Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt

476 Pages·2014·7.43 MB·English

by  Christelle Fischer-Bovet

ArmyandSocietyinPtolemaicEgypt
Thisistheonlysubstantialandup-to-datereferenceworkonthePtole-
maic army. Employing Greek and Egyptian papyri and inscriptions,
and building on approaches developed in state-formation theory, it
offersacoherentaccountofhowthechangingstructuresofthearmy
in Egypt after Alexander’s conquest led to the development of an
ethnicallymoreintegratedsociety.AnewtripartitedivisionofPtole-
maichistorychallengestheideaofgradualdeclineandemphasizesthe
reshaping of military structures that took place between c. 220 and
c.160BCinresponsetochangesinthenatureofwarfare,tomobiliza-
tionanddemobilization,andtofinancialconstraints.Aninvestigation
ofthesocio-economicroleplayedbysoldierspermitsareassessment
ofthecleruchicsystemandshowshowsoldiers’associationsgenerated
inter-ethnicgroupsolidarity.ByintegratingEgyptianevidence,Chris-
telleFischer-Bovetalsodemonstratesthattheconnectionbetweenthe
armyandlocaltemplesofferednewwaysforGreeksandEgyptiansto
interact.
christelle fischer-bovetisAssistantProfessorofClassicsat
theUniversityofSouthernCalifornia.
ArmiesoftheAncientWorld
general editor:
NicholasSekunda
InstytutArchaeologiiUniwersytetuGdan´skiego
titles in the series:
ArmyandSocietyinPtolemaicEgypt ChristelleFischer-Bovet
Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt
christelle fischer-bovet
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ArmyandsocietyinPtolemaicEgypt/ChristelleFischer-Bovet.
pages cm.–(Armiesoftheancientworld)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-1-107-00775-8(hardback)
1.Ptolemaicdynasty,305B.C.–30B.C. 2.Egypt.Jaysh–History–To1500.
3.Armies–Egypt–History–To1500. 4.Sociology,Military–Egypt–
History–To1500 5.Egypt–History,Military–To1500. 6.Egypt–
History–332-30B.C. I.Title.
DT92.F58 2014
355.00932(cid:3)09014–dc23 2013047248
ISBN978-1-107-00775-8Hardback
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Tomymotherandtothememoryofmyfather

Contents
Listoffigures [pagexi]
Listofmaps [xiii]
Listoftables [xiv]
Listoftexts [xvi]
Preface [xvii]
Notesonabbreviations [xix]
Maps [xxi]
1 Introduction [1]
1.1 AsocialandmilitaryhistoryofthePtolemaicstate [1]
1.2 PreviousviewsofPtolemaicEgyptandthearmy [4]
1.3 Anewapproach [7]
1.4 Methodology,sourcesandoutline [11]
2 ThearmyinLateperiodEgypt(664–332BC) [15]
2.1 Briefhistoricalsurvey [15]
2.2 MercenaryserviceinEgyptfromthereignofPsamtekI [18]
2.2.1 Lengthofsoldiers’staysandwavesofimmigration [19]
2.2.2 Militaryequipment [20]
2.2.3 Roleofmercenaries [22]
2.2.3.1 ThecivilwarbetweenApriesandAmasis [22]
2.2.3.2 MercenaryservicefromCambysestothesecond
Persianoccupation [23]
2.2.4 Provenanceanddistribution [27]
2.2.4.1 EpigraphicevidenceforGreeksinEgypt [28]
2.2.4.2 MainGreeksettlements [31]
2.2.4.3 Carians [34]
2.2.4.4 AJewishgarrisoninElephantine [36]
2.2.4.5 Cypriots [37]
2.3 Egyptiansoldiersandtheorganizationofthearmy [37]
part i structure and role of the army [45]
3 MilitarychallengesfacedbythePtolemies:power,money,crisis
andreform [49]
3.1 Surveyofmilitaryevents,partI(331–221BC):armynumbers
andcost [52]
3.1.1 FromAlexandertoPtolemyI:buildingaPtolemaicarmy [52] vii
viii Contents
3.1.2 PtolemyII(285–246BC):thechallengeofathalassocracy [55]
3.1.3 PtolemyIII(246–221BC):theclimaxoftheempire [64]
3.1.4 Thecostofanempire:financinglandarmyandfleets [66]
3.1.4.1 Taxrevenuesandbooty [67]
3.1.4.2 Costofthenavy [71]
3.1.4.3 Costofthelandarmy [73]
3.1.4.4 ComparisonwiththeSeleucidempire:preludetothe
FourthSyrianWar [75]
3.1.4.5 Generalassessmentofmilitaryactivityunderthefirst
threePtolemies [83]
3.2 Surveyofmilitaryevents,partII(221–31BC):fromRaphiato
Cleopatra [86]
3.2.1 PtolemyIVandPtolemyV:crisisleadingtoreform [86]
3.2.1.1 TheFourthSyrianWarandtheBattleofRaphia [86]
3.2.1.2 TheGreatRevolt(206–186BC) [92]
3.2.1.3 TheroleofsoldiersintheAlexandrianmobriots [94]
3.2.1.4 TheconsequencesoftheFifthSyrianWar
(202–195BC)andoftheGreatRevolt [96]
3.2.2 Anewera:weaknessesandstrengthsunderPtolemyVIand
PtolemyVIII(180–116BC) [98]
3.2.3 ThelastcenturyofPtolemaicrule(116–30BC) [105]
3.2.4 Contrastbetweenthethirdcenturyandthesecondandfirst
centuriesBC [114]
4 Militaryorganizationandhierarchy [116]
4.1 Remunerationinwagesandinland:mercenaries(misthophoroi),
cleruchsandmisthophoroikl¯erouchoi [118]
4.2 Militaryorganizationandreforms [123]
4.2.1 Cavalryunitsandequipment [125]
4.2.2 Cavalryreforms(c.220–c.160BC) [132]
4.2.3 Infantryunitsandequipment [133]
4.2.4 Infantryreforms:fromRaphia(217BC)tothe160sBC [142]
4.2.5 Elitetroops:cavalryoftheguard,royalguardandag¯ema [148]
4.2.6 Elephants [153]
4.3 Militaryhierarchy [155]
4.3.1 H¯egemones(officers)andhipparchai(cavalryofficers) [155]
4.3.2 Strat¯egoi(generals) [156]
4.3.3 Theeponymousofficers [158]
5 Militaryrecruitmentandethniccomposition [160]
5.1 EgyptiansinthePtolemaicarmyandpolice [161]
5.2 Macedonian,Greekandothersoldiers [166]
5.2.1 Recruitment [166]
5.2.2 Numbersandorigin [169]
5.2.3 Ethnicandpseudo-ethnicdesignationsinthearmy [177]
5.2.3.1 Persai,Persait¯esepigon¯es,Epigonoiand
Makedones [178]
5.2.3.2 Otherregionalethnics [191]