Machimoi

The term Máchimoi (Greek: μάχιμοι, plural; μάχιμος, máchimos, singular) commonly refers to a broad category of ancient Egyptian low-ranked soldiers which rose during the Late Period of Egypt (664–332 BCE) and, more prominently, during the Ptolemaic dynasty (323–30 BCE).

He earliest attestation of this term given to native Egyptian warriors came from Herodotus – who visited Egypt during the first Persian domination (Manetho's 27th Dynasty) – and since him this term has been usually translated simply as "warriors" or "fighting men". It should be noted, however, that the same term was used by him, referring to Asiatic troops employed by the Persians. Herodotus provided some informations about the Egyptian máchimoi, claiming that they were literally a closed caste of warriors who were forbidden to practice other activities outside of combat and were provided twelve arourai of tax-free land as a reward for their services. Herodotus also recognizes two categories of máchimoi, called hermotybies and kalasiries, which were distinct by their districts of origin; he also claims that the two categories were composed by 160,000 and 250,000 soldiers respectively.

As well as Herodotus, also other Greek authors such as Plato and Diodorus Siculus, reports that the máchimoi were deployed in many battles during the Late Period. Pharaoh Apries send them against Cyrene but after their defeat, they proclaimed general Amasis as pharaoh and served him against Apries in 570 BCE. Egyptian máchimoi also fought at Plataea in 479 BCE. During the 30th Dynasty, Egyptian máchimoi were widely used against the Achaemenid Empire: according to Diodorus, pharaoh Teos sent 80,000 of them in his expedition in the Near East in c.360/358 BCE and his nephew Nakhthorheb (the future Nectanebo II) was their commander. Nectanebo II himself later relied on these soldiers before the second Persian conquest of Egypt in 343 BCE.

...
Wikipedia