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A clamor rose from the plain. Incredulous, the Pharaoh
discovered the true cause of the terrifying roar filling the
battle site.
Hundreds of Hittite chariots had just surged across the
second ford, nearer the citadel, and were barreling toward
the Ra division. Another gigantic wave was descending
upon the Ptah division. Behind the chariots ran thousands
of foot soldiers, swarming over the hills and valley like a
plague of locusts.
This immense army had been concealed in the forest to
the east of the fort and now caught the Egyptian troops at
their most vulnerable.
The sheer numbers of the enemy force stunned Ramses.
When Muwattali appeared, standing in his chariot, the
Pharaoh understood.
The Emperor of Hatti was surrounded by the princes of
Syria, Mittani, Aleppo, Ugarit, Carcemish, and Arzawa, as
well as several lesser chieftains whom Hattusili had con-
vinced (on the emperor s orders) to join the Hittites in their
effort to crush the Egyptian army.
Muwattali had forged the broadest coalition that had
ever existed, including every country along the coast, by
handing out enormous quantities of gold and silver.
Forty thousand men and three thousand chariots bore
down upon the Egyptians, still scattered and now frozen in
their tracks.
330 Christian Jacq
Hundreds of the Ptah division s foot soldiers fell
beneath the enemy arrows. Overturned chariots clogged the
ford. The survivors ran for shelter in the forest of Labwi,
blocking the Set division s advance. It hardly mattered, since
the troops would be easy prey for the massed enemy
marksmen if they emerged from the forest.
Virtually all of the Ptah division s chariots were
destroyed. The Set division s were stuck in the woods. On
the flatland, the situation was becoming catastrophic. The
truncated Ra division was powerless; the soldiers began to
scatter. The coalition troops were slaughtering the
Egyptians, the iron of their weapons breaking bones and
rending flesh, their daggers sinking into stomachs.
The coalition princes cheered Muwattali.
The emperor s strategy had been brilliant. Who would
have supposed that Ramses proud army could be extermi-
nated before even having a chance to fight? The survivors
were fleeing like frightened rabbits; their lives would depend
on how fast they could run.
All that remained was to deal the death blow.
The Amon division and the Pharaoh s camp, still intact,
could not hold out long against the clamoring enemy horde.
Then Muwattali s victory would be complete. With
Ramses death, the Egypt of the pharaohs would finally
bow its head and become Hatti s slave.
Seti had never fallen for the trap, but Kadesh had
tempted Ramses, a mistake he would pay for with his life.
A wild-eyed warrior pushed aside two minor potentates
and confronted the emperor.
Ramses: The battle of kadesh 331
Father, what s going on? asked Uri-Teshoop. Why
wasn t I told about the timing of the attack, when I m com-
mander-in-chief of your army?
I gave you a specific assignment: defending the fortress
with our reserve battalions.
But the fortress isn t in danger!
Those are my orders, Uri-Teshoop, and you re forget-
ting an important fact: I didn t put you in charge of the
coalition forces.
Then who . . .
Who else but my brother, Hattusili, could qualify?
Since he s the one who led the long and patient negotiations
with our allies, the honor goes to him.
Uri-Teshoop shot a hateful look his uncle s way and
brought his hand to the hilt of his sword.
Back to your post, General, Muwattali ordered curtly.
The Hittite horsemen overturned the hedge of shields
protecting Pharaoh s camp. The few Egyptian soldiers who
attempted to resist were showered with spears. A cavalry
lieutenant screamed at the fleeing soldiers not to run. A
Hittite arrow pinned him in the mouth, and he died gag-
ging on the shaft.
More than two thousand chariots were preparing to
overrun the royal tent.
Master, exclaimed the driver Menna, Protector of
Egypt, Lord of the Battle, look! We ll soon be alone in a sea
of enemies. Let s not stay here a moment longer. Let s go!
Ramses gave his groom a withering look. Out of my
sight, man, since you ve lost your courage.
332 Christian Jacq
Majesty, I beg you! Standing your ground won t prove
we re brave, only mad! The country needs you to stay alive.
Egypt doesn t need a defeated pharaoh. I ll fight them,
Menna.
Ramses put on his blue crown and fastened his battle
gear, combining a kilt and a breastplate covered with small
metal disks. On his wrists were golden bracelets with lapis
lazuli clasps in the shape of ducks, with golden tails.
Calmly, as if it were an ordinary day, the monarch
padded his two horses with red, blue, and green cotton
blankets. Victory in Thebes, the stallion, and the Goddess
Mut Is Satisfied, the mare, were adorned with magnificent
plumes of red tipped with blue.
Ramses climbed into his gilded war chariot, ten feet
long, its caisson resting on an axle and shaft. The pieces had
been bent with heat, covered with gold leaf, and joined with
tenons; at the fittings, leather protected the parts from fric-
tion. The caisson s frame, open at the back, was made from
gold-plated planks. The bottom was of interlaced thongs.
On the side panels, Asian and Nubian warriors were
depicted kneeling in submission. The dream of a kingdom
that was being shattered, the final symbolic statement of
Egypt s power, its domination over both the north and the
south.
The chariot was equipped with two quivers, one for
arrows, the other for bows and spears. With these paltry
weapons, Pharaoh was preparing to combat an entire army.
Ramses wrapped the reins around his waist, leaving his
hands free. His horses were brave and intelligent; they
would head straight into the fray. A low growling sound
gave him reassurance: his lion, Fighter, would be steadfast,
striding by his side to the death.
A lion and a pair of horses were all the allies the King of
Ramses: The battle of kadesh 333
Egypt had left. The Amon division s cavalry and infantry
were fleeing at the approach of the enemy.
If you make a mistake, Seti had told his son, blame
no one but yourself and correct your error. Fight like a bull,
a lion, and a falcon. Rage like the storm. Otherwise, you
will be beaten.
With a deafening roar, raising a cloud of dust, the enemy
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