Thutmosis III and the Battle of Megiddo

Thutmosis III is regarded as the greatest warrior Pharaoh of Egypt, veritably an ancient Egyptian Napoleon. He is said to have undertaken 17 campaigns and not lost a single one. By the end of his reign in 1425 BC, he had turned Egypt into the first ever superpower empire with vast holdings in the Middle East and several vassal states. His greatest ever campaign came in the very first year** of his reign in 1458 BC, when all the Syrian chieftains revolted against him, led by the chief of Kadesh.
The revolting tribes gathered at the town of Megiddo, just 200 miles from the Egyptian frontier, thus threatening to invade Egypt itself. Undaunted the new Pharaoh decided to go aggressively against the rebels by not waiting for them to attack, and rather taking the campaign to Megiddo itself. In the heat of summer in May 1458 BC, he started off with 10,000 troops to attack Megiddo in a lightening fast assault.

When they were just 30 miles from Megiddo, his experienced generals advised him to take one of the two longer roundabout routes to Megiddo, which were supposed to be safe. Instead he dismissively rejected their advice and decided to take a direct route through the mountains, but which left them an easy prey to ambush. He declared that he would himself be at head of his troops, so, in effect, if anyone was to fall first to ambush, it would be himself. As it turned out even the Syrians never expected such valor and had left the direct route unmanned never expecting the Egyptians to take it. This was decisive in helping the Egyptians reach very quickly to Megiddo and take the Syrians utterly by surprise.

We know in detail of the events leading upto this battle, the battle itself and the happenings thereafter because they have been recorded by the royal scribe and transcribed in the Temple of Karnak. This is probably the first ever detailed war account and a very fascinating read. I provide below a link to the exact writing of the royal scribe Thanuny.

http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/texts/the_battle_of_megiddo.htm

** - Thutmosis' came to throne as a minor when his father died. But for the first twenty two years his stepmother Hatshepsut ruled as the Pharaoh herself. So only after her death, did Thutmosis really become the de facto Pharaoh. The Megiddo Campaign happened immediately after Hatshepsut's death in 1458 BC. Thutmosis went on to rule Egypt for another thirty two years till 1425 BC.

I particularly like the following lines from the royal scribe's account, where Thutmosis dismisses the advice of his generals defiantly.

Since they are full of convoluted sentences, as ancient inscriptions generally are - I'll first condense them in more straightforward, intelligible terms and then give the detailed word-to-word rendition below that.

Condensed account:

Generals to Pharaoh - Your Majesty, there is a treacherous and narrow route through the mountains, which directly leads to Megiddo, but we are vulnerable to ambush as we have to go in a single file - man after man, horse after horse, so that when our advance guard may be ambushed deep into the pass, our rear is still at the base camp itself. There are two other routes, one from the north and other from the south, which are long and roundabout, but relatively safe. We request your Majesty to kindly adopt one of these two routes.

Pharaoh - We shall go by the direct route and none other. What do you want our enemy to say - that his majesty fears us? We shall take no other route but this and those who wish to take any other route may do so and those who wish to follow me, let them follow.

Generals - We shall follow your majesty, for the servants follow their master

Pharaoh - Then none shall go before me. I shall be at the head of the troops myself.


Exact Detailed Account:

[His majesty] ordered a consultation with his valiant troops, saying as follows: "That wretched enemy, the chief of Kadesh, has come and entered into Megiddo; he [is there] at this moment. He has gathered to himself the chiefs of all the countries which are on the water of Egypt, and as far as Naharin, consisting of [the countries] of the Kharu, the Kode, their horses, their troops. Thus he speaks, 'I have arisen to [fight against his majesty] in Megiddo.' Tell ye me."

They spoke in the presence of his majesty, "How is it, that we should go upon this road, which threatens to be narrow? While they [come] and say that the enemy is there waiting, [hold]ing the way against a multitude. Will not horse come behind [horse and man] behind man likewise? Shall our [advance-guard] be fighting while our [rear-guard] is yet standing yonder in Aruna not having fought? There are yet two (other) roads: one road, behold, it [will] us, for it comes forth at Taanach, the other, [behol]d, it will [bring us upon] the way north of Zefti, so that we shall come out to the north of Megiddo. Let our victorious lord proceed upon the road he desires; (but) cause us not to go by a difficult road."

Then [went (?)] messengers concerning [this] design which they had uttered, in view of what had been said [by (?)] the majesty of the Court: "I [swear], as Re loves me, as my father Amon, favors me, as my [nostrils] are rejuvenated with satisfying life, my majesty will proceed upon this road of Aruna. Let him who will among you, go upon those roads ye have mentioned, and let him who will among you, come in the following of my majesty. Shall they think among those enemies whom Re detests: 'Does his majesty proceed upon another road? He begins to be fearful of us,' so will they think."

They spoke before his majesty: "May thy father Amon, lord of Thebes, presider over Karnak, [grant thee life]. Behold, we are the following of thy majesty in every place, whither [thy majesty] proceedeth; as the servant is behind [his] master."
[Then his majesty] commanded the entire army [to march] [upon] that road which threatened to be [narrow. His majesty] swore, saying: "None shall go forth [in the way] before my majesty, in ." He went forth at the head of his army himself, [showing the way] by his (own) footsteps; horse behind [horse], [his majesty] being at the head of his army.