Foreign Relations Online Resource www nkeamentoram weebly com

Foreign Relations Online Resource: www. nkeamentoram. weebly. com Previous Lesson: • Consequences of Kadesh • Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty - Hittite version - Egyptian version • Diplomatic Correspondence through marriage Today’s Lesson: • Foreign Relations – Seti I’s war on Asia (Syria-Palestine) & Libya

Seti I (1294 -1279 BC) Highlights of Reign • Seti embarked on a ambitious building program and military campaigns to demonstrate his legitimacy (family) through his deeds = return to 18 th Dynasty standards • He 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.

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.

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 18 th Dynasty.

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.

Phase #1 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. 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.

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.

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 Inscription: Seti I attacks the town of Yenoam in Canaan. the Sea of Galilee.

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.

Phase #3 EVIDENCE Inscription: During a stop in Lebanon, Seti I, forces the chiefs of Lebanon to cut down cedar trees.

Phase #4 Seti I attacks the Syrian town of Kadesh in the land of 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.

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 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.

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.

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 19 th and 20 th 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.

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 BOOK QUESTION: What did Seti I accomplish in his northern military campaigns? Recount each phase with direct reference to primary source to support your response.