These Machimoi are the standard native infantry of Aigyptos. Though technically a warrior class, and moderately reliable, a wise general will not expect too much from these soldiers.

Hardy
Sapping Ability

The Machimoi were an important part of Aigyptian society long before the arrival of the Hellenes and the new Pharoanic dynasty of the Ptolemaioi. Aigyptian society consisted, aside from the royal family, primarily of the priests, the warriors--or Machimoi, and the farmers. These men are drawn from the largest section of the Machimoi, and armed with several javelins, a sword, and a shield, and armored with a light cuirass and mass-produced helmet. They are competent in basic wartime and garrison duties, but should not be expected to succeed in combat against well-trained units or in other daunting situations. They may once have been a warrior class, but for hundreds of years many of the Machimoi have spent most of their lives farming or trading, not fighting.

The Ptolemaioi eventually organized the Machimoi class into three distinct levels: the 5-aroura machimoi, the 7-aroura Machimoi, and the Machimoi epilektoi. The machimoi epilektoi formed the auxiliary phalanx at Raphia, and may not have existed until the reforms leading up to the Raphia campaign. The 5-aroura Machimoi served as light troops: Toxotai, Akontistai, and the like, and may have been part of the recruitment pool for the Phulakitai, the regional police. These are the 7-aroura Machimoi, who likely saw extensive use on a reserve basis in the Ptolemaic fleets, in various garrisons both in Aigyptos and overseas, and on both sides of the many civil wars which wracked the Ptolemaic state from the late third century on. While this population initially consisted almost exclusively of native Aigyptians, years of immigration and Hellenization have changed the makeup of the Machimoi to a considerable degree. While it still maintained a native Aigyptian character, the vast majority of Machimoi had first- or second-generation Hellenic, Asian, Galatian, or Thraikian ancestors.