Phylakitai

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The Phylakitai was an ancient Egyptian paramilitary police force that operated throughout the kingdom. They were charged with maintaining order, enforcing the pharaoh's laws, and fighting bandits and foreign invaders. During the reign of Ptolemy XIII, in the late 1st century BCE, the phylakitai commander of Alexandria was Gennadios, whilst the phylakitai commander of Karanis was Epigonos.

Structure and Weapons

The Phylakitai were a mixed organization, incorporating both native Egyptians and Greeks into its ranks. Lower ranking members dressed in simple red-and-white tunics or shirts, wore no armor except for a small belt to protect the groin, and sometimes donned a head covering to shield against the sun. Archers were bare chested except for a cape over their shoulders.

Higher ranking members wore iron or leather breastplates, metal helmets, and red tunics with white skirts, with archers donning a pointed or domed helmet. Captains were distinguished by their blue tunics and crested helmets, and commanders usually wore a long cape, plumed helmet, and various pieces of ornamental armor, sometimes including a face mask.

Most Phylakitai were trained to use either short swords or spears, and higher ranking members often carried a metal or wooden shield to block attacks. Captains and commanders preferred to wield a heavy club or axe. As the bow was traditionally favored as the primary weapon of the Egyptian military, all Phylakitai were trained in archery; most carried a bow to shoot at fleeing or hard-to-reach enemies.

Some Phylakitai coated their arrowheads with oil so they could light them on fire and burn anything they hit. Others used a strange mixture of explosive powder and minerals to create a disorienting cloud that temporarily blinded enemies.

Phylakitai usually operated from camps, forts, and barracks throughout the kingdom, many of which were situated near roads and settlements. Horses were utilized for normal patrols and supply convoys, with chariots in the lead.

The Phylakitai, despite their diverse origins, were known for a fierce sense of solidarity; if any of the phylakes saw another being attacked or abused, he would rush to his aid regardless of any threat to his own life.

History

Existing since the establishment of the Ptolemaic dynasty, the Phylakitai was intended to promote unity and order across Egypt, especially in the more rural regions, such as Siwa, that were miles away from the royal capital at Alexandria. Yet for most Egyptians, they instead represented the unchecked corruption of the pharaoh's court; with no effective way to hold them accountable, the phylakitai were free to commit all sorts of abuses and criminal acts in the course of their duties. They collected heavy taxes, imprisoned "enemies" of the kingdom without trial, killed without mercy, and burned whole villages to the ground just to set an example.

The situation only worsened with the onset of the civil war between Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra VII. The Phylakitai were granted additional powers by pharaonic decree to hunt down Cleopatra's soldiers and sympathizers as part of a wider conspiracy by the Order of the Ancients to transform Egypt into a new nation ruled by the power contained within the Temple of Amun. The Medjay Bayek of Siwa dealt with many Phylakitai as he set out to take revenge on the leader of the Order, the Snake, for the death of his son.

Trivia

• Like "phylakes", phylakitai is from the plural of Ancient Greek φύλαξ (phylax), meaning 'watcher, guard, sentinel'. Despite this, in-game, phylakitai is used in both singular and plural contexts.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Origins