Latest / Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History / Ramses the Great's Sherden Mercenaries: Pirates Turned Bodyguards
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Ramses's armies — the chariotry, the infantry, the Nubian archers. But there's one group that always fascinated me, and they show up in some of the most famous scenes from Kadesh. Luna: The Sherden? The ones with the horned helmets? Lucas: Exactly. The Sherden — sometimes spelled Shardana in Egyptian texts. They're one of the so-called Sea Peoples, but what's interesting is that they weren't always allies. In fact, Ramses fought them before he fought with them. Lucas: We have a stele from his second year — around 1278 BCE — that records a naval battle against Sherden pirates off the Mediterranean coast. Ramses claims he crushed them, and then — this is the key part — he incorporated the survivors into his own army. Luna: So he basically turned pirates into soldiers? Lucas: Exactly. And it's a really practical move. These were experienced fighters — they'd spent years raiding ships and coastal towns. Ramses recognized that instead of executing them or letting them rot in prison, he could use their skills. So he recruited them as mercenaries, and they became a kind of elite bodyguard unit. Lucas: You can see them in the Kadesh reliefs at the Ramesseum — they're distinctive because of their round shields and those horned helmets, which are usually shown with a ball or disc on top. They carry long swords, not the typical Egyptian khopesh or axe. They stand out. Luna: Were they really from Sardinia? I've heard that theory. Lucas: It's a strong theory, but not certain. The name Shardana has been linked to Sardinia — there's even a later inscription from the 11th century BCE at the temple of Medinet Habu that mentions 'Sherden of the Great Green,' which likely means the sea. But they could also have come from the Levant or Anatolia. The truth is, we don't know their exact homeland. They were probably a coalition of different groups. Lucas: What we do know is that by Ramses's reign, they were settled in Egypt. There are records of Sherden soldiers receiving land grants in the Delta, near the area of Per-Ramesses. They married Egyptian women, adopted Egyptian names alongside their own, and eventually blended into the population. Luna: So they became fully integrated. That's a lot more than just hiring mercenaries. Lucas: Right. And it tells us something about Ramses's approach to foreign policy. He wasn't just about conquest — he was pragmatic. If you could be useful, he'd find a place for you. The Sherden weren't the only example; we also see Libyans and Canaanites in Egyptian service. But the Sherden are special because of how visible they are in the art. Lucas: The Papyrus Harris I, which dates to Ramses IV but describes the reign of Ramses III, actually mentions Sherden prisoners being settled in Egypt. And there's a famous letter from the Hittite king Hattusili III complaining that Ramses was harboring Hittite fugitives — so it seems Ramses had a habit of taking in foreign fighters. Luna: Wait — so the Hittites were upset that he was giving asylum to their people? That's a whole other layer. Lucas: Exactly. It shows that Ramses saw skilled individuals as assets, regardless of their origin. And the Sherden were the most visible of these foreign contingents. They stuck around long after Ramses, too — they're mentioned in later texts into the 20th Dynasty. So their integration was lasting. Lucas: There's also a fascinating detail about their equipment. The horned helmet is their trademark, but we've actually found a bronze scale armour that might belong to a Sherden warrior — from a tomb at Tell el-Dab'a. It's different from typical Egyptian armour, which was more often just a leather tunic with scales. Luna: So they kept their own gear even after joining the Egyptian army? Lucas: It seems so. The Egyptian army was actually pretty flexible about that — different units kept their own weapons and styles. The Nubian archers used their own bows, the Sherden used their own swords and shields. It made the army more versatile. Lucas: Now, one of the most interesting questions is: what happened to the Sherden after the Bronze Age collapse? The Sea Peoples waves that hit Egypt in the reign of Merenptah and Ramses III included groups like the Peleset and Tjekker, but the Sherden seem to have already been on Ramses's side by then. Luna: So they weren't part of the later invasions? They'd already been absorbed. Lucas: Exactly. By the time the big Sea Peoples coalition attacked under Ramses III, the Sherden were already fighting for Egypt. In fact, they appear among the Egyptian defenders in the naval battle reliefs at Medinet Habu. So they went from being the raiders to being the ones defending against raiders. Lucas: It's a pretty remarkable arc. And it shows how fluid identity was in the ancient world. A Sherden warrior in year 2 of Ramses II might have been a prisoner; by year 5, he's a trusted bodyguard at Kadesh. His children would grow up Egyptian, speaking Egyptian, probably serving in the army themselves. Luna: That's a lot of loyalty for a guy who initially tried to kill you. Lucas: Well, Egypt offered a pretty good deal: land, pay, a place in society. And Ramses was smart enough to offer it. It's one of the reasons his reign was so stable — he knew how to turn enemies into assets. Lucas: And that's something we can still learn from, honestly. There's a reason I keep coming back to this show — every time I dig into a detail like the Sherden, I realize how much thought went into the way these ancient states operated. Luna: It makes you appreciate the research that goes into each episode. Lucas: Absolutely. And you know, if you've been enjoying these deep dives — whether it's the Sherden, or the Hittite treaty, or the gold mines — there's a way to help keep them coming. This show is completely ad-free, and it stays that way because of listeners who choose to support it. Luna: Yeah, it's pretty rare to find a history podcast that goes this deep without commercials. Lucas: If you want to help, you can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's all lowercase. Even a small contribution makes a difference — it pays for the hosting, the research materials, and keeps the whole thing sustainable. No pressure, but if you've gotten something out of these conversations, it's a great way to give back. Luna: And we really appreciate everyone who does. Lucas: Alright — back to the Sherden. One last thing I want to mention: there's a theory that some of these Sherden warriors might have returned to Sardinia later, bringing Egyptian influences with them. There are Bronze Age structures on Sardinia — the nuraghes — and some scholars see parallels with Egyptian architecture. It's speculative, but it's a nice thought. Luna: So the cycle continues — from pirates to Egyptians, and maybe back again? Lucas: Exactly. The Sherden story is a reminder that the ancient world was connected in ways we're still uncovering. They weren't just 'barbarians' at the gates — they were people who moved, adapted, and left their mark on civilizations we think we know. Luna: Well, I'll never look at a horned helmet the same way again. Lucas: Good. That means it worked.