Speaker 1: Chapter six of History of Egypt. This is a LibriVox recording.
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Speaker 1: by Sarah Lerenowitch. History of Egypt by F. C. H. Wendel,
Speaker 1: Chapter six. The Nineteenth Dynasty about thirteen thirty to eleven
Speaker 1: eighty b C. Section one horem HEB thirteen forty to
Speaker 1: thirteen twenty b C. About thirteen forty b C. Horem
Speaker 1: HEB succeeded in restoring order in the kingdom. His accession
Speaker 1: to the throne marks a new era in Egyptian history,
Speaker 1: that of the Nineteenth Dynasty, in which Egypt, though its
Speaker 1: armies no longer marched to the Euphrates and became a
Speaker 1: terror of the Mesopotamian rulers, yet succeeded in making a
Speaker 1: part of Asia an integral part of its empire. The
Speaker 1: preceding dynasty had produced great conquerors who stand unrivaled in
Speaker 1: the annals of the land of Khmet, this dynasty produced
Speaker 1: rulers who were great warriors, and but for events which
Speaker 1: had occurred in Asia during the latter part of the dynasty,
Speaker 1: eighteen would have equalled the two great Tutmoses in extent
Speaker 1: of conquests, and who were, besides great organizers, how they
Speaker 1: succeeded in incorporating Palestine, Phoenicia, and southern Syria in the kingdom.
Speaker 1: We shall presently see. The great mistake of these rulers
Speaker 1: was that they, little by little, substituted Libyan mercenaries for
Speaker 1: the national armies that had hitherto been the sole reliance
Speaker 1: of Egypt. And we shall have occasion to trace the
Speaker 1: grave results of this mistake. A long inscription on a
Speaker 1: statue of Haremheb preserved in Turin, gives us an account
Speaker 1: of his early life and relates how he came to
Speaker 1: the throne. He was brought up in the city of Hatsuten,
Speaker 1: and already in his early youth, was highly honored. He
Speaker 1: was a member of the family of Tutmosis the Third,
Speaker 1: whom he calls the father of his father, i e.
Speaker 1: His ancestor. When he was still a very young man,
Speaker 1: the ruling pharaoh, whose name is not mentioned, appointed him
Speaker 1: to a high position in the eighteenth Upper Egyptian nome Saped,
Speaker 1: which was his home. As he made a good record
Speaker 1: in this position, he was made Aden i e General,
Speaker 1: and in this position he received the tributes of the
Speaker 1: foreign princes, and all the princes had to bow down
Speaker 1: before him. After he had held this position for a
Speaker 1: number of years and had shown great ability, he was
Speaker 1: appointed no Marcos of Saped. This position he held when,
Speaker 1: as the text puts it, Horace and Amon decided to
Speaker 1: place him on the throne horemheb certainly had a good
Speaker 1: right to the succession, being a lineal descendant of Tutmosis
Speaker 1: the third, but his chief claim lay in the fact
Speaker 1: that he had succeeded in trying mphing over all the
Speaker 1: usurpers that had arisen after the death of the last
Speaker 1: pharaoh of Chuanatan's line. On the close of the civil war,
Speaker 1: he proceeded to Thebes, where he married the royal princess
Speaker 1: Mudnetchim and was crowned king. His campaigns were chiefly in
Speaker 1: the south, where he put down a number of rebellious
Speaker 1: Nubian tribes. We also know that he conducted several campaigns
Speaker 1: in the north with the usual success. It would seem, too,
Speaker 1: that the connections with southern Arabia and the Somali coast
Speaker 1: were kept up for the inscriptions mentioned the tribute of
Speaker 1: the Prince of Puent. Horem Heb tells us that he
Speaker 1: restored the temples of the land from the Delta to
Speaker 1: Nubia and increased the numbers of their slaves and the
Speaker 1: amounts of sacrificial offerings of the temples. Those of thebes On,
Speaker 1: Heliopolis and Memphis were specially favored. Horem Heb died after
Speaker 1: a reign of about twenty years. Section two. Rameses the
Speaker 1: First thirteen nineteen to thirteen seventeen b C. Very little
Speaker 1: is known of Horemheb's son and successor, Ramses. He made
Speaker 1: several raids into Nubia, and shortly before his death appointed
Speaker 1: his son Seti co regent. He died after a reign
Speaker 1: of only two years. His mummy was among those found
Speaker 1: at dare Al Bahari. Section three. Seti the First thirteen
Speaker 1: sixteen to twelve eighty nine b C. The son and
Speaker 1: successor of Ramses the First, was one of the greatest
Speaker 1: and most warlike of all the Egyptian kings. Already in
Speaker 1: the first year of his reign, he was compelled to
Speaker 1: invade Asia, starting from the chetem I e Fort of Tar,
Speaker 1: which lay on the freshwater canal that formed the eastern
Speaker 1: boundary line of Egypt. He first attacked and easily defeated
Speaker 1: the Shassu II, the nomadic tribes dwelling in the Arabian desert,
Speaker 1: and then entered Canan, defeated the inhabitants, took their capital,
Speaker 1: and erected and garrisoned forts and dug wells in the
Speaker 1: conquered country. It is evident that the pharaoh desire to
Speaker 1: hold the land permanently, and thus to secure Egypt against
Speaker 1: all further inroads from Asia. This rapid success of the
Speaker 1: Egyptian army spread terror over all Syria, and the Syrian
Speaker 1: princes submitted peaceably and paid tribute. Several strongly fortified towns, however,
Speaker 1: held out and had to be taken by force of arms.
Speaker 1: Among these were Kadesh, a city of the Amorites in
Speaker 1: the district allotted to the tribe of Neftali that must
Speaker 1: not be confounded with the Kadesh on the Orrantes, the
Speaker 1: capital of the Cheta, and the fortress of Jenuam. Seeing
Speaker 1: these Egyptian successes, Mauteneur, the king of the Cheta, naturally,
Speaker 1: thinking he would be attacked next, determined to take a
Speaker 1: hand in the game. He was defeated, but set He
Speaker 1: gained no permanent advantage over him. If we possessed the
Speaker 1: monuments of this Cheta king, we certainly would read of
Speaker 1: victories gained over the Egyptians. Seti now returned home at Tiar,
Speaker 1: he was met by a procession of priests and nobles,
Speaker 1: who conducted him to Thebes in triumphal procession. The successes
Speaker 1: of this pharaoh must not be overestimated. All he succeeded
Speaker 1: in doing was to conquer the land lying between the
Speaker 1: Egyptian and the Cheta frontier. The petty sovereigns of southern
Speaker 1: Syria fell an easy prey to him, but the mighty
Speaker 1: Cheta king succeeded in checking his advance. The lists of
Speaker 1: conquered lands and cities are very unreliable, many of the
Speaker 1: names having been copied from the lists of Tutmosus the third.
Speaker 1: In the later years of his reign, SETI was compelled
Speaker 1: to march against the Taehenu i e. The Libyans, who
Speaker 1: had again begun to make inroads on the western frontier.
Speaker 1: The Libyan tribes, who were savage and warlike, had for
Speaker 1: centuries almost constantly been at war with Egypt, and though
Speaker 1: at first easily defeated, had in the course of time
Speaker 1: become very dangerous foes. In this reign, they began a
Speaker 1: series of invasions, which were repelled only with great difficulty.
Speaker 1: SETI was compelled to defeat them again and again before
Speaker 1: he succeeded in subduing them for the time being. These
Speaker 1: tribes soon assumed the same position as regards Egypt that
Speaker 1: the German tribes in later times held as regards the
Speaker 1: Roman Empire. They began as enemies and invaders, and with time,
Speaker 1: finding it profitable to serve the pharaoh, entered the Egyptian
Speaker 1: service as mercenaries. These mercenaries soon supplanted the native troops,
Speaker 1: and in several centuries gained such controlling influence that some
Speaker 1: four hundred years after Seti's time, their commander in chief, Sheshank,
Speaker 1: could grasp the scepter and ascend the throne of the
Speaker 1: pharaohs that to Henu. Tribes that entered the Egyptian service
Speaker 1: in this and the following regins were the Mashawasha and
Speaker 1: the Cahawk. In connection with these tribes there appears now
Speaker 1: for the first time the tribe of the Shardana. Large
Speaker 1: bodies of these Shardana entered the service of Egypt under
Speaker 1: Rameses the second, and a poem celebrating this monarch's victory
Speaker 1: over the Cheta states that they were originally prisoners of war.
Speaker 1: The armament of these men's was peculiar. They carried small
Speaker 1: round shields or bucklers and a long, sharp pointed lance,
Speaker 1: and wore helmets with a round ball on top. They
Speaker 1: also had full beards, while the Egyptian soldiers wore no
Speaker 1: beards at all. In later times they are called people
Speaker 1: of the sea. Their home must consequently have been some coast,
Speaker 1: district or island of the Mediterranean. We have no reason
Speaker 1: whatsoever to identify them with the Sardinians. In all probability,
Speaker 1: they were a tribe that dwelt on the northern coast
Speaker 1: of Africa. The architectural activity of this ruler was confined
Speaker 1: chiefly to Thebes, where he built at the temple of
Speaker 1: Amon raw At Karnak. Here he began the magnificent Hypostyle,
Speaker 1: which was completed by his son and successor. In the
Speaker 1: necropolis of Thebes, on the west bank of the Nile,
Speaker 1: he restored two funeral temples that of Makharah at Daryl Bahari,
Speaker 1: and that of Tutmoses the third at Medinet Habu. He
Speaker 1: also began a funeral temple dedicated to his father, Rameses
Speaker 1: the First at Abd el Kurnagh, which was completed by
Speaker 1: Rameses the second, who dedicated it to Seti in conjunction
Speaker 1: with Rameses the first. The king also restored temples in
Speaker 1: all parts of Egypt. The mines of the setmuf kat
Speaker 1: i e Malachite region, as the Egyptians called the Senai
Speaker 1: he held and operated. The quarries in Egypt proper were
Speaker 1: of course in full operation, and the gold mines of
Speaker 1: Aethiopia were worked. Of these gold mines, there has been
Speaker 1: preserved in a Turin papyrus a map, which, though crudely drawn,
Speaker 1: is easily intelligible, the oldest map extant. Before his death,
Speaker 1: SETI appointed his young son, Ramsey's co regent, but this
Speaker 1: appointment was merely nominal. Rameses certainly never exercised the functions
Speaker 1: of this office. He himself conceived it in this spirit,
Speaker 1: never dating his reign from his appointment, as the kings
Speaker 1: of the Twelfth dynasty had done, but from his actual
Speaker 1: accession to the throne as sole ruler. SETI died after
Speaker 1: a reign of about twenty seven years. The mummy of
Speaker 1: this ruler was found in a shaft at Darrow Bahari,
Speaker 1: where it had been hid to protect it against the
Speaker 1: tomb robbers that invested the necropolis in the times of
Speaker 1: the priest kings of dynasty twenty one. The features are
Speaker 1: strongly marked and give evidence of great mental vigor and
Speaker 1: strength of will. Section four Rameses the Second twelve eighty
Speaker 1: eight to twelve twenty one b c. This king has
Speaker 1: long been overestimated by those who followed Greek tradition in
Speaker 1: Egyptian history. That this tradition is utterly untrustworthy has been
Speaker 1: pointed out in the introduction, and its utter worthlessness is
Speaker 1: here glaringly illustrated. The Greeks called this king Sisastras and
Speaker 1: made him the representative of Egyptian greatness. The name of
Speaker 1: Sisastras is undoubtedly authentic, being a corruption of Sesetsu, a
Speaker 1: name applied to this king in a critical letter written
Speaker 1: either in his reign or shortly afterward. He has been
Speaker 1: declared the greatest of all the pharaohs, while in reality
Speaker 1: he is to be placed after several others. Of all
Speaker 1: the greatest was undoubtedly Tetmosis the third. Next after him
Speaker 1: we can place his father Tetmoses the first. Then come
Speaker 1: Eusir Tessen the third, the conqueror of Athiopia, and Seti
Speaker 1: the first, who conquered Libya and prepared the way for
Speaker 1: Rameses the second in Asia. We give now a brief
Speaker 1: summary of the Greek accounts of this king, and the
Speaker 1: reader can then himself compare them with the authentic history
Speaker 1: gleaned from the monuments of this reign, which, with the
Speaker 1: exception of the very suspicious lists of conquered nations, are
Speaker 1: entirely trustworthy. Herodotus and Diodorus Sicilis are the principal sources
Speaker 1: for the Sosastres legend. According to them, Cissastres was educated
Speaker 1: together with all boys born on the same day with himself.
Speaker 1: While yet crown prince, he was sent against the Aethiopians
Speaker 1: and subdued their entire country. Then he marched against Libya
Speaker 1: and conquered the greater part of that country, his father
Speaker 1: dying soon after. He determined to conquer the world, raising
Speaker 1: an army of six hundred thousand infantry twenty four thousand
Speaker 1: cavalry and twenty seven thousand chariots. He put them under
Speaker 1: command of the seventeen hundred boys educated. Together with him,
Speaker 1: this vast army first marched against Aethiopia, and, conquering the
Speaker 1: entire country, levied a tribute of gold, ebony and ivory.
Speaker 1: Why conquer Ethiopia, which, according to the same authority he
Speaker 1: had already conquered. He then fitted out a fleet of
Speaker 1: four hundred sail the first Egyptian fleet, and penetrating to
Speaker 1: the land where the cinnamon grows and the straits of Babel,
Speaker 1: Mandeb conquered the land of the ichthiop Phagoi and erected
Speaker 1: Stella there. Then he crossed to Arabia and overran that
Speaker 1: country and the Asiatic coasts as far as India. In
Speaker 1: proof of this, they stayed that up to their time
Speaker 1: there were to be seen in that country many ramparts
Speaker 1: of cisastris, as well as numerous imitations of Egyptian temples.
Speaker 1: His land forces crossed the Ganges and conquered India. He
Speaker 1: next overran the country of the Scythians up to the
Speaker 1: Tenaeus River the modern Don River. Here a part of
Speaker 1: his troops remained, and from them are descend in the Colchoi.
Speaker 1: According to Pliny's version, however, Cisastras did not succeed in
Speaker 1: invading the country, but was defeated by Sallakis, king of Colchis.
Speaker 1: The king next entered Europe and overran Thrace. Here, his
Speaker 1: army was almost entirely broken up by hardships and starvation.
Speaker 1: At length, after nine years of continued warfare, he returned home,
Speaker 1: laden with booty and all of the conquered lands. Cisastres
Speaker 1: set up Stella. Some of these monuments, alleged to have
Speaker 1: been erected by him, were shown to Herodotus in Ionia
Speaker 1: and Syria. Manetho relates that when Cissastras set out on
Speaker 1: his campaigns, he had appointed his brother Harmaeus regent during
Speaker 1: his absence. After the king's return, Harmaeus revolted but was
Speaker 1: defeated at Pelusium. The Egyptian account differs materially from this.
Speaker 1: In Libya, Rameses fought only as crown prince under his
Speaker 1: father's leadership. The monument do indeed mention campaigns in Ethiopia,
Speaker 1: but these were most probably directed only against the mountain
Speaker 1: tribes that made constant inroads on the civilized portion of Ethiopia.
Speaker 1: The country proper was an integral part of Egypt, and
Speaker 1: had been so for centuries, and it was entirely unnecessary
Speaker 1: to reconquer it. The great seat of the war in
Speaker 1: this reign was Asia. In the second year of his reign,
Speaker 1: the Pharaohs started on his first campaign in this region.
Speaker 1: It would seem that disturbances had occurred in Palestine and
Speaker 1: the land of the Amorites, and that this campaign was
Speaker 1: necessary to restore order. Several cities had to be taken,
Speaker 1: but on the whole, the restoration of Egyptian supremacy in
Speaker 1: the countries recently so severely visited by Seti the first
Speaker 1: cannot have been an over difficult task. As usual, it
Speaker 1: seems that the fortresses alone offered any resistance, and after
Speaker 1: they had fallen, the rest of the country submitted peaceably.
Speaker 1: At the close of this camp, Rameses erected Astili on
Speaker 1: the banks of the Nahar el Khaled, north of Beirut.
Speaker 1: His second campaign, on which he set out in the
Speaker 1: fifth year of his reign, after careful preparation, was directed
Speaker 1: against the Cheta, the old enemies of Tutmosis. The third
Speaker 1: and Seti the First. It may be well here to
Speaker 1: give a brief sketch of the rise of this people.
Speaker 1: There were two peoples named Cheta, one in Canan and
Speaker 1: one dwelling between the Orrants and the Euphrates. The latter
Speaker 1: is the people we refer to here. Already in the
Speaker 1: time of Tutmoses the third, they seem to have been
Speaker 1: an important and influential nation. The Cheta were the soul
Speaker 1: of the last great coalition formed against this pharaoh. But
Speaker 1: in these early times Egypt still proved the master. After
Speaker 1: the death of Amenhotep the Third, the Egyptians were too
Speaker 1: much occupied with internal affairs to interfere in Syria, and
Speaker 1: in the time between the death of this ruler and
Speaker 1: the assse ession of Seti the First falls the rise
Speaker 1: of the Cheta. Of the combats in which they gained
Speaker 1: this ascendancy we know nothing, but it would seem that
Speaker 1: their kings, Sapilel and Marusar, who preceded Mauteneur, the contemporary
Speaker 1: of Seti, had succeeded in gaining the ascendancy over all
Speaker 1: the states of northern Syria. The Rutenu Haru upper Rutenu
Speaker 1: of the Egyptians northern Mesopotamia and of that portion of
Speaker 1: Asia lying north of their domain. We do not, however,
Speaker 1: know whether they merely stood at the head of a
Speaker 1: confederacy composed of these states, or had really conquered them.
Speaker 1: When SETI the first invaded Asia, Mountaineur felt sufficiently strong
Speaker 1: to oppose him, and, though at first defeated, succeeded in
Speaker 1: checking his advance. This success naturally increased the prestige of
Speaker 1: the Cheta, and when Rameses the second attacked them, they
Speaker 1: seemed to have been able to call to their aid
Speaker 1: all the peoples of northern Syria and northern Mesoptae, Kamia,
Speaker 1: and some of the peoples of Asia Minor. The forces
Speaker 1: of this mighty coalition were massed in front of Kadesh,
Speaker 1: the Cheta capital, where they awaited the Egyptian advance. Led
Speaker 1: by treacherous guides, the advance guard of the Egyptian army,
Speaker 1: which was under the personal command of the king, fell
Speaker 1: into an ambuscade near Kadesh, and were all but annihilated.
Speaker 1: They were, however, rallied by Rameses, whose personal prowess, as
Speaker 1: he tells us, alone, turned the tide of the battle,
Speaker 1: and when the rest of the army which had been
Speaker 1: hastily summoned, arrived on the battlefield. They were just in
Speaker 1: time to join in the pursuit of the fleeing foe.
Speaker 1: The enemy were driven into the Orrantes River iji Arunta,
Speaker 1: and suffered terrible losses. One of their generals, the Prince
Speaker 1: of Chaleb Aleppo, was almost drowned. Again and again. Ramsey's
Speaker 1: reverts to this victory, the poem and the representations commemorative
Speaker 1: of it he had inscribed on the walls of several temples.
Speaker 1: Undoubtedly it was an act of great personal bravery, and
Speaker 1: the pharaoh had a right to be proud of it.
Speaker 1: But the victory was fruitless. Kadesh was not taken, and
Speaker 1: if Rameses says that Mounteneur had turned about and adored him,
Speaker 1: this can refer only to negotiation concerning an armistice. At
Speaker 1: all events, the war went on as before, and evidently
Speaker 1: with wavering success, though we hear but little of its
Speaker 1: further course. Once we find the pharaoh fighting far north
Speaker 1: in the region of Tunep in Naharan, Mesopotamia. But how
Speaker 1: he came there we do not know. He did not
Speaker 1: retain this advanced position long, however, but was driven back
Speaker 1: for in the eighth year of his reign, he fought
Speaker 1: in Palestine, taking the towns of Mehram Kharpu in the
Speaker 1: region of bete Anat and Dapur in the country of
Speaker 1: the Amorites. He also took the town of Shapur and
Speaker 1: finally reconquered as Kharun as colon which had thrown off
Speaker 1: the yoke of Egypt. During this war, Mountaineur died and
Speaker 1: Chetasar succeeded him. The Cheta War was finally closed in
Speaker 1: the twenty first year of Rameses' reign by a Treaty
Speaker 1: of Peace and Alliance. This treaty proves that perfect equality
Speaker 1: existed between the two nations. Both kings bound themselves to
Speaker 1: keep the peace and be good and faithful allies. The
Speaker 1: treaty refers to one in force in the time of
Speaker 1: Sapilel and Matinur, concluded possibly with SETI the first or
Speaker 1: one of his two predecessors. It expressly states the obligation
Speaker 1: of either king to come to the assistance of the
Speaker 1: other if so required. It further defines the obligation of
Speaker 1: either king to return refugees. Thus was concluded the first
Speaker 1: Treaty of Peace and Alliance. The full text of which
Speaker 1: has come down to us that treaties had been concluded
Speaker 1: between the kings of Egypt and the Mesopotamian rulers we
Speaker 1: have seen in the preceding chapter. To strengthen this treaty,
Speaker 1: Rameses married the old oldest daughter of Chetasar, acknowledging her
Speaker 1: as his legitimate wife and queen, the princess adopting the
Speaker 1: Egyptian name of matt nephru Ra. Thirteen years later, Chetasar,
Speaker 1: accompanied by the Prince of Kedi, paid his royal son
Speaker 1: in law a visit. The terms of the treaty seemed
Speaker 1: to have been strictly kept by both countries, as they
Speaker 1: were weary of a war that drained their resources and
Speaker 1: brought no result to either of the boundary between the
Speaker 1: two nations. Nothing is said in the treaty, but it
Speaker 1: would seem probable that Egypt retained Phoenicia, Palestine, and southern Syria,
Speaker 1: while the Cheta were free to extend their domain northward.
Speaker 1: The Cheta made good use of their opportunities all through
Speaker 1: Asia Minor and as far north as Smyrna. We meet
Speaker 1: with monuments that were erected by this people. Rameses could
Speaker 1: not extend his sway any further than the boundaries of
Speaker 1: the Cheta. He now set to work to secure the
Speaker 1: conquered country. In all parts of Palestine and southern Syria,
Speaker 1: forts were erected in garrisoned, and it would even seem
Speaker 1: that special officers rode through the land on tours of inspection.
Speaker 1: The power of Egypt had greatly weakened, and she was
Speaker 1: no longer what she had been three centuries earlier. The
Speaker 1: lists of conquered lands which this pharaoh had inscribed on
Speaker 1: the temple walls are utterly unreliable, being copied in great
Speaker 1: part from those of Tutmosis the third. Thus he mentions
Speaker 1: as conquered, among others, Asur Assyria and Sangar Chaldea, countries
Speaker 1: with which this pharaoh had no relations whatsoever. That a
Speaker 1: very active commercial intercourse between Egypt and Asia was brought
Speaker 1: about by the new relations between Egypt and the Asiatic
Speaker 1: nations is self evident. Egypt powerfully influenced Asia, and was
Speaker 1: powerfully influenced in return Syrian divinities. But all and astart
Speaker 1: were taken into the Egyptian pantheon. Setsu Tech, who to
Speaker 1: the Egyptians represented the tutular divinity of the foreigners gained
Speaker 1: greatly in prestige owing to the successes of these same foreigners,
Speaker 1: But the chief influence was on the language. The influx
Speaker 1: of Semitic words into the Egyptian at this time is
Speaker 1: something wonderful to behold. It must have been considered elegant
Speaker 1: and a proof of great learning to larder one's writing
Speaker 1: with these foreign words and phrases, for some of the
Speaker 1: texts of this period teem with them. The peace which
Speaker 1: closed the Asiatic War in the twenty first year of
Speaker 1: Rameses reign left the pharaoh forty six years to devote
Speaker 1: to internal improvements. The king directed his attention chiefly to building,
Speaker 1: and there is scarce a town in all Egypt in
Speaker 1: which he did not build, complete or restore temples. But
Speaker 1: despite this great activity, he does not seem to have
Speaker 1: been thoroughly satisfied with his work, for he usurped many
Speaker 1: temples erected by his predecessors. The usurpation of monuments was
Speaker 1: a common practice in ancient Egypt. The usurper proceeded in
Speaker 1: a vas very simple manner. He erased the name of
Speaker 1: the real builder and substituted his own for it, thus
Speaker 1: making it appear as if the monument in question owed
Speaker 1: its existence to him. This had been done before Rameses time,
Speaker 1: but none of his predecessors possessed the same finesse in
Speaker 1: this class of work. He thus succeeded in arrogating to
Speaker 1: himself many temples that had been built years and sometimes
Speaker 1: centuries before his time. And it is often owing only
Speaker 1: to the fact that the men charged with the work
Speaker 1: did it very slovenly and left the name of the
Speaker 1: real builder standing in some obscure corner, that we are
Speaker 1: enabled to discover the imposition. Tannis, a city lying near
Speaker 1: the northeastern boundary of Egypt, shared with Theebes the honor
Speaker 1: of being the residence of the Pharaoh. The various departments
Speaker 1: of the government were located at the latter city, but
Speaker 1: Tannis offered Ramsay's unrivaled facilities as a basis of operations
Speaker 1: for his Asiatic campaigns. A king who spent so many
Speaker 1: years warring in Asia would not surely find it of
Speaker 1: great advantage to fix his residence at a place so
Speaker 1: near the frontier. Tannis thus owes the larger part of
Speaker 1: its glory and prosperity to this Pharaoh. He it was
Speaker 1: that built the vast granite temple. As many as fourteen
Speaker 1: obelisks and several statues of the king have been found here.
Speaker 1: Memphis also came in for a share of the king's favor.
Speaker 1: It was made one of his residences, and its temple
Speaker 1: of Petah was greatly enlarged. But the great city of
Speaker 1: this reign was Thebes, of which we may well here
Speaker 1: give a brief sketch. This city, the Egyptian name of
Speaker 1: which was Uesset, was situated on the east bank of
Speaker 1: the Nile, its site being still marked by the ruins
Speaker 1: of the great temples of Karnac and Luksor, both of
Speaker 1: which were dedicated to ammon Rah. Between these two temples
Speaker 1: lay the city proper. The temple of Karnak had its
Speaker 1: own names. One of these was Apet, the other NESTAUI,
Speaker 1: throne of both Langs II Egypt. On the west bank
Speaker 1: of the river lay the necropolis or cemetery of Thebes,
Speaker 1: in which its kings, courtiers, and citizens lie buried. The
Speaker 1: rulers of the Middle Empire were interred in low pyramids
Speaker 1: built on the plain. Those of the New Empire were
Speaker 1: interred in tombs hewn into the living rock of the
Speaker 1: hills that skirt the valley of the Nile. On the west.
Speaker 1: The temples dedicated to the cult of the pharaohs of
Speaker 1: this latter period were built in the valley. Thus a
Speaker 1: long row of funeral temples extends through this plain. The
Speaker 1: temple of dare Al Bahari built by Makharah, that of
Speaker 1: Rameses the first, and Seti the first at Kernah, the
Speaker 1: Rameseum built by Ramses the second, the temples of Tutmoses
Speaker 1: the third and Ramses the third at Medinet Habu, and
Speaker 1: many others. This district was devoted to the use of
Speaker 1: the dead and of those who cared for them. Masons, carpenters,
Speaker 1: and bombers, and laborers of every description connected with what
Speaker 1: the French called les ponte funebes had their homes here
Speaker 1: in this necropolis. Rameses was very busy. He first completed
Speaker 1: the funeral temple at Kernagh, begun by his father, and
Speaker 1: then erected a wonderful Ramesseum, a temple dedicated to Amunrah
Speaker 1: and commemorative of the pharaoh's victories, on the east bank
Speaker 1: of the river. He completed the wonderful Hyposteele of Karnak,
Speaker 1: which his father had begun and otherwise improved and decorated
Speaker 1: the main building, besides erecting a building south of the
Speaker 1: pond belonging to the temple enclosure, and a pretty extensive
Speaker 1: temple east of a great temple. This pharaoh was especially
Speaker 1: partial to grotto temples, of which he built quite a
Speaker 1: number e g. At Bettwali Goafhussain, Wadi Sebua, and Atbusimbel.
Speaker 1: The last mentioned temple was the best of this class.
Speaker 1: It is the largest and most beautiful grotto ever cut
Speaker 1: from the living rock by the hand of man. The
Speaker 1: classical authors Strabo, Pliny, and others ascribed to the Soostress
Speaker 1: the beginning of a canal connecting the Nile with the
Speaker 1: Red Sea, which Netcho was said to have continued and
Speaker 1: Darius to have completed. The canal from Cairo to Suez
Speaker 1: was afterward again opened by m rou the Mohammedan conqueror
Speaker 1: of Egypt, but one hundred and forty years later it
Speaker 1: was again closed by order of the caliph Abou diar
Speaker 1: l Mansur. In fact, there existed already in the times
Speaker 1: of Seti, the first a canal, which starting from the
Speaker 1: Nile near Memphis, ran through the Wadi Tumulat to Lake Timsey,
Speaker 1: and thence to the Red Sea. This canal is represented
Speaker 1: for the first time in an inscription of Seti the First,
Speaker 1: where the return of that conqueror from his Asiatic campaign
Speaker 1: is depicted. It is pictured as full of fishes and crocodiles.
Speaker 1: The canal bears the unassumed name of Demat Canal. A
Speaker 1: bridge led over it near the Chetem fort of Tiar
Speaker 1: that covered this part of the frontier when this canal
Speaker 1: was dug. We cannot say to a certainty it existed
Speaker 1: in the time of King SETI the First, and may
Speaker 1: have been dug by him, but it may just as
Speaker 1: well be considerably older. It was dug originally, either for
Speaker 1: purposes of irrigation or as a defense against the Asiatic Bedouins.
Speaker 1: We scarcely think that it served any commercial purposes in
Speaker 1: these early times. The canal is frequently mentioned by foreigners.
Speaker 1: Thus the Bible mentions it as the brook of Egypt
Speaker 1: Nahal Misraim numbers thirty four five, Joshua fifteen four, Isaiah
Speaker 1: thirty seven, et cetera, and in the Assyrian inscriptions it
Speaker 1: is called the brook Nahal, where there is no river Naru,
Speaker 1: because it was not a natural but an artificial waterway.
Speaker 1: It is considered by these tech as the boundary line
Speaker 1: of Egypt. The pharaoh died in the sixty eighth year
Speaker 1: of his reign, having previously appointed his fourteenth son mare
Speaker 1: en Petah, co regent. A word about the monarch's family
Speaker 1: may here be in place. He had several legitimate wives
Speaker 1: and many concubines. Consequently, he could also boast of a
Speaker 1: large number of children. One list mentions one hundred sixty
Speaker 1: two of these by name, one hundred and eleven sons
Speaker 1: and fifty one daughters. The mummy of the king was
Speaker 1: found at Darre al Bahari. It shows a striking resemblance
Speaker 1: to the beautiful statue of the king preserved in the
Speaker 1: Museum of Turin. Rameses must have been in his younger
Speaker 1: days quite a handsome man, and even in old age
Speaker 1: his features preserved a determined caste. Section five mare en
Speaker 1: Petah twelve twenty to twelve twelve b C. About twelve
Speaker 1: twenty b C. The last great ruler of this line
Speaker 1: ascended the throne. His history is not over eventful. The
Speaker 1: empire was at peace with the world. In the south,
Speaker 1: the Egyptians held as much of Ethiopia and Nubia as practicable,
Speaker 1: their only object being to control the Nubian gold mines
Speaker 1: and to secure the southern frontier against invasion in Asia.
Speaker 1: The advance of the Egyptian arms had received a decided
Speaker 1: check at the hands of the Cheta, and the Treaty
Speaker 1: of Peace and Alliance, concluded in the twenty first year
Speaker 1: of the preceding reign, had put an end to all
Speaker 1: chants of war in that quarter. Canan, Palestine, Phoenicia, Southern
Speaker 1: Syria and the Sinai were secure. The last named country
Speaker 1: had been under Egyptian control for several thousand years, and
Speaker 1: the others were secured by numerous forts established by Seti
Speaker 1: the first, Rameses the second, and Marin Patah with Puent.
Speaker 1: There never had been war, and there was no chance
Speaker 1: of war now, as the commercial relations between the two
Speaker 1: countries continued profitable to both and would only have been
Speaker 1: disturbed by a war. There was only one quarter from
Speaker 1: which a war could threaten, and that was Libya. We
Speaker 1: have seen that the Libyans had frequently given trouble before,
Speaker 1: but that the campaign of Seti the First had effectually
Speaker 1: checked them and had put a stop to their inroads
Speaker 1: for a long while. After this campaign, we find that
Speaker 1: many Libyans entered the service of Seti the First and
Speaker 1: Rameses the Second. It is hardly credible that they remained
Speaker 1: in the service after Rameses's wars were over. In all probability,
Speaker 1: they returned home and told their countrymen of the wealth
Speaker 1: of Egypt and of the immense booty to be won there.
Speaker 1: Returning from the successful campaigns, they no doubt brought home
Speaker 1: what seemed to them great riches, and this aroused the
Speaker 1: greed of their countrymen. Rameses himself they dared not attack,
Speaker 1: but after his death they prepared to invade the land.
Speaker 1: Numerous Libyan tribes from the sea coast and the interior,
Speaker 1: the Leboo, kahak Mashawasha, Akawasha, Turasha, Reku, Shardana, and Shireshka,
Speaker 1: combined their forces with those of the frontier tribes, and
Speaker 1: under the command of King Maroi, the son of Didi,
Speaker 1: entered the western Delta in the fifth year of the
Speaker 1: new reign and advanced plundering the country as far as
Speaker 1: per Bairo Biblos south of Bubastis. It was their evident
Speaker 1: intention to settle here, and if need be, to purchase
Speaker 1: the right to settle here with their blood. King mar
Speaker 1: and Patah was notified of this invasion, but he hesitated
Speaker 1: to take active measures. At last he got an army together,
Speaker 1: but was deterred from accompanying it by a dream. Meanwhile,
Speaker 1: the enemy had advanced to pere Aru Sheepsas, a town
Speaker 1: near Heliopolis, which city their forces now threatened. At this place,
Speaker 1: the Egyptian army met them, and in the battle that ensued,
Speaker 1: completely routed and almost annihilated their forces. The Egyptians then
Speaker 1: plundered and burned down the fortified camp of the enemy.
Speaker 1: This victory left in the hands of the Egyptian army
Speaker 1: vast amounts of booty and a great number of prisoners.
Speaker 1: Maren Patah was a great builder on the Egypto Syriac frontier.
Speaker 1: He erected two forts and continued the work begun by
Speaker 1: his predecessor at Thebes, Tannis and other places. He died
Speaker 1: after a short reign of only eight years. Section six
Speaker 1: close of the nineteenth dynasty twelve eleven to eleven eighty
Speaker 1: b c. Seti, the second twelve eleven to twelve o
Speaker 1: nine b C. A son of Mar and Patah, succeeded
Speaker 1: his father on the throne. Inscriptions and papyri of his
Speaker 1: reign are constantly bragging about his great victories, but not
Speaker 1: one of these is ever specially mentioned, nor do we
Speaker 1: know of any campaigns of this king. Evidently, these laws
Speaker 1: auditory hymns are mere pieces of meaningless flattery. He died
Speaker 1: after a reign of only two years. A period of
Speaker 1: anarchy followed on his death, during which several usurpers succeeded
Speaker 1: in gaining the ascendancy for a short period. Of these
Speaker 1: monarchs we know only a few, Amman Messes and Sa Patah.
Speaker 1: Mar and Patah the second were in latter times regarded
Speaker 1: as illegitimate. Undoubtedly they were usurpers. A Syrian Arsu by
Speaker 1: name succeeded in making himself king for a short while,
Speaker 1: but whether he came to the front as leader of
Speaker 1: one of the hostile factions or was an invader, we
Speaker 1: do not know. At last, set Necht, the founder of
Speaker 1: Dynasty twenty and father of Rameses the third, succeeded in
Speaker 1: restoring order about eighteen eighty b C. Or perhaps a
Speaker 1: few years earlier. End of Chapter six