Latest / Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History / Ramses II's Army: The Men Who Fought for Kemet
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Ramses the builder, the diplomat, the father of a hundred kids. But today I want to get our hands dirty and talk about the men who actually made his empire possible — the soldiers. Because without the army, there's no Kadesh, there's no Nubian gold, there's no Per-Ramesses. Luna: Right, but not the generals or the charioteers — the regular guys, right? Lucas: Exactly. The infantry, the archers, the guys who carried the spears and shields. And honestly, we know less about them than we'd like, but we do know a lot. For example, the Egyptian army under Ramses was a professional force — these weren't just peasants grabbed off the farm when a war broke out. By the Nineteenth Dynasty, they had a standing army, organized into divisions named after the big gods: Amun, Ra, Ptah, and Seth. Lucas: Each division was basically a full army in itself, maybe five thousand strong, with infantry and chariotry combined. And these divisions moved as units, they camped together, they had their own standards and banners. When Ramses marched to Kadesh, he took four of these divisions with him — that's maybe twenty thousand men, plus all the support staff and the mercenaries. Luna: So twenty thousand men on the move — how did they even feed that many? Lucas: That's a great question, and it's one we actually have some evidence for. The army had dedicated supply columns that carried grain and water, and they also had bakers and butchers who traveled with them. They'd set up field bakeries to make bread from the grain they carried, and they'd drive cattle and goats along with them for meat. But they also relied on local foraging when they were in friendly territory — and when they weren't, they'd just take what they needed. That was part of the point. Lucas: And water was always the biggest worry. In the desert, you need a lot of it. The Egyptians were really good at finding wells and digging for water, but it still limited how far and how fast they could move. So a campaign like Kadesh required months of planning, just to make sure there was enough food and water for the march through the Sinai and up the coast. Luna: It's almost like a logistics nightmare. Lucas: It was, and it's something we don't always appreciate. The Kadesh inscriptions are all about the bravery of Ramses and the chariot charge, but behind that was this massive support operation. And when things went wrong — like when the army got strung out along the road near the Orontes River — it was partly because of the need to keep the divisions spread out for supplies. The Hittites ambushed the middle divisions because they were vulnerable. Lucas: But let's back up a second. Who were these soldiers? We have actual names. There are stelae and graffiti left by ordinary soldiers, and letters from officers. One guy we know a bit about is a soldier named Panehesy — actually there were a few, but one in particular served under Ramses and eventually became a general and then the viceroy of Kush. He started as a standard-bearer, which was a real position of trust, and he rose through the ranks because he was competent and loyal. Luna: So there was real upward mobility in the army? Lucas: Absolutely. The army was one of the best ways for a regular guy to move up in society. If you were a good soldier, you could get land grants, promotions, even a position at court. And we have evidence of that — soldiers' families sometimes became scribal families, which was a huge step up. So it wasn't just about fighting; it was about social advancement. Lucas: Now, the elite of the army were the charioteers, the maryannu — they were the aristocratic fighters, like medieval knights. But the bulk of the force was the infantry. They were armed with spears, axes, and shields, and they fought in tight formations. They also had archers, but the archers were often just as important — they could rain arrows down on the enemy from a distance, softening them up before the chariots charged in. Luna: And what about the sherden? We've heard that name before. Lucas: The sherden were mercenaries from the Mediterranean — possibly from Sardinia, but we're not sure. They were famous for their round shields and horned helmets, and they were fierce fighters. Ramses hired a bunch of them as elite bodyguards and shock troops. They're actually depicted in his battle reliefs at Abu Simbel and Karnak, fighting alongside the Egyptians. They were so valued that they got their own land grants in Egypt, and they fully integrated into Egyptian society over time. Luna: So it was like a foreign legion. Lucas: Exactly. And the Egyptian army was actually pretty multicultural. Besides the sherden, there were also Libyans and Nubians in the ranks. Nubian archers, in particular, were famous — they were considered the best in the world. Ramses used them extensively in his campaigns, and they also served as police in Egypt itself. Lucas: But the core of the army was still native Egyptians, conscripted from the peasantry. Every province had to provide a certain number of men, and they'd serve for a period of time — maybe a few years — before going back to their farms. It was like a draft. And for those guys, it wasn't a glorious adventure; it was a duty. They got paid in rations, and if they were lucky, they got a bit of land or a bonus after a successful campaign. Luna: It's a very different picture from the heroic reliefs. Lucas: Totally. The reliefs show Ramses alone on his chariot, but in reality, he was surrounded by loyal officers and soldiers who were doing the actual fighting. And we have a few voices from the ranks, thanks to letters and graffiti. There's a letter from a soldier named Hori, complaining about his rations and his gear, basically saying, 'The bread is terrible and my sandals are falling apart.' It's so human. Lucas: And it reminds us that these were real people with real grievances. But they still fought, and they still died, because that was their job. And when Ramses built his monuments, he made sure to thank the gods for the victory — but he didn't put up statues to the common soldier. That's why we have to piece together their story from the little things they left behind. Lucas: You know, this kind of deep dive is exactly why we do this show. And honestly, if today's episode was worth a cup of coffee to you, the best way to keep these conversations going is to buy us one — at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Every little bit helps keep the podcast ad-free and lets us keep digging into stories like this one. Luna: Yeah, it's a small thing that makes a big difference. Lucas: Now, back to the battle of Kadesh. We've talked about the battle itself before, but let's look at it from the soldier's eye. The Egyptian army was marching in four divisions, but they were spread out, and the Hittites launched a surprise attack on the middle divisions as they were crossing the river. The Amun division was with Ramses, but the Ra division was caught off guard and scattered. Men were fleeing, and it was only Ramses' personal counterattack with his chariot corps — and the timely arrival of the Ne'arin, those elite troops from the coast — that turned the tide. Luna: But it must have been sheer chaos for the regular infantry. Lucas: Absolutely. The inscriptions focus on the king's heroics, but imagine being a spearman in the Ra division when chariots come thundering at you. You're probably terrified, and you're just trying to stay in formation and not get run over. The Egyptian infantry was trained to form a shield wall against chariots — they'd plant their spears and crouch under their shields, like a phalanx. But it took guts to hold that line when those chariots were bearing down on you. Lucas: And we know it wasn't a complete victory. Ramses claimed a huge victory, but he didn't capture Kadesh, and he had to retreat back to Egypt afterward. The Hittites also claimed victory, and the truth is it was probably a draw. But the point is, both sides lost a lot of men. And for the soldiers who survived, they went home with stories and maybe scars — and that's what we don't see in the monuments. Luna: It's almost like the soldiers are the invisible ones in history. Lucas: Exactly. And it's not just at Kadesh. Throughout Ramses' long reign, there were campaigns in Libya, in Nubia, in Syria — every year there was some operation somewhere. And each one required thousands of men to leave their homes and march off to fight. The army was a constant presence in Egyptian life, and it shaped the economy and society in ways we often overlook. Lucas: Take, for example, the veteran settlements. Ramses gave land to his veterans, especially the sherden and other mercenaries, in a sort of military colony system. They'd get a plot of land and a house, and in return, they'd be expected to serve when called up. This created a class of loyal military landowners who had a stake in the stability of the kingdom. It was a smart move — it rewarded service and ensured a ready reserve of trained men. Luna: So the army wasn't just about fighting — it was about nation-building. Lucas: Right. And that's a theme that runs all the way through Ramses' reign. He used the military to project power, but he also used it to build infrastructure — soldiers were often employed in quarrying stone, building temples, and digging canals. There's even a record of soldiers working on a well-digging project in the Eastern Desert. So the army was a labor force as much as a fighting force. Lucas: And when Ramses died, the army was still strong. His son Merenptah took the throne, and he had to deal with a big invasion of Libyans and the Sea Peoples. He was able to repel them, thanks in no small part to the military machine his father had built. So the army wasn't just a tool of Ramses' reign; it was his lasting legacy to Egypt. Luna: It really makes you think about how much of history is built on the backs of ordinary soldiers. Lucas: Absolutely. And next time we look at a temple relief, I want you to think about the guys who are actually in the background, hauling the ropes or holding the spears. They're the ones who made it all possible. And I think there's something really powerful about remembering them.