Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

EGYPTIAN TACTICS. 23common, even in remote antiquity, as well as cavalry. Thesedeci'eased in usefulness, however, as the canal-system of Egyptgrew and left small room for manoeuvi-ing. The weaponswere the usual arms, — bows, lances, slings, axes, darts andswords. The Egyjjtian soldiers were light and heavy, irregularand regidar. Some carried shields covering the entirebody, and wore helmets and mail. The army had martialmusic, and the emblem of the sacred bull or crocodile wascarried on a lance as a standard. Xenophon, in the Cyropsedia,describes their tactics at the battle of Thymbra. Theystood in large, dense masses, very deep, often in squares ofone hundred files of one hundred men, and, covered by linkedshields and protruded lances, were dangerous to attack. TheEgyptians fortified theircamps in rectangidar form,and built extensive wallstoprotect their borders. Sesostriserected one extendingfrom Pelusium toHeliopolis.Their cities were fortifiedwith walls of severalstories. But, as with othernations at this period, theart of sieges was little advanced.Ashdod, though not~strongly fortified, resistedPsammeticus twenty-nine years.Egyptian Soldiers.Sesostris is supposed to have had six hundred thousandinfantry, twenty-seven thousand chariots and twenty-fourthousand horse. He is said to have conquered Ethiopia, thencrossed from Meroe to Arabia Petrea, and thence made excursionsas far as India. He later sailed to Phoenicia, andoverran a large part of Asia Minor. Sesostris is alleged to