Ramesses II: Military Leader/Warrior
Ramesses II, during his lifetime was known as a great warrior Pharaoh, though he was also seen to be a peace maker. As his father was Seti I, Ramesses' heritage fell in the line of Set. He was quite proud of this and therefore made it his duty during his reign to uplift his name. Part of this involved war and expanding his borders, and Set was a perfect god to have on his side for this.
First Campaign:
During Pharonic times in Egypt, there was always an increased threat of aggression and violence against Egypt, during the ascension of a new Pharaoh. Opposing of the time would have seen it as their personal duty to test the resolve of the new king in Egypt.Likewise, the Pharaoh felt it was incumbent to make a display of force, especially if he was to keep the peace during his reign. it was from here that, in the fourth year of his reign, Ramesses found himself fighting in Syria, in a series of campaigns against the Hittites and their allies. However the Hittite army was extremely strong and much bigger than the Egyptian army, and therefore the war lasted for about twenty years, which is much longer than Ramesses expected.
Second Campaign:
On his second campaign, Ramesses II found himself battling the city of Kadesh. This battle dates back to 1273 BC. The Battle of Kadesh is truly the mother of all battles, in every sense. It was fought on the banks of the Orontes river in Syria, and was the first recorded battle where tru military tactics were known. Ramesses II as Pharaoh led his army of 20,000 men in an attempt to maintain his empire, which was falling apart, In return the Hittite king, Muwatallis, sent and ambush for the Egyptians. This was comprised of about 1500 charitos, which each held 2-3 soldiers.
The armies had been battling for years, but the start to the battle of Kadesh was when the bedouin spies (The bedouin were a namadic tribe from Arabia), brought the Pahraoh false information which placed the Hittite army in the land of Kaleb, 190 km north of Kadesh. This as we know was fake imformation and therefore when the Egyptian army travelled northwards, they were caught off guard, as the Hittite King Muwatallis, had set a trap, and was waiting with his infantry and his chariots. Ramesses II then sent an emergency warning to the ra division, but they were still 8km away. They Hittites and the Ra division then at the same time charged toward the Amun division, who were not prepared to started to flee and scatter. Ramesses II was the only one who seemed to ramin calm during the whole ordeal, and after a quick prayer to Amun, he gathered his troops and managed to hold his own for the rest of the battle. From here many of the Egyptian soldiers were slaughtered until reinforcements were sent in to save the day. Evidence of this can be seen in the book 'The Eye of the Horus', "The arrival of reinforcements of Pharaoh, from the land of Amurru.... The reinforcements cut off the foe.. and Pharaoh's officers slew them".
Both armies lost many man during the battle, and the Egyptians were unable to achieve their goal of breaking down the Hitties to gain more land. Tactically it is a Pyrrhic victory to Egypt because of the significant losses to the Hittites. Egyptian propaganda said that it was a decisive victory for Egypt but this was not the case. Overall though the battle was clearly seen as a Hittite victory as the Egyptians did not manage to gain ground over the Orontes River and had to retreat because of not having the logistics to continue a siege of Kadesh.
Alhtough this is how the battle is recorded in many the histroy books, Ramesses II had a different account. He stated that he had single handedly fought the battle, and defeated the Hittites without his army. This transformed him from a gulible king to a god like warrior, and he was seen as an unstopable fighting force. To cement this into people, and make them think that was how he was really like, inscriptions were carved all throughout the city.
Here is an excerpt from an account of the battle of Kadesh which portrays the king in this way,"I have fought, I have repulsed millions of nations with mine own hand. Force-in-Thebes and Maut-is-satisfied were my great horses, they were under my hand when I was alone in the midst of the trembling enemy. Henceforth their food shall be given them before me, each day, when I am in my palace; for I found them when I was in the midst of the enemy, with the chief, Menni, mine equerry, and with the officers of my household who accompany me, and who are my witnesses in the fight: they are all that I found. I have returned victorious from the battle, and with my sword have I smitten the assembled multitudes." This is to satisfy the heart of Pharaoh, of the god who voluntarily diffuses his vivifying influence, of the lord, the valorous bull, who loves the truth, of the supreme king, who protects his soldiers, of the hero with the invincible sword, the bulwark of his soldiers in the day of battle, of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Rauserma-sotepenra, son of the Sun, Rameses Miamun. Thy servant Khitasir speaks to thee, to lay before thee that, being thyself the son of Amen, formed of his substance, as he has delivered all lands unto thee, the land of Egypt and the land of the Khita unite to lay their services at thy feet. Ra, thine august father, has given strength and victory unto thee ; deign to spare us, thou whose souls are great ! Thy valour has weighed heavily upon the nation of the Khita, but is it good for thee to kill thy servants? Thou art their master ; will thy face be always angry towards us ; wilt thou not calm thyself? Yesterday thou hast appeared and thou has killed hundreds of thousands ; if thou appear today. no one will be left to be subject uiito thee.. Abandon thy designs, oh, victorious king, the genius that delights in battles. Grant to us the breath of life !Behold, now, this is excellent ! Deign
to be calmed, O sovereign, our master ! If mercy be not extended to Khitasir, to whom should it be granted? He adores thee ; consent then to calm thy wrath."
First Campaign:
During Pharonic times in Egypt, there was always an increased threat of aggression and violence against Egypt, during the ascension of a new Pharaoh. Opposing of the time would have seen it as their personal duty to test the resolve of the new king in Egypt.Likewise, the Pharaoh felt it was incumbent to make a display of force, especially if he was to keep the peace during his reign. it was from here that, in the fourth year of his reign, Ramesses found himself fighting in Syria, in a series of campaigns against the Hittites and their allies. However the Hittite army was extremely strong and much bigger than the Egyptian army, and therefore the war lasted for about twenty years, which is much longer than Ramesses expected.
Second Campaign:
On his second campaign, Ramesses II found himself battling the city of Kadesh. This battle dates back to 1273 BC. The Battle of Kadesh is truly the mother of all battles, in every sense. It was fought on the banks of the Orontes river in Syria, and was the first recorded battle where tru military tactics were known. Ramesses II as Pharaoh led his army of 20,000 men in an attempt to maintain his empire, which was falling apart, In return the Hittite king, Muwatallis, sent and ambush for the Egyptians. This was comprised of about 1500 charitos, which each held 2-3 soldiers.
The armies had been battling for years, but the start to the battle of Kadesh was when the bedouin spies (The bedouin were a namadic tribe from Arabia), brought the Pahraoh false information which placed the Hittite army in the land of Kaleb, 190 km north of Kadesh. This as we know was fake imformation and therefore when the Egyptian army travelled northwards, they were caught off guard, as the Hittite King Muwatallis, had set a trap, and was waiting with his infantry and his chariots. Ramesses II then sent an emergency warning to the ra division, but they were still 8km away. They Hittites and the Ra division then at the same time charged toward the Amun division, who were not prepared to started to flee and scatter. Ramesses II was the only one who seemed to ramin calm during the whole ordeal, and after a quick prayer to Amun, he gathered his troops and managed to hold his own for the rest of the battle. From here many of the Egyptian soldiers were slaughtered until reinforcements were sent in to save the day. Evidence of this can be seen in the book 'The Eye of the Horus', "The arrival of reinforcements of Pharaoh, from the land of Amurru.... The reinforcements cut off the foe.. and Pharaoh's officers slew them".
Both armies lost many man during the battle, and the Egyptians were unable to achieve their goal of breaking down the Hitties to gain more land. Tactically it is a Pyrrhic victory to Egypt because of the significant losses to the Hittites. Egyptian propaganda said that it was a decisive victory for Egypt but this was not the case. Overall though the battle was clearly seen as a Hittite victory as the Egyptians did not manage to gain ground over the Orontes River and had to retreat because of not having the logistics to continue a siege of Kadesh.
Alhtough this is how the battle is recorded in many the histroy books, Ramesses II had a different account. He stated that he had single handedly fought the battle, and defeated the Hittites without his army. This transformed him from a gulible king to a god like warrior, and he was seen as an unstopable fighting force. To cement this into people, and make them think that was how he was really like, inscriptions were carved all throughout the city.
Here is an excerpt from an account of the battle of Kadesh which portrays the king in this way,"I have fought, I have repulsed millions of nations with mine own hand. Force-in-Thebes and Maut-is-satisfied were my great horses, they were under my hand when I was alone in the midst of the trembling enemy. Henceforth their food shall be given them before me, each day, when I am in my palace; for I found them when I was in the midst of the enemy, with the chief, Menni, mine equerry, and with the officers of my household who accompany me, and who are my witnesses in the fight: they are all that I found. I have returned victorious from the battle, and with my sword have I smitten the assembled multitudes." This is to satisfy the heart of Pharaoh, of the god who voluntarily diffuses his vivifying influence, of the lord, the valorous bull, who loves the truth, of the supreme king, who protects his soldiers, of the hero with the invincible sword, the bulwark of his soldiers in the day of battle, of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Rauserma-sotepenra, son of the Sun, Rameses Miamun. Thy servant Khitasir speaks to thee, to lay before thee that, being thyself the son of Amen, formed of his substance, as he has delivered all lands unto thee, the land of Egypt and the land of the Khita unite to lay their services at thy feet. Ra, thine august father, has given strength and victory unto thee ; deign to spare us, thou whose souls are great ! Thy valour has weighed heavily upon the nation of the Khita, but is it good for thee to kill thy servants? Thou art their master ; will thy face be always angry towards us ; wilt thou not calm thyself? Yesterday thou hast appeared and thou has killed hundreds of thousands ; if thou appear today. no one will be left to be subject uiito thee.. Abandon thy designs, oh, victorious king, the genius that delights in battles. Grant to us the breath of life !Behold, now, this is excellent ! Deign
to be calmed, O sovereign, our master ! If mercy be not extended to Khitasir, to whom should it be granted? He adores thee ; consent then to calm thy wrath."
- [1]Naharannais the country between Orontes and Balikh ; Sidi, the coast of Cilicia, the Ketis of the Greek geographers.