I/7 — EARLY LIBYAN 3000 BC

I/7 EARLY LIBYAN 3000 BC - 70 AD

This list covers all independent Libyan armies based beyond the western borders of Egypt until the conquest of the Garamantes by the Romans. Libyan armies are described as fighting by skirmishing, ambush and massed wave assaults. Initially they fought entirely on foot armed with javelins, throwing sticks and clubs but without shields. Towards the end of the New Kingdom, they acquired long thrusting swords and began to settle in Egypt. This threat was especially severe when combined with attacks by the Sea Peoples. By this time, the Libyans had split into two groups; the more traditional Libu and the modernist Meshwesh who used bow, sword and chariot. The earlier 2-horse chariots were replaced by 4-horse chariots with unarmoured horses and crew, but still classed as (LCh). The Libyans in Xerxes’ Persian army in 480 BC wore goatskins and were armed only with fire-hardened wooden javelins. In 341 BC, troops in Carthaginian service who were probably Libyans were mistaken at a distance for hoplites, implying shield, spears and close formation. Diodoros, writing in the first century BC describes Libyans as armed only with 3 spears and a bag of stones. Strabo shortly after 23 AD says Moors and Libyans had round elephant-hide shields, big for foot and small for horsemen. References: Armies of the Ancient Near East N. Stillman & N. Tallis, Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars D. Head.

I/7a — Early Libyan Army 3000 BC - 1251 BC

List: 1 x General (3Ax or 3Wb), 6 x warriors with javelins, throwing-sticks and clubs (3Ax/5Hd), 2 x archers (Ps or 3Bw), 3 x javelinmen (Ps)

Terrain: Dry

Aggression: 2

Enemies:

I/17 — HYKSOS 1645 BC - 1537 BC

I/17a — Early Hyksos Army 1645 BC - 1591 BC

I/17b — Later Hyksos Army 1590 BC - 1537 BC

I/22 — NEW-KINGDOM EGYPTIAN 1543 BC - 1069 BC

I/22a — New Kingdom Egyptian Army 1543 BC - 1200 BC

I/2 — EARLY EGYPTIAN 3000 BC - 1541 BC

I/2a — Early Egyptian Army 3000 BC - 1690 BC

I/3 — NUBIAN 3000 BC - 1480 BC

I/3 — Nubian Army 3000 BC - 1480 BC

I/7b — Early Libyan Army 1250 BC - 666 BC

List: 1 x General in 2-horse chariot (LCh), 1 x 2-horse 2 crew chariot (LCh) or Sea Peoples mercenaries (4Bd), 2 x swordsmen (3WDb), 3 x warriors (3Ax or Ps), 3 x skirmishing javelinmen (Ps), 2 x archers (Ps)

Terrain: Dry

Aggression: 4

Enemies:

I/22 — NEW-KINGDOM EGYPTIAN 1543 BC - 1069 BC

I/22a — New Kingdom Egyptian Army 1543 BC - 1200 BC

I/22b — New Kingdom Egyptian Army 1199 BC - 1069 BC

I/28 — SEA PEOPLES 1208 BC - 1176 BC

I/28 — Sea-Peoples’ Army 1208 BC - 1176 BC

I/35 — CYPRIOT & PHOENICIAN 1000 BC - 332 BC

I/35b — Cypriot or Phoenician Army 900 BC - 666 BC

I/46 — KUSHITE EGYPTIAN 745 BC - 593 BC

I/46b — Kushite Egyptian Army 727 BC - 664 BC

Allies: I/28

I/28 — SEA PEOPLES 1208 BC - 1176 BC

I/28 — Sea-Peoples’ Army 1208 BC - 1176 BC

I/7c — Early Libyan Army 665 BC - 476 BC

List: 1 x General in 4-horse chariot (LCh), 1 x 4-horse 2-crew chariot (LCh), 5 x warriors (3Wb or 3Ax, or if with large shields all Sp), 3 x skirmishing javelinmen (Ps), 2 x archers (Ps)

Terrain: Dry

Aggression: 1

Enemies:

I/46 — KUSHITE EGYPTIAN 745 BC - 593 BC

I/46b — Kushite Egyptian Army 727 BC - 664 BC

I/52 — EARLY HOPLITE GREEK 669 BC - 449 BC

I/52b — Spartan Hoplite Army 668 BC - 449 BC

I/53 — SAITIC EGYPTIAN 664 BC - 335 BC

I/53 — Saitic Egyptian Army 664 BC - 335 BC

I/56 — KYRENEAN GREEK 630 BC - 74 BC

I/56a — Early Kyrenean Greek Army 630 BC - 314 BC

I/60 — EARLY ACHAEMENID PERSIAN 550 BC - 420 BC

I/60a — Achaemenid Army 550 BC - 547 BC

I/60c — Achaemenid Army 539 BC - 420 BC

I/61 — EARLY CARTHAGINIAN 550 BC - 275 BC

I/61a — Early Carthaginian Army 550 BC - 341 BC

I/7d — Early Libyan Army 475 BC - 70 BC

List: 1 x General in 4-horse chariot (LCh) or on horseback (LH), 1 x 4-horse 2-crew chariot (LCh) or horsemen (LH), 5 x warriors (Sp or 3Ax), 3 x javelinmen (Ps), 2 x archers (Ps)

Terrain: Dry

Aggression: 1

Enemies:

I/56 — KYRENEAN GREEK 630 BC - 74 BC

I/56b — Later Kyrenean Greek Army 313 BC - 74 BC

II/20 — PTOLEMAIC 320 BC - 30 BC

II/20a — Ptolemaic Army 320 BC - 275 BC

II/20b — Ptolemaic Army 274 BC - 167 BC

II/20c — Ptolemaic Army 166 BC - 54 BC

II/20d — Ptolemaic Army 53 BC - 30 BC

II/40 — NUMIDIAN & EARLY MOORISH 215 BC - 24 AD

II/40 — Numidian or Early Moorish Army 215 BC - 24 AD

II/49 — MARIAN ROMAN 105 BC - 25 BC

II/49 — Marian Roman Army 105 BC - 25 BC

II/56 — EARLY IMPERIAL ROMAN 25 BC - 197 AD

II/56 — Early Imperial Roman Army 25 BC - 197 AD

II/7 — LATER ACHAEMENID PERSIAN 420 BC - 329 BC

II/7 — Later Achaemenid Persian Army 420 BC - 329 BC