Thutmose III The Napoleon of Ancient Egypt 1479 1425

BC
Thutmose III
Some believe Rameses II was the greatest
Egyptian ruler but this not true; he spent Egypts wealth on massive building
projects wear as Thutmose III actually created Egypts wealth. Thutmose III
possessed the archetypal qualities o a great ruler. ! brilliant general who
never lost a battle" he also e#celled as an administrator and statesman. $e
was an accomplished horseman" archer" athlete" and discriminating patron
o the arts. Thutmose had no time or pompous" sel%indulgent bombast and
his reign" with the e#ception o his uncharacteristic spite against the
memory o $atshepsut" shows him to have been a sincere and air%minded
man.
Thutmose III had spent the long years o his aunt $atshepsuts reign training
in the army. This &ept him away rom court politics but nevertheless
prepared him well or his own role as pharaoh because great ability in war
was considered a desirable quality in the ancient world. Egyptian pharaohs
were e#pected to lead their armies into oreign lands and demonstrate their
bravery on the ield in person. !ter a ew victorious battles" a &ing might
return home in triumph" loaded with plunder and a promise o annual
tribute rom the deeated cities. 'ut during $atshepsuts reign" there were
no wars and Egypts soldiers had little practice in warare. The result was
that Egypts neighbors were gradually becoming independent and when this
new" un&nown pharaoh came to the throne; these other &ings were inclined
to test his resolve.
In the second year o his reign" Thutmose ound himsel aced with a
coalition o the princes rom (adesh and )egiddo" who had mobili*ed a
large army. +hats more" the )esopotamians and their &insmen living in
Syria reused to pay tribute and declared themselves ree o Egypt.
,ndaunted" Thutmose immediately set out with his army. $e crossed the
Sinai desert and marched to the city o -a*a which had remained loyal to
Egypt. The events o the campaign are well documented because
Thutmoses private secretary" Tjaneni" &ept a record which was later copied
and engraved onto the walls o the temple o (arna&.
This irst campaign revealed Thutmose to
be the military genius o his time. $e understood the value o logistics and
lines o supply" the necessity o rapid movement" and the sudden surprise
attac&. $e led by e#ample and was probably the irst person in history to
ta&e ull advantage o sea power to support his campaigns.
)egiddo was Thutmoses irst objective because it was a &ey point
strategically. It had to be ta&en at all costs. +hen he reached !runa"
Thutmose held a council with all his generals. There were three routes to
)egiddo. two long" easy" and level roads around the hills" which the enemy
e#pected Thutmose to ta&e" and a narrow" diicult route that cut through
the hills.
$is generals advised him to go the easy way" saying o the alternative"
/$orse must ollow behind horse and man behind man also" and our
vanguard will be engaged while our rearguard is at !runa without ighting.0
'ut Thutmoses reply to this was" /!s I live" as I am the beloved o Ra and
praised by my ather !mun" I will go on the narrow road. 1et those who will"
go on the roads you have mentioned; and let anyone who will" ollow my
)ajesty.0
+hen the soldiers heard this bold speech they shouted in one voice" /+e
ollow thy )ajesty whithersoever thy )ajesty goes.0
Thutmose led his men on oot through the hills /horse behind $orse and man
behind man" his )ajesty showing the way by his own ootsteps.0 It too&
about twelve hours or the vanguard to reach the valley on the other side"
and another seven hours beore the last troops emerged. Thutmose"
himsel" waited at the head o the pass till the last man was saely through.
The sudden and une#pected appearance o Egyptians at their rear orced
the allies to ma&e a hasty redeployment o their troops. There were over
three hundred allied &ings" each with his own army; an immense orce.
$owever" Thutmose was determined and when the allies saw him at the
head o his men leading them orward" they lost heart or the ight and led
or the city o )egiddo" /as i terriied by spirits. they let their horse and
chariots o silver and gold.0
Thutmose on the walls of Karnak Temple
The Egyptian army" being young and ine#perienced" simply lac&ed the
control to ta&e the city immediately. Thutmose was angry. $e said to them"
/I only the troops o his )ajesty had not given their hearts to spoiling the
things o the enemy" they would have ta&en )egiddo at that moment. 2or
the ruler o every northern country is in )egiddo and its capture is as the
capture o a thousand cities.0
)egiddo was besieged. ! moat was dug around the city walls and a strong
wooden palisade erected. The &ing gave orders to let nobody through e#cept
those who signaled at the gate that they wished to give themselves up.
Eventually the vanquished &ings sent out their sons and daughters to
negotiate peace. !ccording to Thutmose" /!ll those things with which they
had come to ight against my )ajesty" now they brought them as tribute to
my )ajesty" while they themselves stood upon their walls giving praise to
my )ajesty" and begging that the 'reath o 1ie be given to their nostrils.0
They received good terms or surrender. !n oath o allegiance was imposed
upon them. /+e will not again do evil against )en&heper Ra" our good 1ord"
in our lietime" or we have seen his might" and he has deigned to give us
breath.0
Thutmose III is oten compared to 3apoleon" but unli&e 3apoleon he never
lost a battle. $e conducted si#teen campaigns in 4alestine" Syria and 3ubia
and his treatment o the conquered was always humane. $e established a
sort o /4a# Egyptica0 over his empire. Syria and 4alestine were obliged to
&eep the peace and the region as a whole e#perienced an unprecedented
degree o prosperity.
$is impact upon Egyptian culture was proound. $e was a national hero"
revered long ater his time. Indeed" his name was held in awe even to the
last days o ancient Egyptian history. $is military achievements brought
abulous wealth and his amily resided over a golden age that was never
surpassed.
$e was also a cultured man who demonstrated a curiosity about the lands
he conquered; many o his building wor&s at (arna& are covered with
carvings o the plants and lowers he saw on his campaigns. $e also set up a
number o obelis&s in Egypt" one o which" erroneously called 5leopatras
3eedle" now stands on the Emban&ment in 1ondon. Its twin is in 5entral
4ar& in 3ew 6or&. !nother is near the 1ateran" in Rome" and yet another
stands in Istanbul. In this way" Thutmose III maintains a presence in some o
the most powerul nations o the last two thousand years.