSI charioteer'. Five trOOpS, com·
prising 50 vehicles, formed a squadron, under a 'Standard Bearer of Chariot Warlion'.
Sevcnl sqUlldrons could be: combined to form. chariotry p.tdjtt, led by a 'Commander of. Chariotry Host'. As
witb tbc infantry p.tdjer, its enct siu is not known and may havc been variablc. If it followed Ihe same pattern
as the smaller unin il would contain 5 squadrons, lotalling 250 vchiclcs.
Maintcnance and administ~tion oflhe chariotry was carried out by 'the liable' (po.jlru). Slable personnel included
an adjutant of chariotry, stablemaslcr, various scribes, grooms and artisans.
Tht Phonix and Ma'II!ts/.jn.JuSli£t, are thc names of two charim squadrons. The following unit names could havc
belonged 10 either infantry or chariotry:
8