Latest / Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History / Ramses the Great and the Battle of Dapur: A Second Kadesh?
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Kadesh — the big chariot battle, the near-disaster, the propaganda victory. But Ramses didn't just fight one battle in Syria. He went back, year after year, grinding through smaller campaigns. And one of those campaigns produced a siege that Ramses himself had carved into the walls of his mortuary temple — the Ramesseum. I'm talking about the Battle of Dapur. Luna: Dapur — I don't think I've heard of that one. Was it as big as Kadesh? Lucas: No, nowhere near. But it's fascinating because it shows how Ramses operated in the years after Kadesh, when he was trying to turn a stalemate into something he could call a win. Dapur was a fortified town in the region of Amurru, up in modern-day Syria. It sat on a hill, strategically placed, and it was held by the Hittites, or at least by people loyal to them. So Ramses marched up there with his army — probably around year 10 of his reign, so a few years after Kadesh — and he put the town under siege. Luna: And he had it carved into his temple? That's bold, considering how Kadesh actually went. Lucas: Right, and that's exactly why it's interesting. The Ramesseum reliefs show Ramses scaling the walls of Dapur with his own hands — he's depicted as this heroic figure, climbing a ladder, sword in hand, while his troops follow. It's classic Ramesside propaganda, but there's also a grain of truth to it. The Egyptians did take Dapur, and the city became a base for further operations. But the way it's shown — with the city on a hill, with towers and crenellations — that's actually pretty accurate for a Syro-Hittite fortress of the time. Luna: So he really was there, personally leading the assault? Lucas: We think so, yes. Ramses was known for his personal bravery — or at least for wanting to be seen as brave. At Kadesh, he famously rallied his troops and fought his way out of an ambush. At Dapur, the reliefs show him in the thick of it. And you know, there's a practical side to that too. If the pharaoh is seen risking his life, it does wonders for morale. But it also meant he had to be careful — he was, after all, the living embodiment of Egypt, and if he died, the whole system could unravel. Lucas: Before we get deeper into the siege itself, I want to mention something that's a big part of why we can do this show without commercials. We deliberately keep Fexingo ad-free — no interruptions, no sponsor reads. That's a choice we made, and it's only possible because of listeners who support us directly. If you value that, and you want to help keep it that way, there's a link on our page: buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's that simple. Luna: Yeah, and we really mean it — every little bit helps, and it means we can keep digging into these stories without any corporate noise. Lucas: Exactly. So, back to Dapur. One of the key figures in this campaign was a man named Benteshina, the king of Amurru. Amurru was a buffer state between Egypt and Hatti, and its allegiance swung back and forth. Before Kadesh, Benteshina had been allied with Egypt, but after Muwatalli's victory — well, the Hittites forced him to switch sides. So when Ramses marched north again, one of his goals was to bring Amurru back into the Egyptian fold. And Dapur was a key stronghold in that region. Luna: So Benteshina was like a pawn in a bigger game? Lucas: Exactly. Small kingdoms like Amurru had to play both sides just to survive. And after Kadesh, even though the battle was a tactical draw, the Hittites had the upper hand diplomatically. Ramses needed a win — something concrete he could point to and say, 'Look, we're still a major power.' So he launched this campaign to retake Amurru, and Dapur was the linchpin. Lucas: What's interesting is how the siege was conducted. The reliefs show Egyptian soldiers using ladders to scale the walls, while others with axes and picks try to breach the gates. There are also archers covering them. It's not like a Hollywood siege with catapults, but it was effective. The Egyptians were good at this kind of warfare — they'd learned from their own experiences and from their enemies. And they had a key asset: the Sherden. These were sea peoples who had been captured and incorporated into the Egyptian army as elite troops. They were known for their round shields and their skill in close combat. Luna: The Sherden — weren't they the ones who showed up as pirates earlier? Lucas: That's right. They first appear in the records as raiders along the coast, but Ramses turned them into loyal mercenaries. By the time of Dapur, they were a key part of his army. So you have this multi-ethnic force — Egyptians, Sherden, maybe some Canaanite auxiliaries — all working together to take a single fortified town. And it worked. The town fell, and Ramses celebrated it as a great victory. Luna: But did it actually matter in the long run? I mean, the Hittites were still there, right? Lucas: That's a really good question. In the short term, it gave Egypt a foothold back in Amurru, and Ramses could claim he was winning. But the Hittites were still powerful. They didn't just roll over. Over the next few years, there were more campaigns, more sieges, more back and forth. Eventually, both sides realized they couldn't crush each other, and that's what led to the famous peace treaty with Hattusili III — the one we talked about in an earlier episode. But Dapur was part of that process. It was one of those battles that helped shape the stalemate. Lucas: And it's also a great example of how Ramses used architecture as propaganda. He didn't just tell people about his victories — he showed them. The Ramesseum was built to be a lasting monument to his greatness, and the Dapur relief is right there among the scenes of Kadesh and other battles. Every visitor would see it and think, 'This pharaoh is unstoppable.' Whether the reality was more complicated doesn't matter — the message was clear. Luna: I guess that's what you have to do when you're trying to rule an empire. Perception is everything. Lucas: Exactly. And it worked — Ramses ruled for 66 years, and his reputation as a warrior king lasted long after his death. But when you dig into the details, you see that his military record was more nuanced. He wasn't always the invincible conqueror he portrayed himself to be, but he was persistent, strategic, and willing to adapt. Dapur might not be as famous as Kadesh, but it shows us a side of Ramses that's just as important — the patient, calculating campaigner who knew how to grind down his enemies. Luna: So would you say Dapur was more important than we give it credit for? Lucas: I'd say it was a piece of a larger puzzle. On its own, it's a minor siege. But in the context of Ramses' efforts to stabilize his northern border and eventually secure a lasting peace, it's part of the story. It shows that he didn't just charge into battle like a madman — he had a plan. And that plan involved taking and holding key positions, one at a time. Luna: That's a good way to think about it. And now I want to go look up those reliefs. Lucas: They're definitely worth a look. The detail is incredible — you can see the different types of soldiers, the weapons, the fortifications. It's like a window into ancient warfare. And it's a reminder that history is full of these moments that don't make the headlines, but they're the ones that really shape the course of events. Dapur is one of those.