Enjoy Ancient Warfare Magazine Vol VII-1 - Warriors of the Nile

ancient warfare magazine vol vii-1

Topic: Nile Warriors - Conflict in Ancient Egypt

Introduction: Josho Brouwers, 'Historical Introduction - Warriors of the Nile'.

Illustrated by Carlos García and Arianna Sacco.

One of the world's earliest civilizations, ancient Egyptian culture flourished along the banks of the Nile River. By around 3000 BC, the country was already a unified kingdom ruled by a single king. Its powerful rulers built impressive monuments in the form of the famous pyramids during the so-called Old and Middle Kingdoms, many of which still survive to this day. Egyptian civilization would reach even greater heights during the New Kingdom (1549–1069 BC), when its warrior kings ventured more boldly beyond the safety of their own borders to forge a royal empire.

Source: Bridget McDermott, 'Sources of Ancient Egyptian Warfare: Images, Objects, and Words'.

Modern accounts of ancient military history are largely dominated by the study of Greek and Roman warfare. However, Egyptian military history provides a fertile and much-neglected field of research. Texts, iconographic sources, and archaeological finds of military equipment provide rich, if sometimes difficult, sources for historical investigation.

Topic: Arianna Sacco, 'The Hyksos and Their Contributions to Egyptian Warfare: Rulers of Foreign Lands'.

Illustrated by Rocío Espín.

The Egyptian Middle Kingdom (2066–1650 BC) was a period of political and cultural flourishing. The central authority embodied by the king was strong. Successful military campaigns extended Egypt's borders. Fortresses were built in lower Nubia, on the banks of the Nile River, to keep the newly conquered territory under control; they also served as storehouses for goods traded in that region and as checkpoints for travelers. The arts flourished. The most famous works of ancient Egyptian literature were created during this period and represent the Classical phase of the Egyptian language. But the Middle Kingdom would eventually give way to the Second Intermediate Period (1650–1549 BC), during which Egypt was ruled by a group of people of foreign descent: the Hyksos.

Subject: Sigrid M. van Roode, 'Egypt's Strategic Border Defenses: From the Ruler's Walls to the Belly of the Stones'.

Illustrated by Julia Lillo.

Year 22, fourth month of winter, day 25. His majesty was at Tjaru on his first victorious campaign, granted to him by his father Amun, to extend the borders of Egypt in valor, victory, power, and justification. With these words begins the account of the campaigns of Pharaoh Thutmose III (r. 1479–1424 BC) in Syria and Palestine. Egyptian accounts of military expeditions sent to Nubia in the south and to Palestine and Syria in the northeast list the number of enemies killed, prisoners and livestock taken, and cities conquered, sacked, and burned. Most of these accounts do not dwell on what was presumably considered common knowledge: the military infrastructure available from which to launch these victorious campaigns.

Topic: bridget mcdermott, 'ramses ii confronts the hittites - the battle of kadesh'.

Illustrated by José Daniel Cabrera Peña and José Antonio Gutiérrez López.

Ramesses II was the son of Seti I and ruled Egypt from 1279 to 1212 BC. He was a prominent ruler of the ancient world. He adopted the title "Usi-ma-re" ("Strong in law is Re"), along with the epithet "Great in victory." His goal was clear: Ramesses had a passion for battle and for glory. He learned warcraft at an early age and, as a teenager, fought in Nubia alongside his father. Loyal to his father's policies, Ramesses wished to emulate Thutmose III and was determined to surpass the military achievements of his predecessors. In doing so, he would fulfill his obligations to Amun, the most prominent deity of New Kingdom Egypt, and earn a reputation as one of the great military rulers of the ancient world.

Subject: Paul McDonnell-Staff, 'Tutankhamun's Weapons: A Pharaoh's Arsenal'.

Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Egypt, November 24, 1922. Lord Carnarvon anxiously asks Howard Carter, "Can you see anything?" To which Carter replies, "Yes, wonderful things."

Subject: Josho Brouwers, 'Letters to the Royal Court in Egypt - Conversations of Great Kings'.

The Late Bronze Age was a remarkable period for the ancient Near East. There were four great kingdoms that collectively maintained a delicate balance of power. These were the kingdoms of Egypt, the Hittites, Babylon, and the Mitanni. This last kingdom was eventually absorbed by a fifth great kingdom, Assyria, which emerged in the later stages of the Late Bronze Age. The rulers of these kingdoms were all great kings, who referred to themselves as "brothers." Letters were exchanged that reveal much about the contemporary political and military situation.

Characteristics

Special: Jessica A. Billing, 'Symbolic Objects of Ideology, Worship, and Belief: The Military Standards of the Legions.'

Illustrated by Nikolai Zubkhov.

The legions of the Roman army spark our imagination, even today. The image of their armor, great shields, swords, and cloaks are prominent to us and instantly recognizable, with their eagle standards blazing high, as depicted in stone on Trajan's Column. The image of the eagle, more than any other, has endured and been used by people like Napoleon Bonaparte centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire. But what did the eagle standard, and indeed the others, mean to the soldiers who carried them? What did they symbolize? Why were they revered?

The debate: J. Albert Morales, 'Could the Chinese have defeated the Macedonian army? - The War of the Heavenly Horses'.

Illustrated by José Antonio Gutiérrez López and Mark Churms.

Alexander the Great and his father, Philip, had created a combined armed force that maximized the lethality of heavy cavalry, armored phalangites, and peltasts. Alexander marched this army 5,000 kilometers across Asia and stopped just 1,000 kilometers from the only force that could have challenged him: the army of Imperial China.
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