The Literature of the Ancient EgyptiansBudge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
History
The Literature of the Ancient Egyptians
Budge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
Egyptian literature -- History and criticism; Egyptian literature -- Translations into English
now they let down their clothes by which to pull them up. If the
soldiers of His Majesty had not devoted themselves to securing loot of
the enemy, they would have been able to capture the city of Megiddo at
the moment when the vile foes from Kadesh and the vile foes from this
city were being dragged up hurriedly over the walls into this city; for
the terror of His Majesty had entered into them, and their arms dropped
helplessly, and the serpent on his crown overthrew them. Their horses
and their chariots [which were decorated] with gold and silver were
seized as spoil, and their mighty men of war lay stretched out dead upon
the ground like fishes, and the conquering soldiers of His Majesty went
about counting their shares. And behold, the tent of the vile chief of
the enemy, wherein was his son, was also captured. Then all the soldiers
rejoiced greatly, and they glorified Amen, because he had made his son
(_i.e._ the king) victorious on that day, and they praised His Majesty
greatly, and acclaimed his triumph. And they collected the loot which
they had taken, viz. hands [cut off the dead], prisoners, horses,
chariots [decorated with] gold and silver," etc.
In spite of the joy of the army Thothmes was angry with his troops for
having failed to capture the city. Every rebel chief was in Megiddo, and
its capture would have been worth more than the capture of a thousand
other cities, for he could have slain all the rebel chiefs, and the
revolt would have collapsed completely. Thothmes then laid siege to the
city, and he threw up a strong wall round about it, through which none
might pass, and the daily progress of the siege was recorded on a
leather roll, which was subsequently preserved in the temple of Amen at
Thebes. After a time the chiefs in Megiddo left their city and advanced
to the gate in the siege-wall and reported that they had come to tender
their submission to His Majesty, and it was accepted. They brought to
him rich gifts of gold, silver, lapis-lazuli, turquoise, wheat, wine,
cattle, sheep, goats, &c., and he reappointed many of the penitent
chiefs to their former towns as vassals of Egypt. Among the gifts were
340 prisoners, 83 hands, 2041 mares, 191 foals, 6 stallions, a royal
chariot with a golden pole, a second royal chariot, 892 chariots, total
924 chariots; 2 royal coats of mail, 200 ordinary coats of mail, 502
bows, 7 tent poles inlaid with gold, 1929 cattle, 2000 goats, and 20,500
sheep.
THE CONQUESTS OF THOTHMES III SUMMARISED BY
AMEN-RĀ, KING OF THE GODS
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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