Foreign Relations - PowerPoint Presentation

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Foreign Relations

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Previous Lesson:Consequences of KadeshEgyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty - Hittite version - Egyptian versionDiplomatic Correspondence through marriageToday’s Lesson: Foreign Relations – Seti I’s war on Asia (Syria-Palestine) & LibyaSlide2

Seti I

(1294-1279 BC)

Highlights of ReignSeti embarked on a ambitious building program and military campaigns to demonstrate his legitimacy (family) through his deeds = return to 18th Dynasty standardsHe also restored names, titles and figures of gods that had been hacked out by Akhenaten (e.g. Amun

, emphasis of Osiris, ‘Temple of Osiris’)

Resurgence of aggressive military activity in Asia, Libya and Nubia (similar to Thutmose III) = secured Egypt’s borders, regain lost territory and made Egypt a powerful country.Slide3

Seti

I’s wars in Asia

The whole northern exterior wall of the Karnak Hypostyle Hall is filled with a panorama of war scenes celebrating the military achievements of Seti I. The war scenes are our main source for Egypt's foreign relations during Seti's reign.These scenes, although not depicted in any chronological order, suggest that Seti I may have conducted as many as five campaigns, concentrating on a carefully planned penetration of Retjuna, which aimed ultimately at the conquest of northern Syria and Seti I's Libyan war in year 2 of his reign.NOTE: The inscriptions are for the most part

undated and consist only of rather fulsome rhetorical prose.Slide4

Four Strategic Phases

The best possible way to understand

Seti I’s northern military campaigns is to split the four successive campaigns into FOUR phases, much like how we mapped the Battle of Kadesh into THREE phases. PURPOSE: Seti I’s northern campaigns consolidated and regained control, re-instating Egypt’s power, influence, control and most importantly, it’s empire. The northern campaigns are likened to the military strategy that of Thutmose III when he first carved out an Egyptian sphere of influence in Asia in the early 18th Dynasty. Slide5

Phase #1

The rhetorical texts claim that pharaoh received a report that:

"The Shasu-bedouin are plotting rebellion. Their chiefs have gathered together in the hills of Kharu (= Syria-Palestine). They have fallen into chaos and are fighting and each one is slaying the other. They do not obey the laws of the Palace!“In response, Seti lead his army into Palestine across the north coast of the Sinai and into Gaza. This route was called "the Ways of Horus" by the Egyptians and it was a fortified military highway with a series of forts, each with a well. Slide6

Phase #1

Inscription:

Shasu Bedouin try to flee Seti I‘s attack by running toward the town of Canaan on a hill. At the top, two men break their weapons as a sign of surrender. a third man waves his arms in submission.After fighting a running battle with Shasu

Bedouin who were never a serious threat to pharaoh's army, Seti arrived in Gaza and began the main part of his campaign of year one progressing north through Canaan all the way into

Lebanon (Phase 3).In short; Phase 1 – the conquest of the

Shasu Bedouin in Southern Palestine.Slide7

Phase #2

After defeating the

Shasu, the only real fighting shown was the attack on a town called Yenoam in Palestine. From two stelae the king left at Beth Shan, we know that he split his army into three divisions and sent them against the towns of Hamath and Beth Shan, presumably leading the third against Yenoam in person. These battles were won "in the space of one day" and must have been easy victories. Slide8

Phase #2

The Result:

the conquest of the Phoenician coast and Egyptian coastal route into Northern Palestine. In short; Phase 2 – planned simultaneous attacks on the three key towns of Yenoam, Beth-Shan & Hammath, located in the region south of the Sea of Galilee. Inscription: Seti I attacks the town of Yenoam

in Canaan.Slide9

Phase #3

In short; Phase 3 –

Having secured his rear (Phase 1-2), Seti I travelled further north to the Levant (modern Lebanon) and the sea ports of the northern Syrian coast, capturing important towns, including Simyra and Ullaza. Source issue: due to wear and tear, there is no inscription that specifically illustrates this phase. However, there is an inscription of Seti I commanding Lebanon chiefs to cut down cedar trees. Also, there is inscriptions of

Seti I and his campaign in Kadesh & Amurru

(Phase 4) which suggests Phase 3 happened.Slide10

Phase #3

Inscription:

During a stop in Lebanon, Seti I, forces the chiefs of Lebanon to cut down cedar trees.EVIDENCESlide11

Phase #4

Seti

I attacks the Syrian town of Kadesh in the land of Amurru. Amurru was a coastal kingdom in northern Lebanon and southern Syria. NOTE: It has been in Egypt's possession several decades earlier, but was lost during the reign of Akhenaten when the Hittite Emperor

Suppiluliuma captured it.

Kadesh seems to have been an obsession for Egyptian pharaohs of the New Kingdom. Egypt fought against the Hittite empire for nearly a century in order to regain its former northern border territory. Seti I, however, succeeded where other pharaohs did not. We know that he captured Kadesh, because of a victory stela in his name that was found there by French archaeologists.Slide12

Phase #4

With the allegiance of the coastal cities assured and his flank and supply lines by sea into Phoenician ports secured…

In short; Phase 4 – Seti struck inland and captured the strategically important town of Kadesh. Outcome – control of Kadesh gave him access to the northern Syrian plain and brought Amurru back to Egypt’s side.

Inscription: Seti

I attacks the town of Kadesh in Syria

Inscription

:

"That vile town of Kadesh." Detail from the War scenes. On the ramparts of the citadel, the citizens despair in the face of defeat. Slide13

Phase #4 – Aftermath

Despite

Seti I and his forces killing the king of Carcamish, a Hittite royal prince who ruled Syria on his father's behalf (Hittite army at Kadesh), the Hittites still had the upper hand. Once Seti I and his armies went home, only a small garrison of Egyptian soldiers was left behind. The Hittites quickly recovered their losses in Amurru. Peace treaty signed with Hittite King, Muwatallis = Egypt lost both Kadesh & Amurru again. Slide14

Libyan War

Seti

I had to deal with a new and different threat – this time from the west: an invasion of Libyan tribesman into Egypt’s Nile Delta region. RESULT: Seti's victory over the Libyans was the first of a series of wars on that front during the 19th and 20th Dynasties. His grandson Merenptah and later Ramesses III would face increasingly larger forces of Libyan invaders.

Inscription: The war scenes of

Seti I are carved on the north exterior wall of the Great Hypostyle Hall. Here the king battles the Libyans.

Inscription

:

Seti

I leads Libyan prisoners back to Egypt.Slide15

ACTIVITY

Task: In a written response, recount

Seti I’s northern military campaign with direct reference to the primary sources (inscriptions located at Karnak Hypostyle Hall). Refer to the FOUR phases on the map provided on the sheet. OPEN BOOKQUESTION: What did Seti I accomplish in his northern military campaigns? Recount each phase with direct reference to primary source to support your response.