Horsted, William/Hook, Adam (Illustr.) Ptolemaic Armies 305–30 BC

Founded by Ptolemy I Soter, a close confidant of Alexander the Great, the Ptolemaic Kingdom encompassed Egypt, northern Libya, and parts of the Levant for nearly three centuries. Initially, its armies fought in the Wars of the Diadochi as Alexander's successors challenged his conquests. In the following decades, it experienced frequent conflicts with its neighbors, particularly the Seleucids. By the 1st century BC, the Ptolemaic Kingdom had fallen under the influence of the Roman Republic. With the death of Cleopatra VII, the last ruler of the dynasty, the kingdom was incorporated into the Roman Empire. At first, Ptolemaic armies resembled the Macedonian forces from Alexander's conquests, with the pike and phalanx forming the core of their tactics. In the decades leading up to the Battle of Actium and the decline of Cleopatra's kingdom in 30 BC, the kingdom increasingly relied on mercenaries and adopted Roman military practices. In this book, William Horsted describes the development of the Ptolemaic army and examines its various troop types from the Wars of the Diadochi to its decline in the 1st century BC. Specially commissioned illustrations show the colorful appearance of these warriors during almost three centuries of conflict in the Near East.