page_title: Military of ancient Egypt
section_title: Infantry
hierarchical_section_title: Military of ancient Egypt / Military organization / Infantry
caption_attribution_description: Wooden figures from the tomb of Mesehti, 11th Dynasty
context_page_description: Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of eastern North Africa, concentrated along the northern reaches of the Nile River in Egypt. The civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh, and it developed over the next three millennia. Its history occurred in a series of stable kingdoms, separated by periods of relative instability known as intermediate periods. Ancient Egypt reached its pinnacle during the New Kingdom, after which it entered a period of slow decline. Egypt was conquered by a succession of foreign powers in the late period, and the rule of the pharaohs officially ended in 31 BC, when the early Roman Empire conquered Egypt and made it a province. Although the Egyptian military forces in the Old and Middle kingdoms were well maintained, the new form that emerged in the New Kingdom showed the state becoming more organized to serve its needs.
  For most parts of its long history, ancient Egypt was unified under one government. The main military concern for the nation was to keep enemies out.
context_section_description: Infantry troops were partially conscripted, partially voluntary. Egyptian soldiers worked for pay, both natives and mercenaries. Of mercenary troops, Nubians were used beginning in the late Old Kingdom, Asiatic maryannu troops were used in the Middle and New Kingdoms, the Sherden, Libyans, and the "Na'arn" were used in the Ramesside Period, (New Kingdom, Dynasties XIX and XX, c.1292-1075 BC) and Phoenicians, Carians, and Greeks were used during the Late Period.
caption: Wooden figures found in the tomb of Mesehti: Egyptian army of the 11th Dynasty
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