MILITARY SCIENCES. 



A. WARFARE OF ANTIQUITY. 



If we would survey the warfare of antiquity we can only do so by 

 examining that of the separate nations, for each had its own peculiar sys- 

 tem, dependent partly upon the situation of the country, partly upon the 

 political position and the civilization of its people. The warfare of antiquity 

 we consider as extending from the earliest times of which we have any 

 knowledge down to that period when, with the destruction of the Roman 

 Empire, an entire change in the political condition of nations and a totally 

 different mode of carrying on war commenced. 



Among the nations of which history gives us the earliest knowledge 

 Egypt stands first, for besides the historical books of the Bible, Herodotus 

 and other authors supply copious accounts of this in so many ways remark- 

 able nation. 



The Egyptian Military System. In Egypt the separation between 

 the different ranks was strictly defined, and in whatever caste an individual 

 was born he found there the aim and purpose of his life. Thus, there was 

 a sacerdotal caste, and besides others, a warrior caste also. 



During the predominance of the sacerdotal caste, the historians of anti- 

 quity assign to the warrior caste the second rank in the state ; but when 

 the warriors, no longer permitting themselves to be ruled by a priest-king, 

 chose their ruler from among their own caste, they assumed the foremost 

 rank. Menes was the first king so chosen. 



The idea of an army of mercenaries never occurred to the ancient 

 Egyptians ; military service was given as a privilege to a certain class in 

 the nation, and they intrusted the defence of their country to men who 

 had something to lose ; for the common soldier possessed not less than 

 twelve ares (about six acres), which land served for the support of his 

 family in peace, and was free from taxation. In the time of Herodotus 

 the warrior caste was separated into two divisions, the Calasyrians and the 

 Hermotybians. The first numbered about 250,000 men and occupied 

 about 4j nomes in the Delta; while the Hermotybians were but 160,000 

 strong and dwelt in the nomes of Middle Egypt, Chemmis, and Thebes. 

 Strabo makes the war power much more important, indeed almost twice as 

 great ; and this is probable, for at the time of Herodotus Egypt already 

 hastened to its downfall. As Egypt was compelled constantly to secure its 

 boundaries against the inroads of foreign nations, a part of the army 

 was always in service ; the garrisons of the diflferent military posts relieved 

 each other at stated periods, which were fixed at two years. Such a gar- 

 rison, 100,000 strong, which was left for three years unreheved, abandoned 

 its post and established itself as a military colony at the cataracts of 

 the Nile. The medium strength of the armed force of Egypt in time of 

 peace is estimated at 180,000, but the details of their organization we 

 know only from the sculpture-strewn walls of old monuments. In these 

 the different parts of the army can be distinguished with tolerable accuracy. 

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