The History of Antiquity, Vol. 1 (of 6)Duncker, Max
History
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 1 (of 6)
Duncker, Max
History, Ancient
bordering on Egypt. On the Upper Nile also Sethos had fought and
established his dominion, as is proved by the ruins of a temple on Mount
Sese in Dongola above the buildings of Amenophis II. and III. at
Soleb.[213] The representations of the achievements of Sethos at Karnak
are brought to a close by the victorious return of the king with
"innumerable" prisoners and rich booty, and by two enormous figures of
the king, in each of which he is holding nine prisoners. The list of the
conquered nations first mentions the tribes of Cush, _i.e._ of the
south; then follow the Schasu, the Cheta, and Naharina (the inhabitants
of Mesopotamia), and last of all the "Punt," _i.e._ the tribes of
Arabia. These names are followed by the observation;--"This is the list
of the nations of the south and the north, which his holiness has
subdued: the number of prisoners conveyed into the temple of Ammon Ra
cannot be given."[214] From these monuments we gather that Sethos
carried on a number of successful campaigns which begin with battles
against the nomad tribes on the eastern borders of Egypt, then extend to
the south and north of Syria, and finally to Mesopotamia, while in the
other direction he reduced the tribes of Arabia, and carried the sway of
Egypt beyond Dongola, farther to the south than before.
Sethos was followed by his son Ramses II. (1388-1322 B.C.).[215] We
learnt from Herodotus that Sesostris had set up pillars in the conquered
lands in remembrance of his campaigns: in Syrian Palestine Herodotus had
himself seen such pillars, and in Ionia there were two figures of this
king hewn in the rock. As a fact a rock half way between Smyrna and
Sardis to this day presents a relief of an armed warrior. In style and
attitude it is certainly not Egyptian, and therefore cannot have been
the work of a Pharaoh. On the other hand, the rocks on the Phenician
coast which run into the sea at the mouth of the Nahr-el-Kelb, near the
ancient Berytus, the modern Beyrout, have Egyptian sculptures upon them.
These are three figures of Ramses II. In one he is carrying an enemy
into the presence of Ammon. In the two others he is striking down an
enemy before the gods Ptah and Ra. Though to a great extent destroyed,
the inscriptions still show that the achievements, of which these
sculptures are intended to immortalise the memory, belonged to the
second and fourth year of Ramses II. His arms had therefore reached the
coast of Phenicia, northward of Tyre and Sidon, and he maintained his
ground so far or so long, that he could set up this memorial of his
victory. In the ruins of a temple built or restored by Ramses at Tanis
(San), we find an inscription which ascribes to him the subjugation of
the land of Kaft, _i.e._ of Phenicia, of Nebinai, which is explained to
be Cyprus, and lastly of the Upper Retennu, _i.e._ of eastern
Syria.[216] Inscriptions on the building of Ramses II. at Karnak, near
Medinet Habu (the so-called Ramesseum), and in his rock temple at Abu
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