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Pages in this article: [ THE
LIFE OF RAMESSESS THE GREAT ]
[ THE EARLY YEARS ] [ NEFETARI ] [ RAMESSESS THE WARRIOR ] [ BATTLE OF KADESH ] [ RAMESSES THE GOD ] [ RAMESSES THE BUILDER ] [ DEATH OF A GOD ]
The battle of Kadesh - events leading up to the battle
A coalition between the forces of Hatti, Anotolia and Syria
decided to wage war on Egypt and attacked Egypt's northern territories.
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The Hittite king Muwatallis
led the enemy force, of two contingents each of 18,000 men supported by
at least 2,500 charioteers. However these figures are unsubstantiated.
Ramesses's military prowess would be tested when he fought for Egypt's
existence, confronting the coalition's huge army on the Syrian plain, at
the battle of Kadesh. |
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At the age of 25, Ramesses was the
commander of the largest professional army of the ancient world. His
army comprised of infantry regiments and mercenaries, most noticeably,
the Sherden who were a fierce sea faring people, renowned for
their piratical raids and their distinctive armour, along with a
contingent of Nearin. The Nearin were to play a pivotal
role in the forthcoming battle, left at Amurru by Ramesses acting
as his rearguard. |
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Supplementing Ramesses
army were squadrons of chariots, acquisitions from the Hyksos.
Typically, the Egyptians adapted the design to meet their requirements,
changing the original heavy frame to one constructed from ash; its
properties would give the chariot lightness and strength. For speed and
manouverability, two horses pulled the chariot manned by a two-man crew
consisting of a driver and an archer. |
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This combination made the
Egyptian chariot a formidable fighting machine best suited to fast, long
range assaults, similar to today’s modern Light Infantry. Unlike the
Hittite chariot, which was large, slow, heavy and best suited to short
face to face assaults. |
The battle of Kadesh - what was at stake?
 The domination of the
Syrian plain, with its trade routes between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean
was at stake with the added bonus of untold wealth from Egypt. Hostilities
between the Hittites and Egypt had raged since the 17th Dynasty, with several
pharaohs leading victorious military expeditions into Syria to quell Hittite
uprisings. Ramesses was determined to quell this latest uprising once and for
all.
The Battle: day 1
In the spring of 1274 BC, recorded as regnal year 5, day 9, 2nd month of
summer of his reign, Ramesses marched eastwards with a force of 20,000 troops
and charioteers through Gaza, Canaan and Syria to confront the coalition at
Kadesh.
The army was split into four divisions each marching under the protective
banner of a god: Amun which, was personally led by Ramesses, Re, Ptah and Seth.
After a months marching, Ramesses's army reached Canaan where they
briefly halted, and then moved swiftly on to Shabtuna, some ten miles from
Kadesh.
Pressing
his advantage, Ramesses closed up to the outskirts of Kadesh itself. It
was here that the army decided to make camp, in the wood of Labwi.
Whilst patrolling the
woods, the Egyptian guards came across two Shosu Bedouin who confessed
under interrogation to being Hittite deserters and knew the location of
the Hittite army. They revealed that "the
enemy from Hittie is in the land of the Khaleb, to the north of Tunip at
Aleppo" situated some 200 miles to the north of Kadesh.
However
these Bedouin were spies, deliberately supplying Ramesses with false
information. Ramesses eager to take the Hittitess by surprise, led the
division of Amun way ahead of his army, crossing the river Orontes to
set up camp on a knoll to the north-west of Kadesh, summoning for his
travelling throne to be set up so as to observe the city.
 This tactical error left
the divisions strung out over a distance of some miles with the division
of Amun isolated and unprotected.
Once again, the Egyptian guards captured two wandering
Bedouin who were obviously Hittite spies. The spies were encouraged to
divulge the location of their army, and believing that the coalition was miles
away, Ramesses was not unduly worried. This was soon to change. The spies
confessed: "Lo! The king of Hatti has already arrived ... they stand armed
and ready for battle behind the old city of Kadesh."
Ramesses immediately summoned his generals, demanding to know why he had not
been advised of the situation, and blaming his rashness on his subordinates who in
turn placed the blame firmly on the Egyptian intelligence service. A runner was
immediately dispatched to summon the other three divisions. Ramesses's
eagerness for victory had led his army right into Muwatallis's trap.
| Muwatallis
bided his time and waited until the three divisions of Re, Ptah
and Seth who were spread out on either side of the Orontes River.
At precisely
this moment the Hittite chariots came pouring down out of the woods to attack Re
division, quickly turning round to directly attack Ramesses camp.
Taken by
surprise the soldiers forgot all their military training and scattered being cut
down as they went, those that did escape ran northwards leading the Hittite
chariots straight into Ramesses camp. |
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It was now the turn of Ramesse’s
personal guard of Amun to be taken by surprise and scatter.
With chaos reigning
all around him Ramesses called upon his father Amun to come to his aid. Ramesses
is filled with the power of Amun and feels his chest swell and his heart grow
stout.
Donning his armour, and believing he was invincible,
Ramesses jumps into his
chariot and rides straight into the enemy who scatter in fear of him.
The king
tries to rally his troops by crying out: |
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"Stand firm, steady your hearts my army.
That you may behold my victory, I am alone, but Amun will be my protector, his
hand is with me."
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Inscriptions written after the battle describe Ramesses actions thus; He
(Ramesses)
single handed attacked and defeated the surprised Hittites "being more
efficient than millions of foot soldiers and ten thousand of chariots."
Fate is on Ramesses side. The Nearin troops left at Amurru play a crucial
role at Kadesh. As part of a predetermined battle plan, the elite troops would
attack Kadesh from the rear through the Eleutheros Valley. Their fortuitous
(and no doubt timely) unexpected arrival on the battle
field took Muwatallis completely by surprise. Altering the sway of the battle
away from the Hittites to the Egyptians; allowing Ramesses to take advantage of
the situation, charging into the Hittite ranks six times, slowly forcing the
Hittite chariots back across the Orontes.
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Textual evidence describes the role
played by the Nearin thus, "The Nearin
smashed into the vile Fallen One of Hatti, just as it was on the point of
entering pharaoh's camp." |
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The Nearin's arrival
rallied Ramesses's troops as
the text continues: "The entourage of his Majesty killed them, not allowing
any to escape.". By now the division of Ptah arrived on the scene along with
the deserters of Re and Amen, Seth division arriving somewhat later, allowing
the Egyptian camp to settle down for the night.
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The Battle: day 2
What actually took place in the morning is uncertain. The Egyptian account
tells us that in the morning, Ramesses's army attacked the Hittites where it's
claimed "The dead lay in heaps in their own blood."
| The reality of the situation was probably different. Facing one
another on the Syrian plain stood the two greatest armies the world had ever
seen, both used to a different type of warfare, both used to overthrowing
a weaker adversary, town by town, until beaten into submission.
Neither was probably used to
actually
facing a well disciplined army face to face. Moreover, with both sides staring
defeat in the face, neither side willing to accept defeat, the result was a
stand off. |
King Muwatallis could
stand the bloodshed no longer, and probably realising that neither side could win
the battle, he sent a letter pleading for peace saying:
"Do not be hard in your
actions, victorious king, peace is better than fighting, give us time to
breathe." |
Negotiations were entered into, with King Muwatallis wanting a peace
treaty but Ramesses would have none of it and only agreed to sign a truce.
Ramesses's megalomania saw this stand off between the two nations as a personal
victory and returned home to have his dubious victory commemorated. The
battle was re-enacted in relief carvings on all Egypt's major monuments.
Whether this stand off was seen as a decline in the reputation of the
Egyptian army is uncertain. Instead of bringing peace to the area, the contrary
appears to have happened. For the next 16 years, Ramesses's army would have to
quell uprisings in Canaan, Syria, Amurru, Phoenicia and Dapur.
Three events occurred that would change the situation between the two nations
for ever:
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The first being the death of king
Muwatallis, occurring in year 8-9 of
Ramesses's reign. His death led to a power struggle within the Hatti royal court,
with
his son Urhi-Teshnub succeeding him, ruling as Mursilis II.
Mursilis II was usurped by
his uncle Hattusilis, a war-monger, who had designs on conquering Egypt. |
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Secondly, in year 18-19 Urhi-Teshnub sought refuge in Egypt, where upon
Hattusilis requested his deportation, which Ramesses flatly refused. Tensions
ran so high, that it led the two countries to the brink of hostilities, almost
to the point of repeating Kadesh. |
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Thirdly,
a new powerful nation was sweeping across the Levant, the Assyrians. They had
already over thrown the Mitanni Empire and were now threatning to invade Hatti.
Hattusilis, an experienced diplomat, could see the sense of forming an alliance
with Egypt, as it would be mutually beneficial for one another. In regnal year 21 a peace treaty was agreed to, inextricably
tying the two nations to everlasting peace. This momentous occasion was sealed
and inscribed on two matching silver tablets. |
The treaty
Before Ramesses would agree to sign the treaty, he had the opening lines of
it re written, making it clear that he held the Hittites responsible for the breaking
of the original agreement
signed between Akhenaten and Suppiluliumas.
Secondly, it was a pact of
non-aggression and mutual assistance if attacked by a third party (i.e. Assyria)
and the extradition of political opponents (an obvious reference to the
Urhi-Teshnub incident).
Thirdly, it defines the country's borders and provides
assistance in the case of internal revolution. The treaties were witnessed by "a
thousand sacred gods of Egypt and a thousand sacred gods of Hatti, who will
cause him to flourish and will make him live, together with his household, his
land and his servants."
The agreed text is recorded to having been received in
Piramesses on "regnal year 21, 21st day, 1st month
of winter." c. 1259 BC. Copies of the treaty were inscribed on the walls of
Karnak Temple and the Ramesseum.
| Twelve years after the treaty had
been signed and to prove that this was a permanent agreement, Hattusilis III
sent his eldest daughter as a bride to Ramesses. She arrived "year 34, 3rd
month of winter" ( c. 1246-1245 BC) and was accepted into Ramesses's harem as
Mahor-Neferure, "she is one who sees Horus, the beauty of Re".
A few years later, year 44,
another one of Hattusilis daughters was sent for Ramesses to marry, an action
that can
only be described as a bribe, as a means of securing the continued allegiance
between the two countries. |
The Hittite version
of the treaty was erected at Hattusas, the capital of Hatti, and was written in cuneiform, the preferred
language for international diplomacy.
As a gesture of entente cordial,
the queens of Hatti and Egypt, Puduhepa and Nefertari respectively,
sent one another congratulatary gifts and letters. |
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