The Battle of Kadesh & the Poem of

Pentaur

by Joshua J. Mark
published on 18 January 2012

The Poem of Pentaur is the official

Egyptian record (along with The
Bulletin) of the military victory of
Ramesses II (also known as Ramesses
The Great) over the Hittite King
Muwatalli II at the Battle of Kadesh in
1274 BCE (in modern-day Syria). So
proud was Ramesses of this campaign
that he had the poem, which details his
personal valor against overwhelming
odds, inscribed on the walls of temples
at Abydos, Luxor, Karnak, Abu Simbel
.and in his Ramesseum

The Hittite account of the battle differs

significantly in that Muwatalli II also
claimed a great victory at Kadesh.
Although it is generally understood

today that the battle was probably a

draw, scholars still form sides and argue
total victory for either the Hittites or
the Egyptians. As there are no
independent accounts of the Battle of
Kadesh it is unlikely that a definitive
conclusion as to who actually won the
conflict will ever be reached. Early
scholars followed the lead of James
Henry Breasted who, in 1903,
interpreted the Poem as literal,
historical truth and, in so doing, passed
on Ramesses account of the Battle of
Kadesh as fact. It was not until the clay
copy of the Hittite version of the battle
was found in the city of Hattusa in Asia
Minor that the Egyptian claim in the
Poem was challenged. The fact that the
Hittites continued to occupy the city of
Kadesh after the battle (and harried
trade caravans from that site) supports
the Hittite claim to victory in that
Ramesses was unable to drive his
opponents from the area and take the
city. Even so, that Ramesses and his
army drove the enemy from the field,
inflicting heavy casualties (a claim
which can be supported by both
accounts) and returned with his forces

more or less intact to Egypt, supports

.the Egyptian claim to victory

The Battle of Kadesh and the ensuing

skirmishes between the Hittite and
Egyptian forces led, finally, to the
worlds first peace treaty in 1258 BCE in
which Ramesses II of Egypt and Hattusili
III of the Hittites promised to respect
each others boundaries and not make
war against their brother king. The
following excerpts from the poem are
from the walls of the Karnak Temple as
:translated by James Henry Breasted

Here beginneth THE VICTORY OF THE

KING OF UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT
USIMARE`RE`SETPENRE`, the Son of
RE`RA`MESSE-MIAMUN, given life
eternally, which he achieved in the land
of Khatti, Nahrin, in the land of Arzawa,
in Pidasa, in the land of Dardany, in the
land of Masa, in the land of Karkisha
and Luka, in Charcamesh, Kedy, the land
of Kadesh, in the land of Ugarit,
Mushanet. Now his majesty was a
youthful lord, active and without his

peer; his arms powerful, his heart stout,

his strength like Mont at his moment;
goodly of form like Atum, one rejoices at
seeing his beauty; great of victory over
all foreign countries, one knows not
when he will begin to fight; a strong
wall about his army, their shield on the
day of fighting; a bowman without his
like; he is braver than hundreds of
thousands combined; going ahead and
entering in among multitudes, his heart
trusting in his strength; powerful of
heart in the hour of close combat; like a
fir at its time of consuming; firm of
heart like a bull ready upon the
battlefield; he cares not for all lands
combined; a thousand men are unable
to stand firm before him; hundreds of
thousands are discomfitted at beholding
him; inspiring fear; loud of roarings in
the hearts of all lands; great of majesty
and powerful of renown like Sutekh; ...
in the hearts of foreigners; like a savage
lion in the valley of desert animals;
advancing bravely and returning only
when he has triumphed face to face; not
speaking boastfully; effective of counsel
and good of plan; one finds what one
needs through his first reply; saving his

army on the day of fighting; [great

protector of] his chariotry; bringing
home his followers and King of Upper
and Lower Egypt Usimare`- setpenre`,
the Son of Re`,Ra`messe-miamun, given
.life

Now His Majesty had made ready his

infantry and his chariotry, and the
Sherden of His Majesty's capturing
whom he had brought back by the
victory of his strong arm; supplied with
all their weapons, and the plan of
fighting having been given to them. His
Majesty journeyed northward, his
infantry and his chariotry with him, and
he made a good beginning upon the
march in Year 5, second month of the
summer season, day 9. His majesty
passed the fortress of Tjel, being
powerful like Mont in his going forth, all
foreign countries trembling before him
and their chiefs bringing their gifts, all
those who were disaffected being come
bowing down through fear of His
Majesty's might. His army went along
the narrow defiles like one which is
upon the roads of Egypt. Now when

days had passed over these things His

Majesty was in Ra`messe-miamun, the
town which is in the Valley of the Cedar.
And His Majesty proceeded northward.
But when His Majesty had reached the
hill country of Kadesh, then His Majesty
went ahead like Mont, the lord of
Thebes,and he crossed the ford of the
`rnt'1) with the first army of Amungives-victory-to- Usima`re-setpenre`.
His Majesty arrived at the town of
Kadesh, and now the wretched Fallen
one of Kadesh was come and had
collected together all the foreign
countries as far as the end of the sea;
the entire land of Khatti was come, that
of Nahrin likewise, that of Arzawa,
Dardany, that of Karkisha, Luka,
Kizzuwadna, Carchemish, Ugarit, Kedy,
the entire land of Nukhashshe,
Mushanet, Kadesh; he left no foreign
country not to bring it of every distant
land, their chiefs there with him; every
man with his infantry and their chariotry
exceeding many, without limit of the
like of them. They covered mountains
and valleys and they were like the
locust by reason of their multitude. He
left no silver in his land, he stripped it

of all its possessions and gave them to

all the foreign countries in order to
.bring them with him to fight

Now the wretched one of Khatti,

together with many foreign countries
which were with him, stood concealed
and ready to the northeast of the town
of Kadesh, but His Majesty was alone by
himself with his followers, the army of
Amun marching after him, the army of
Pre` crossing the ford in the
neighborhood south of the town of
Shabtuma at a distance of 1 iter from
where His Majesty was, the army of
Ptah being to the south of the town of
Aronoma and the army of Sutekh
marching along the road, and His town
of Aronoma and the army of Sutekh
marching along the road, and His
Majesty had made the first battle-force
out of all the leaders of his army, and
they were upon the shore of the land of
Amor. But the wretched Chief of Khatti
stood in the midst of the army which
was with him and did not come out to
fight through fear of His Majesty. But he
had sent men and horses exceeding

many and multitudionous like the sand,

and they were three men on a chariot
and they were equipped with all
weapons of warfare. They had been
made to stand concealed behind the
town of Kadesh, and now they came
forth from the south side of Kadesh and
broke into the army of Pre` in its midst
as they were marching and did not know
.nor were they prepared to fight

Thereupon the infantry and the

chariotry of His Majesty were
discomfited before them, but His
Majesty stood firm to the north of the
town of Kadesh an the western side of
the `r-n-t' [see reference to 1)]. Then
they came to tell it to His Majesty. Then
His Majesty appeared in glory like his
father Mont, he assumed the
accoutrements of battle, and girded
himself with his corslet, he was like
Ba`al in his hour, the great horse which
bore His Majesty being Victory-inThebes of the great stable of
Usimare`re`-setpenre`, beloved of
.Amun

Thereupon the wretched chief of Khatti

sent and did homage to my name like
that of Re', saying `Thou art Sutekh,
Ba'al in person. The dread of thee is a
brand in the land of Khatti.' Then he
caused to come his envoy bearing a
letter in his hand in the great name of
My Majesty, of the Residence of Re'Harakhati The-Strong-Bull- beloved-ofTruth, sovereign who protects his army,
mighty on account of his strong arm, a
wall for his soldiers on the day of
fighting, the King of Upper and
LowerEgypt Usimare`re`-setpenre`, the
Son of Re`, lion lord of the strong arm
Ra`messe-miamun, given life eternally.
`Thy servant speaks and causes it to be
known that thou art the Son of Re who
came forth from his body. He has given
to thee all lands combined in one place.
As for the land of Egypt and the land of
Khatti, thine they are, thy servants,
they are under thy feet. Pre` thy noble
father has given them to thee. Prevail
not over us. Behold, thy might is great,
thy strength is heavy upon the land of
Khatti. Is it good that thou killest thy

servants, thy face savage towards

them, and hast no pity? See, thou didst
spend yesterday killing hundreds of
thousands. Thou art come today and
hast left no heirs. Be not hard in thy
dealings, victorious king. Peace is
.better than fighting. Give us breath

Then Thy Majesty gave command to ...

hearken to his words and I made a move
peacefully southwards.His Majesty
turned back in peace to Egypt together
with his infantry and his chariotry, all
life, stability and dominion being with
,him

Reaching Egypt in peace to PiRa`messe-miamun-Great- of-Victories,

and resting in his palace of life and
dominion like Re` who is in his horizon,
the gods of this land coming to him
worshipping and saying, `Welcome, our
beloved son, the King of Upper and
Lower Egypt, Usima`re`-setpenre`, the
Son of Re`Ra`messe-miamun and they
gave to him millions of Sed-festivals
forever on the throne of Re`, all the

lands and all the foreign countries being

fallen prostrate beneath his sandals for
.eternity and everlasting

Submitted by Joshua J. Mark, published

on 18 January 2012 under the following
license: Creative Commons: AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike. This license
lets others remix, tweak, and build upon
this content non-commercially, as long
as they credit the author and license
their new creations under the identical
.terms
Bibliography
Egyptian Accounts of the Battle of
Kadesh
James Henry Breasted. Ancient Records
Of Egypt. Kessinger Publishing, LLC,
.2006
Margaret R. Bunson. Encyclopedia of
Ancient Egypt. Gramercy Books, NY,
.1991