Luxor And Its Temples by A.M. Blackman

Author:A.M. Blackman [Blackman, A.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Ancient, Egypt, Social Science, Archaeology
ISBN: 9781136206870
Google: OZyAAAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2013-08-21T15:57:09+00:00

Fig. 26.—The Pharaoh sacrificing Prisoners of War in the Presence of a Divinity.

(After Lepsius.)

It is related that there was no one who could draw Amenḥotpe II.’s bow, because his strength was so much greater than that of any king who has ever existed, and it is interesting to note that the bow was actually found in his tomb. Professor Breasted thinks that we have here the origin of the story told by Herodotus, how the Persian Cambyses was unable to draw the bow of the king of Ethiopia.

Just at the end of the Nineteenth Dynasty great movements were taking place among the peoples of the sea, as the Egyptians designated the inhabitants of the north-eastern Mediterranean lands and the Greek islands. Conspicuous among these peoples were the Peleset and the Thekel, the former eventually colonizing the Palestinian coast, and better known to us under the name of Philistines, while the latter were possibly a branch of the pre-Greek Sikeloi or Sicilians. Associated with the Peleset and Thekel were the Denyen (Danaoi), Sherden, Weshwesh, and Shekelesh. All these peoples were forcing their way south both by land and sea, probably being driven forward by the pressure of other migrant peoples in their rear. By the beginning of Ramesses III.’s reign the Peleset and their confederates had pushed their way down into northern Syria as far as the upper waters of the Orontes, and their ships were actually creeping up the mouths of the Nile and harrying the Delta ports and the fertile lands adjacent thereto.

The Libyans had invaded the western Delta in the reign of the Nineteenth Dynasty Pharaoh Merneptaḥ, and had been thoroughly defeated. But during the period of anarchy that intervened between the death of that Pharaoh (about 1215 B.C.) and the accession of Ramesses III. (about 1198 B.C.), the Libyans plucked up courage again and started plundering and harrying north-western Egypt, just as they had done in the past before they felt the weight of the Pharaoh’s hand. Growing bolder and bolder, they now, under their king Thermer, determined upon an invasion on the grand scale, with the intention of permanently occupying and settling down in Egyptian territory. To make more certain of accomplishing their aim, they made common cause with the sea-rovers, some of whom joined their land forces. A great combined attack was made on Egypt both by land and from the sea, and Ramesses, who had been preparing for this onslaught, engaged them in battle near the fortress-town named (later, of course) Usermarē‛-Miamūn is Chastiser of the Libyans. A joint land and naval action was fought, in which the Pharaoh displayed great personal valour. He is described as being a youth like a gryphon … a bull ready for battle; his steeds were like hawks. The Libyans are said to have been slain in their places in heaps before his horses, Ramesses being like Mont (the warrior-god) … charging into hundreds of thousands, mighty in valour, stretching the bow, and shooting the arrows whithersoever he will.

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