The Army In Ancient Egypt

To be in the military in ancient Egypt might have been difficult, but the officers and men were certainly in good company. After all, it was common for the son's of kings to serve, and on campaigns, the king often led his troops into battle. In fact, when there were dynastic problems in ancient Egypt, it was often the soldier who became king, such as Horemheb at the end of the 18th Dynasty. However, while there is considerable evidence of the favors bestowed upon elite troops and officers, assessing the fate of the ordinary soldier, who didn't leave tombs decorated with scenes from his life, is more difficult.
In the early times of Egypt's ancient history, most young men did not need to fear that they might be conscripted into the army. Yet, many second and subsequent sons, unable to follow their fathers' professions, volunteered for the sake of a career and a secure living.
However, during the much more structured military organization of the New Kingdom, young men were sometimes forced to join the army against their will, even though at the same time the profession of soldiering became more prestigious. This is evidenced by the letters written by the scribe Djehutimose, who accompanied the general and vizier Piankhi on his Nubian campaign, to his son Butehamun, a scribe in at Deir el-Medina. He instructed his son to "take good care of the conscripts", ensuring that they were well fed, but also advising that he should see that they do not abscond.

During the New Kingdom, initially the new recruits faced a hard school of discipline as soon as they were settled in their barracks. Their "uniform" was usually a short kilt or merely a penis sheath, with a feather in the hair for ornament. They were toughened up with a regime of alternati9ng physical exercise, wrestling and weapon training. For breaches of discipline, the commander would order a thrashing, often by his fellow recruits.

Soldiers were also provided with land, often tax free, for their honorable service to the king. According to Diodorus (I, 73,94), one third of the land belonged to the king, another third to the priests and the rest to the soldiers.

However, not everyone saw the soldier's life in such a good light. Some scribes, who of course traveled with the soldiers on campaigns fulfilling staff duties such as provisioning, had little respect for the professional soldier. Of course, they actually had little respect for most other professions outside their own. They warned their students against a career in the army.