Egyptian Account of the Battle of Kadesh

Egyptian Account of the Battle of Kadesh

Beginning of the victory of King Usermare-Setepnere Ramses II, who is given life, forever, which he achieved in the land of Kheta and Naharin, in the land of Arvad, in Pedes, in the erden, in the land of !esa, in the land of Kele"esh, #archemish, Kode, the land of Kadesh, in the land of $"ereth, and !esheneth% Behold, his ma&esty prepared his infantry and his chariotry, the Sherden of the captivity of his ma&esty from the victories of his word - they gave the plan of 'attle% (is ma&esty proceeded northward, his infantry and his chariotry 'eing with him% (e 'egan the goodly way to march% )ear *, the second month of the third season tenth month, on the ninth day, his ma&esty passed the fortress of +har,, li"e !ont, when he goes forth% $very co,ntry trem'led 'efore him, fear was in their hearts- all the re'els came 'owing down for fear of the fame of his ma&esty, when his army came ,pon the narrow road, 'eing li"e one who is ,pon the highway% Now, after many days after this, 'ehold, his ma&esty was in Usermare-!eriamon, the city of cedar% (is ma&esty proceeded northward, and he then arrived at the highland of Kadesh% +hen his ma&esty marched 'efore, li"e his father, !ont, lord of +he'es, and crossed over the channel of the .rontes, there 'eing with him the first division of Amon named/ 01ictory-ofKing-Usermare-Setepnere%0 2hen his ma&esty reached the city, 'ehold, the wretched, van3,ished chief of Kheta had come, having gathered together all co,ntries from the ends of the sea to the land of Kheta, which came entire/ the Naharin li"ewise, and Arvad, !esa, Kesh"esh, Kele"esh, 4,"a, Ke5weden, #archemish, $"ereth, Kode, the entire land of N,ges, !esheneth, and Kadesh% (e left not a co,ntry which was not 'ro,ght together with their chiefs who were with him, every man 'ringing his chariotry, an e6ceeding great m,ltit,de, witho,t its li"e% +hey covered the mo,ntains and the valleys- they were li"e grasshoppers with their m,ltit,des% (e left not silver nor gold in his land ',t he pl,ndered it of all its possessions and gave to every co,ntry, in order to 'ring them with him to 'attle% Behold, the wretched, van3,ished chief of Kheta, together with n,mero,s allied co,ntries, were stationed in 'attle array, concealed on the northwest of the city of Kadesh, while his ma&esty was alone 'y himself, with his 'odyg,ard, and the division of Amon was marching 'ehind him% +he division of Re crossed over the river-'ed on the so,th side of the town of Sha't,na, at the distance of an iter from the division of Amon- the division of Ptah was on the so,th of the city of Aranami- and the division of S,te"h was marching ,pon the road% (is ma&esty had formed the first ran" of all the leaders of his army, while they were on the shore in the land of the Amor% Behold, the wretched van3,ished chief of Kheta was stationed in the midst of the infantry which was with him, and he came not o,t to fight, for fear of his ma&esty% +hen he made to go the people of the chariotry, an e6ceedingly n,mero,s m,ltit,de li"e the sand, 'eing three people to each span% Now, they had made their com'inations th,s/ among every three yo,ths was one man of the van3,ished of Kheta, e3,ipped with all the weapons of 'attle% 4o, they had stationed them in 'attle array, concealed northwest of the city of Kadesh% +hey came forth from the so,thern side of Kadesh, and they c,t thro,gh the division of Re in its middle, while they were marching witho,t "nowing and witho,t 'eing drawn ,p for 'attle% +he infantry and chariotry of his ma&esty retreated 'efore them% Now, his ma&esty had halted on the north of the city of Kadesh, on the western side of the .rontes% +hen came one to tell it to his ma&esty (is ma&esty shone li"e his father !ont,, when he too" the adornments of waras he sei5ed his coat of mail, he was li"e Baal in his ho,r% +he great span which 'ore his ma&esty called/ 01ictory-in-+e'es,0 from the great sta'les of Ramses II, was in the midst of the leaders% (is ma&esty halted in the ro,t- then he charged into the foe, the van3,ished of Kheta, 'eing alone 'y himself and none other with him% 2hen his ma&esty went to loo" 'ehind him, he fo,nd 7,*88 chariotry s,rro,nding him, in his way o,t,

'eing all the yo,th of the wretched Kheta, together with its n,mero,s allied co,ntries/ from Arvad, from !esa, from Pedes, from Kesh"esh, from $rwenet, from Ke5weden, from Aleppo, $"eteri, Kadesh, and 4,"a, 'eing three men to a span, acting in ,nison% )ear *, third month of the third season, day 9- ,nder the ma&esty of (or,s/ !ighty B,ll, Beloved of +r,th- King of Upper and 4ower $gypt/ Usermare-Setepnere- Son of Re- Ramses!eriamon, given life forever% 4o, his ma&esty was in :ahi on his second victorio,s campaign% +he goodly watch in life, prosperity and health, in the tent of his ma&esty, was on the highland so,th of Kadesh% 2hen his ma&esty appeared li"e the rising of Re, he ass,med the adornments of his father, !ont,% 2hen the "ing proceeded northward, and his ma&esty had arrived at the locality so,th of the town of Sha't,na, there came two Shas,, to spea" to his ma&esty as follows/ 0.,r 'rethren, who 'elong to the greatest of the families with the van3,ished chief of Kheta, have made ,s come to his ma&esty, to say/ ;2e will 'e s,'&ects of Pharaoh and we will flee from the van3,ished chief of Kheta- for the van3,ished chief of Kheta sits in the land of Aleppo, on the north of +,nip% (e fears 'eca,se of Pharaoh to come so,thward%;0 Now, these Shas, spa"e these words, which they spa"e to his ma&esty, falsely, for the van3,ished chief of Kheta made them come to spy where his ma&esty was, in order to ca,se the army of his ma&esty not to draw ,p for fighting him, to 'attle with the van3,ished chief of Kheta% 4o, the van3,ished chief of Kheta came with every chief of every co,ntry, their infantry and their chariotry, which he had 'ro,ght with him 'y force, and stood, e3,ipped, drawn ,p in line of 'attle 'ehind Kadesh the eceitf,l, while his ma&esty "new it not% +hen his ma&esty proceeded northward and arrived on the northwest of Kadesh- and the army of his ma&esty made camp there% +hen, as his ma&esty sat ,pon a throne of gold, there arrived a sco,t who was in the following of his ma&esty, and he 'ro,ght two sco,ts of the van3,ished chief of Kheta% +hey were cond,cted into the presence, and his ma&esty said to them/ 02hat are ye<0 +hey said/ 0As for ,s, the van3,ished chief of the Kheta has ca,sed that we sho,ld come to spy o,t where his ma&esty is%0 Said his ma&esty to them/ 0(e= 2here is he, the van3,ished chief of Kheta< Behold, I have heard, saying/ ;(e is in the land of Aleppo,;0 Said they/ 0See, the van3,ished chief of Kheta is stationed, together with many co,ntries, which he has 'ro,ght with him 'y force, 'eing every co,ntry which is in the districts of the land of Kheta, the land of Naharin, and all Kode% +hey are e3,ipped with infantry and chariotry, 'earing their weapons- more n,mero,s are they than the sand of the shore% See, they are standing, drawn ,p for 'attle, 'ehind Kadesh the eceitf,l%0 +hen his ma&esty had the princes called into the presence, and had them hear every word which the two sco,ts of the van3,ished chief of Kheta, who were in the presence, had spo"en% Said his ma&esty to them/ 0See ye the manner wherewith the chiefs of the peasantry and the officials ,nder whom is the land of Pharaoh have stood, daily, saying to the Pharaoh/ ;+he van3,ished chief of Kheta is in the land of Aleppo- he has fled 'efore his ma&esty, since hearing that, 'ehold, he came%; So spa"e they to his ma&esty daily% B,t see, I have held a hearing in this very ho,r, with the two sco,ts of the van3,ished chief of Kheta, to the effect that the van3,ished chief of Kheta is coming, together with the n,mero,s co,ntries that are with him, 'eing people and horses, li"e the m,ltit,des of the sand% +hey are stationed 'ehind Kadesh the eceitf,l% B,t the governors of the co,ntries and the officials ,nder whose a,thority is the land of Pharaoh were not a'le to tell it to ,s%0 Said the princes who were in the presence of his ma&esty/ 0It is a great fa,lt, which the governors of the co,ntries and the officials of Pharaoh have committed in not informing that the van3,ished chief of Kheta was near the "ing- and in that they told his report to his ma&esty daily%0 +hen the vi5ier was ordered to hasten the army of his ma&esty, while they were marching on the so,th of Sha't,na, in order to 'ring them to the place where his ma&esty was%

4o, while his ma&esty sat tal"ing with the princes, the van3,ished chief of Kheta came, and the n,mero,s co,ntries, which were with him% +hey crossed over the channel on the so,th of Kadesh, and charged into the army of his ma&esty while they were marching, and not e6pecting it% +hen the infantry and chariotry of his ma&esty retreated 'efore them, northward to the place where his ma&esty was% 4o, the foes of the van3,ished chief of Kheta s,rro,nded the 'odyg,ard of his ma&esty, who were 'y his side% 2hen his ma&esty saw them, he was enraged against them, li"e his father, !ont,, lord of +he'es% (e sei5ed the adornments of 'attle, and arrayed himself in his coat of mail% (e was li"e Baal in his ho,r% +hen he 'etoo" himself to his horses, and led 3,ic"ly on, 'eing alone 'y himself% (e charged into the foes of the van3,ished chief of Kheta, and the n,mero,s co,ntries which were with him% (is ma&esty was li"e S,te"h, the great in strength, smiting and slaying among them- his ma&esty h,rled them headlong, one ,pon another into the water of the .rontes% 0I charged all co,ntries, while I was alone, my infantry and my chariotry having forsa"en me% Not one among them stood to t,rn a'o,t% I swear, as Re loves me, as my father, At,m, favors me, that, as for every matter which his ma&esty has stated, I did it in tr,th, in the presence of my infantry and my chariotry%0