THE ARMIES OF PTOLEMAIC EGYPT: Cleruchs, Mercenaries and Machimoi 323-30 BCE

1-952004

Examines in great detail, based on surviving documents, the army of Ptolemaic Egypt, down to the level of individual commanders and soldiers. The organization of the Ptolemaic army is traced across the centuries of its existence, balancing theoretical models with empirical evidence. Its evolution, shaped by the challenges of the age, emerges with clarity. Far removed from the rigid pyramidal systems described by contemporary tacticians, the Ptolemaic organization bears a surprising resemblance to that of seventeenth-century Europe. Enriched by numerous illustrations, many drawn from statuettes, frescoes, and painted stelae, which bring to life the appearance of the Ptolemaic soldier from the third to the first century BCE. Contains 30 black and white illustrations, 30 black and white photos, 32 color plates, 5 black and white maps, and 5 tables.