New Kingdom Egypt (Elite)

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NEW KINGDOM EGYPT

EDITOR: MARTIN WINDROW

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NEW KINGDOM EGYPT Text by MARK HEALY Colour plates by ANGUS McBRIDE

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Artist's Note Re;lllcrs Illa~ I,.~lre til noLI: thaI tho,; origin;11 p;linlings from which Iheco1uur pblcs in this book Ilcre prl'parcd arc :!.\'aibbk lilr pri\':!.IC ~1c. All rcpruduction copyright whatsoC\"cr i.. rClaincd by the I'lIhlishns. All clI'luiric~ should he :aldITS"l'c! m: SCMpil1 (jalkry 1'.0. Box -+75

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lere O\"CI' the next filur ccnlUrics. The corollary of Jeh a poli!';)' W,IS the cxistcno.; of an army suited to 1C lask ami a slale urganised for supporting warf,ue n a large sc:dc. In the pcrivd of l,x:unumil.: n;cun:lolrm;liun ;1Ilt! pulicall.:cntralisatiun Ihal fulluwed, ,Ill.; fuumb'iu!ls of 1C Egypt ian Illi litar)' Sl.atc, ahle to sustain a powerful rmy and .1 widc-r;lllging impcl'hli policy in I\ilcslinc nd heyund. were I'lid.

THE LIMITS OF CONQUEST Whilst 1l1I.:rc is lillie disagreement ,lnlOng schul;lrs that the Fgypti,lIl Army W,IS employed in Nuhi;1 hy Amcnnphis I, I he SUCCL'Ssor 10 l\mo. locatcd, :llthough the ex:u;t ~itc has p.'t til be loc:Hed, Whil~l the population and culture of these peH}' st:llCS and of ,\ t itanni \\ ere predul11ill:lIH ly Illlrri:m. the appearance of names (If Indo-Ary:m origin suggl'StS Ihc dominatiun uflhe nati\'C popul:ltion h~ a l1on-llurrian chariOl-m\ ning military aristocracy. The na01($ orthe ~ods \\orshippcd by this small ruling da~ were non-l-I11rriall, :lIlll point 10 a \er~ strung: rel:Jtiollship wilh Ihe Aryall ill\"adl"fS of India, That thcir power and stalUS was a direct L'Ol1M.:4uellee oflhcir militar) sUf>\:riorit~, and thar such was \ cstl"d in their chariots and horsc:.. i~ indicated hy their names. For n:ample. Tushr:ltIa. Ihe name oCthe kin~ of l\litanni who corresponded \Iith Phar:loh Amenaphis 111, tT311Slatl"S :IS 'owner of teniblc chari(m~', and Biridash\\3 mL-JnS 'pc",sL'ssing gTl..-JI horscs', CoIIccti\c1~ this charioH)wning :lriswcT3cy were called IIIl",.y(UUlU. a \\unl wh~ origin is hclic\'cd 10 mean 'young warrior. The '-'Ontrihuliun oflhe l\tir.lIlni 10 the hi~turr of warfarc in thc;l1lcicnt I\L'ar East c,mnOi hco\'t,.·rSlalnl.

Ahholl~h they did nOI irUI'Olluce Ihe chariot 10 lhe region, it was their laclical clllploylllclll of this weapun in co01bin:uion with their de"e1opment of armour for hurse and l;fCW th:1I did lllllch 10 influence nut Hnl~ Ihe olrlllics uf Egypt blll also Ihuse of Ihe Ilill itcs and Assyria. Ahhou~h hronY-e "L';l!c ami lamellar l'XKly armour M,"('IllS 111 h:l\e heen a Ilurrian il1\cnlion daling to about the 17th ccnlur~ BC, 11 was first encounlered in (Iuantity being "orn b~ lhe 1I/(ITI)'(IIUm of t\ litanni. The :mnnur p:lntJpl~ uf Ihe noble and wyal t\liranni "'''TI}'(/11l11l \\a~ \cr~ \alliable and suphiMi-

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c.ued in de~i~n (sec.: Plale I~). :ami OCl..1ll1C Ihe me:aSlIre :againsl which mher NC;lr 1':;ISlcrn pf)\\CrS modelled their own; j\I;I:Il111iall influcm:e is dearly diM.:ernihle ;nthe armour oflhe F.~YPli:lll ch:lr;ot :lrchcr in !'I:lle B. That lhe F.~;)PI;;Ill~ rl.'l'>peeled Ihe If/(myamlll and their equipment highl~ Cnt b~ King ,\rl:lIal11a let TUlhmosis IV \\hen :I diplomal;c marriage sc:lled a tTl.'3I) bel\\Ccn ~Iilanni and Egypl in Ihccarly I . h h cemury Be. It is Iherefore nOI ~urprising Ihal Ihe E,n pli:lI\~ \ ie\\ed \\ ;lh al>)>«.'hensiun the riM: Hf lhi... formidable milir:lry I)()\\cr This sn:,ion f)f rdit:f:.hl,l"'$ btc:r SCll' Ki"gdolll clnsccomb", itlfol/llr) oflhe (ime: of'he: 1l..J I I Ie: (If Q,uJc:sh. V"liit, 'hoSt: ilJll...',....J,aJ rolrlirr Jllt.'\ fWIl ........r 'c.\lilt: '"....ul . prOlIX'I;"",II'hile"

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with which the~ woultl. helitre lung. he emhroiled in inc\ il:lble eonfliu, Beyond \Iilanni, the Ilurrian cit) siales uf S)ria and lhuse ruled hy Ilurri:ms and non-Ilurrians in r:l!t... . . line al~1 emhraced :lIld emulaled the 1II(lr~I'(/1II1lI ~ystem and the milil;lI'y leehnology :lSSOCi;lled \\ilh it. Thcir milil:ar) cffLX:li\'ene~s gues some way to explain Tuthlllo~is III nL'Cding 17 :ll1nu:lIGlmpaigns mer a 2n-~ear perilKI in unlel'lo COlllr()II':lle~lincand S) ria. The Ruad w Emllirc If during the rei~ns (If t\mcnophis I :llld TUlhmosis I I\lil:anni had )el 10 maLe il:. po\\er slrongl~ felt, E~) pLian innuence in the l,c\'anl showed :l m:lrkcd, albeit sclf-induL'Cd, decline under their rWlI successors, Tuthmo~is II .lI1d Ilatshepsul. Ouring the 20-)Io-'::Ir rei~'11 uf Halshepsul no F.l-rypliall milir:uy cxpcdilion \enlurcd ttl Ihe I.c\'anl. wilh the consequence Ihal h~ Ihe lime of her de:lIh there nOb a marll·d decrease in thc lribule recei\Co frum Egypr's Lissa Is in S) ri:l, In the f:lee oflhi:-. pcreei\l'd naning of Eg~pli:lll power, ~til.llllli Illmcd npidl) I() a~rl

its control over Syria as far as rhe l\lcditcrrallcan coast, \Iith nlflSt of Egypt's former vassals no\\ aeknowlcd!!ing the killg in \Va~hllkk:tni a!'> their overlord. 'I'hc re,ll measure of Eg) pi i;11l wC;lkncss, ho\\"(;\,er, em he seen in thc manner in which the king of Qldesh on lhe Ol'OIltcS had cxpantlcd his dumain in S) ria anti thell SUlllhl\anl into Paleslinc with 100ai impunil). On ncws of the tlc:uh uf I-Ialshepslll in 1-+1'1211(: he or~:lniscd ;tll alliance ofcit) Slales in Syria :md Palest inc to challenge Egypt ian Pll\\ er in Canaan by seizing theeity ofi\'\cgidJII. \Ve must inli.:r thai the King of(~dcsh h;td the 1;lcit, ifnot open, support (If his 0\ erlunl in Washukk:mi lilr this prtl\"tK:'llion. ','hc city oCnJpied :1 srrategic position astride the main tradc rmllc bctwl.'el1 EV;YIH :ll1d MesopOI;lmia, i\"ol only did this 11:1 \'C eeullumil.: implicatioll!'> filr the I..ingUllin; hut the :mdacirr of the act itself promised, UIlIc~s dc;t11 \Iilh quickly, to undermine the credibility of EgypI's rule amung her \-:Issals in Canaan. :\1 risk lIas the whole Ilfher sel.:llrity po"irioll in C'maan and thc intcgrity of (he easlern bunlers uf Egypt it~c1f. The fil1'ei~n pulie) init i;lled b)' TUI hmu::.is [II as :1 response, and the military campaign!'> undertaken III rcalise ii, hC:lr all thc hallmarks of an llllderl~ ing grand sLr:tll:~Y de:trl} !iJrmttl:lleu in au\:mce :lnd designed 10 addrcss the sit uat ion Eg~ pt 11()\1 !"ound itselfin, 'I'hc polie) (If lea\ in~ I assals to t heir own de\iccs upun pa)lllent or lrihule turned un the willingness of the Egypti.m ph:I~lohs to undert;ll..c re~lll:lr al'nletl dcmunslnllions in Palesline and S) ria. In the absence of such reminders thc llel..lt:: :llleg-iam.:es of SYI'i:1ll and Palcsrini;l1l tily st;lIes could no longer be :lssuretl, SUdl ein,:ulllstalll.;Cs now ohl:lim:d; and also scr\·ed tv demollst rilte hO\1 different \\ as t he sit ualion in the l,c\':l.llI from Ihe rime of /\mHsis, when Ihe policy \\";IS uriginall) furmulatcd, Egypt was nu\\" npl}()sed by :1 major power in 1\ 1ilanni where none had existed hefore, a powel" ahle to challenge her pretensiolls to SllZel"lillt~ o'er the rq~ion. i\lit.llllled [h:lt il W;IS sc1f-i.. '\'idellllhat it \\mlld inc\'ilabl~ lead to:l direcl dash or ;ll'Ill:>. hetweCllthe two great J'!1l\\erS, It is a measurc of his ~cl1ills that all his camp,ligns in P:I1cstine and Syria were conscious steps lO\\':lnls cnsuring: [hal lhe incvitable conf'runlaliun wOllld bc broughl ;lboUI on his lerms. The demisc ofll:l1shepsul ;Illuwed Tuthmosis III IH exercise sole rule as ph:lmoh fur the first time in his 22-ycar reign. Ilis respunse to the ch:lllenge uf the hustile eO;llitio!l was typical of tht: Ill:ln: measured, but very r.lpid. In shol'l order he led the Egyptian

army inw Palestine 10 do hanlc wilh the cncm) furce. Althouf(h illacti\e jilr some lime, lhere is no douhting I hal under Ihe command of this d vnamie and remarkable king, who is rCj.,rardcd hy many as Ihe grearest pharaoh l<J have occupied thc lhrone of Egypt, the arm) was superbly trained, equipped, and \\ell prcp,!rcd for the COlllesl of arms f,lcing" it. Alxwc ;111, il must hc assumed th;1I it was hifl"lliy moti\;1ted, gO\'crncd as il was by;1ll ovcrwhelming desire to \'cnt its profcssional frllslr,lIion on the cnemy :llld redress the cOcct of lhe ye;lrs of self-induced we:lkness th;ll had brought Egyptian power and preslige beyond its borders 10 such sorry pass, II would seem mo:.l apposite at this point, with Egypt Ull the road lU cmpire, III explurc very briclly thl' wa~'rhe Male had e\uhed 10 service tIll' needs of the military. ami lU examine in olliline Ihe army itself.

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THE MILITARY STATE The head of Ihe Eg~ plian SI;ltc ;llld commandcr-in.:hieJ of the armed furces (army ;1Ilt! n;l\,~) was the ph:lf:lOh, who, as suprcme warlord, exercised ahsolule control (IVer the machinery Ill' ~o\"crnmenl and resources of the kingdom, and was thus able to wield unhindered power in the pursuit of his aims, The martial n:llllreofthi~ power is rclln;ted in the inscriptions and pharaonic ieonognlphy oflhe ISth :lnd 191h Dyna:-.ties, where Ihe king is depicted in tradilional ~lylc as sun god but is :llso portraycd as an inGlrnation of the war god i\lnnlu ami The personification of Eg) pl it:.c1f. Prcp,lr;ltion for Ihis role heg,1Il e;lIly. with lhc heir apparenl reccivinl!:l lIistim;tl) military nlm.:alion at lhe hands of \'elenms appoinled by the pharaoh, Expertise was :Ic(luired in ,Illthc arts ; ulwlllcr "",jill' snlllTC nr SlIpl,l." U·'I.!> frum tritwtc-in thi." flit-lUre wc .'it't' IIf"U hurses brill/! hrflugl,r III F,[!ypr. A I,w of si/!"i/imm;e: i." I1Il' ,mrli,,1 illw,:e fit' file eIJillJ "n Ille

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the demands on the army im.:n:ased so did Ihe upporlunilies for advam:cmcnl Ihrou~h ils ranks for \\c;l1th~ and 100dy alike. While those or high birlh could secure positions in clilc ullits sueh as the dl.lriot corps. :lble commoners cuuld ;\\:hic\e promotion 10 olliccr Stalus, No heller illllstnllion of this c;ln be offered ,han the l':.lreer of Horcmh.lh. who

hc~"n his army C.lreer :1":1 St.·ribe amI cndc(1 up :lS phar:lClh. Olhcr pharJuhs who l~.ln their l.i1fl.'Cl"l> in the :lrlll~ indm.led A), RalllaSM.~ I :md, as \\c ha\c aln::ld~' Sl..'Cn, TUlhmo wuuld usc bows :lml slin~'S In fOIke rhe dccks \\ hile a numocr uf the ere\\ \\ollid lhro\\ grappling huul.... inlo the ri~­ ging \\ ith the uhjl.'CT uf either c;lp~il:ing ur hnardinp: the eoem) ship. Iflhe !:tiler, then a" Ihe HMd.. c1oM:d a number uf marine.. l.. . rr~ ing spears fur du:-.e-urder thruMing \\ould hUJ.rd .he enemy \'l.'S5OC1 under cOler Ilf an.:hery from Iheir 0\\ n :.hip. It is a Sl..'Cnc from Ihis h:lltlc th.lt has bt....'n illu:.traled in PI:llCj. The dcfe:lI 111 ti,t· rd;"."

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.. /lt~·III:1l1 would h:l\'C been surprised while on the march, scpar:llct.I, .md vulnerahle til the mass t:hariot ;lll"ICks of lhe /IIar;.1'11111111, whose intentions were nol only to inni!.:t ;1 suund l.h:feal un the Egyptian chariot unils, but-once Ihe latter's effectiveness had hcen scverely il1lp:lired-lo hegin ,I process ofallritioll of the in fan-

Iry by long-range archery, Thus, cven hdllre the Egypli:lll army was finally able to deploy lor b:lItlc, the encmy coult.l h:l\'c inflicted vcry heavy losses. Canaanite tactics werc well known to the F,gyptians, and not wilhslanding Ihe 20-ycar hiarus in operalions in the regiun there must ha\'c heen plenty of officcrs present who had personal experience of fighting the 1II(1"~11'1I11111 in CIIl:lan. 'rllthmosis c1carly hdic\ed thal the benefits of the morc difficult route lilT oUlweighed the disadvantages, and was perhaps confirmed in Ihe correctness or his own view hy Ihe vehemclll.'C wilh which his own generals argued lheir corner. Iflhey were prepared In risk thc luss(..... cm,liled in appru.H:hing Megiddu \ i,1 one ()f Ihc 01 her t Wit routes rat her than I:lke t hc Arllll;l road, hu\\' much more likely was it thai Ihe enemy, lhinking in thc same way, would have len Ihe more difficult rOllle undefended? By lhc timc the cncmy T/I;.'>l!rt1pi,i; greal ~ICS 10 stOll thc Eg)ptiam. emering. Therc then fulluwed the ludicrous Jiight of knotted shect... heing: lu\\ered so that al ka!>t the high and might) amung Ihe defeated, including the king nf Kalksh and Ihc rulcr of \tegidl.lu, ..:ould lx: r~cucd by scrdmbling up the \\alls. \Ian) othcrs u\\cd Iheir S3h'alion to the ;mraclilln:-. of the V:lSI qu:mtilies of bout) they h:lI.! ,lhanduned: " , , if only hi!> m:ljl'Sty's army h:ll.1 nol gi\en their hL...r!., III L'3pturing the posM:ssinns uf the enemy, the) \\nuld h:l\e L'3ptured Megiddo:ll Ihis lime... .' It i.. cle;lf Ih;11 Ihc official narml i\ e rel:ugn iscd th,u this \>reaJ..dHl\ n uf discipline had rohhcdthl: phar:wh elf lellal "ictor~, as .\ Icg:iddo could ha\e Ixcn stormed :111' fI(St't; I, ,ht'l>C encrgie~ Jlld l:thours had been c\:pcllllcd tn

prep.ln.: lhe ~gyptian army, no\\' h'l1Ilc-h:m.lcned, Iu al last cuntest with· ... thar wretched ,\liranni;lll foe' in Ihe land of IVlit"nni itself. The previolls years had seell the E~ypli.m .1TlllY longage. Although dctails arc sketch}'. it would seem that a major b,utlc rook place tH the north of (~\dcsh in whieh lhe EgYJllian!> cbimt:d a great \'iewry. M:lll)' IlilliIC." Wl.:rl.: said 10 ha\'e hl.:t:n killed and Seli returned to Egypt wilh much huoty ami m:my caplivcs. In t'Ommon with many aCCQUIHS of Egyptian operations in Syria during Ihe time of i\'litanni. il i!> the infl.:rl.:nee we can draw from Ihe silent:c thai is imporlal\l when considering Egypt's retltions with the Hittites in the rcgion. :'\lOlwilhslanding Sl.:ti's daims 10 ha\'e inflicted a major defeat on the Hittites :lnd captured Q;ldcsh, Ihe f:lct that he entered into a trcalV with Muwatallish implies Ihat the Egyptian posilion in celllr.11 Syria was al hest tenuous. It would seem lhal thc treat)' rl.:eogniscd both I-fillite and Egyplian sphen:s ofinfluem.:e in the region, !lUI did nOI demarcalC dear and formal huundaries. NC\'crlheless, Qtdesh mUSl have been gi\'en lip to Iht: Ilillites-otherwise we ha\'c no way of accounting Itlr Ihe dim:ll:lic haltle for tht: city fought in the reign of his son and sueCl.:ssor, Ramasscs II.

THE BATTLE OF QADESH Ram:lsses II was about 2S years of age when he ascended Ihe Ihrone of Egypt in 1304 lie, absolute master of one of the world's great powers. lie was young, vigorous. able and resourceful; bUI above all. full of :unbition 10 emulate his illU~lrious forebears thc early 181h Dyn,uay hy extending Egypt's northern frontiers to encompass again Ihe territories of ccntral Syria, notwithstanding that those territories lay firmly wilhin the Hittite sphere and th:ll such W:lS l:lcitly recognised by the trl.::Ily agreed with Hani by his father Seti I. Ful/ilment of his ambition meant Ihat Ramasse!> accepted the inc\'ilabilily of war wilh Egypl's powerful northern rival. Although he wa~ unable 10 engage in military operations in Syria unlil Year Fuur of his reign. it is app,trent that frOI11 an early date much energy was expended wilhin EgYPl in preparing the arlllY for its coming contest wilh Ilani. This included adding a fourth tield army to the

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order ofb;lltlc, and the e:\panSi0111lflhe eastern Oell'3 eity of I)i-Ralllasses to :lct as lhe ! enc:'lml>cJ with the di\"i"ion of Amun on Ihe morning of day 9 of the third month uf Shemu (late .\1a)) on Ihe "amu'at c1-llarmci ridge 10 the Mluth of (~dcsh. From thi!> \:lnl:lbrc point lhe \:llle~ lay ahead \\ilh the cit~ it~lf in sight. AI this poinl the IIthl"r field J.rmi~-Re. Prah and Sct lJ.y to the rC;lr (If i\mull :Ilon~ the line uf march and scparated b~ ahout

nne iff'r (:Ibollt If).5~m), ,u..::cunling tn standard operaling procedure. Striking' Glmp, R'\ln;b~e!> and Amun descended frum the ridg:c. tr.l\er~ed lhe rore~1 of 1.:llmi :lnd hcg:an cros.; gencr-J.lly :\Ssumed h:ld heen ddi~fOIlc1~ sent out h~ the Ilinite king 10 misinform Rama!>scs) apl>C3rcd and flOcred the inform:lliun Ihat I\lo\\3tallish ,lIld hi~ :1fn1) \\ erc nn\\ hcrl' nC'J.r /w radii ,\lcmqll,,11 (r.1lJ6-23 IIC). AJtlwlIJ[h lIe ilccJllc,ullrnmlly, a/,II()Ilj!IIII()(

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c.\'('Iu...i\T/I' ;Ih'milicd as that ofQ.a. dcsh, it i!'> de:!f th,H contact with thcm h:td'l m:ljor impact fill lhe Egyp-

111:1 IIi"III.' sl.dised ;Ill~gc R,ulla.'iseslll i.'i IHlrlmJ"ed pre.'iCIII ;,,~ nl Ilk!> or c;"pl i I'C Sea "~"(Jple!> If} rill" f!m/,'i fllllUlI >Hul ;\11/1 1m I/le 11'11/1 or rlic U'mplc al ;\lcclillcI II"b". ·nlt· WI' lillc' "n' ;d...' II,ifh·d ,,!> Sca I'co/,k k;ldcrs. llic' middle mil' I).·/I)"CII lIt1c1I/IC'[XJIt<Jf1l "delil·I~llle... e I,dll" rhe lilrd'...· :lr... or Ihe lilfe,'

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rians. Foremust among: their military innontions was the /IIlITh'fllI/lII, ~l mililary aristua:u.:y whidl in h~lItlc provided Ihe t.:utting edge Hf the IIurri-IVlil:mni:lIl army. Illustrated hcre is an C1ite IIltm:VtllIIlII chill'iot (;few and their vchicle.lloth wcar heav) scale armour, Ihe innuence uf which is c1earl~ di:-.t.:crniblc in the

Egyptian palloply in Plale B. The hody armour uCthe archer comprises approximately SUO klrge scale.... for the hody, 500 smaller scales for the arms, and about 200, smallcl' still, for thc helmet. Such a p;moply WilS vcry expensive to produce. lie L';lrries .. pu\\crful composite hcm. 'fhe dri\'cr is equipped in more ur

less the same fashion, amI carries a shield, ,\'litannian innovatiun (.":.lJl also hl.: seen in the lise of armour for the ch:.lriOl cab and on lhe horse it"c1f; the horse tcam illustrated here wcar~ a Sl.:ale :lfmour 'CO;1I', The weapons complement of a Mit'annian chariot comprised IWO bO\\ S, t\\'o t! ui \'crs, a long spear and a chuiot shield.

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