WARFARE OF ANTIQUITY. 3 



First come those who fought in chariots, necessarily in smaller proportion 

 than other arms. Each car had two wheels, was open behind, harnessed 

 with two horses, and furnished with javelin, bow and arrows, or battle-axe. 

 At the warrior's right stood the driver. These chariots took among the 

 Egyptians the place of cavalry, since they are said to have had no horse- 

 men. If horsemen are seen on old monuments it is only singly, and usually 

 as unarmed messengers. The remainder of the army consisted of infantry. 

 Of this the heavy armed, which fought in line, carried breast-plate, helmet, 

 shield, spear, or battle-axe and sword ; the others, light troops, were bow- 

 men, slingers, and scythe-men. PL 1 shows a great variety of Egyptian 

 weapons, as they are found partly upon old monuments and partly in 

 catacombs and the pyramids. Fig. 1 shows a two-edged straight sword ; 

 fig. 2, a curved sabre sharpened only on the outer edge ; fig. 3 is a dagger ; 

 and fig. 4 a short mace, which in hand to hand combat was a very dan- 

 gerous weapon. Fig. 5 is a shield of rectangular shape ; but these are 

 found also with a round piece taken out on the right side, and small ones 

 entirely round for light troops. In order to protect the throat and upper 

 part of the breast those who fought in chariots and the light troops wore 

 a breast-plate (fig. 6) either of strong leather or metal ; and the former, 

 as well as at times the heavy armed and the bowmen, wore a shirt of woven 

 mail {fig. 22). Upon the head were worn helmets of the most various 

 forms, Sindi figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, show several patterns of these, some 

 of which were of leather and some of metal. Fig. 9 is an archer's helmet 

 of the oldest form ; fig. 12 a king's of the time of Herodotus ; ^^5. 10 and 

 11, chiefs' helmets of heavy armed infantry. Fig. 14 is a javelin with a 

 hook, and fig. 13 shows the case in which such javelins were carried. 

 Fig. 15 is a quiver with a cover for such arrows as are represented in fig. 

 16 ; such a quiver was fastened by a chain or strong thong passing over 

 the shoulder, and lay obliquely across the back, the opening on the right 

 side. Fig. 17 is a spear. Figs. 18 and 19 battle-axes, such as were 

 carried by the heavy armed in addition to the spear. The bows were very 

 large and strung with sinew. The emblem of the warrior caste was the 

 vulture, and in all representations of battles this bird is always seen near 

 the king. 



The troops marched and manoeuvred in regular order and movement by 

 legions or companies to the sound of the trumpet or the drum and fife. 

 Instead of standards they carried insignia such as are shown in figs. 20 and 

 21. The king was commander-in-chief, his sons or his bravest men his 

 generals. The king shared personally in all the fatigi\es of war, and stood 

 in his chariot : armed from head to foot he hurled his darts upon the foe or 

 smote him with the battle-axe. A tamed lion, accoutred for the battle-field, 

 was always beside the king's chariot. The troops were diligently trained 

 in time of peace by various gymnastic exercises, in performing which they 

 went almost naked, and had only a broad leather belt about the body. 

 Thus, too, they often fought in war, as is shown in numberless instances 

 by the sculptures. The dignitaries of the host were called CEris ; the 

 captain was adorned with an ostrich feather ; officers of other grades were 



479 



