Fall of the House of Ramesses, Book 1: Merenptah

by Max Overton

He looked horror-struck. "My Lady, I cannot. I could not put you in danger."

  "Find a way, Ament. That is an order."

  "Lady, it will grieve me to do it, but I must tell the king of your intention. He will put a stop to it and keep you safe here in Men-nefer."

  "Safe, no doubt, but sealed up as if in a tomb. I must live my life, Ament, and I refuse to believe that I can be no more than a wife and mother."

  "I am sorry, my Lady, but I cannot help you."

  I was reluctant to take a step that might end the tenuous friendship I shared with this young man. "Must I compel you, Ament?"

  "You have already ordered me, Lady, and I have refused. How can you compel me?"

  "If one of my ladies carried news to the king of your acts of impropriety, it would go ill with you."

  "But I have not committed any such acts." He stared me disbelievingly. "You would do this, Lady?"

  I sighed. "No. But Ament, it is a sign of my desperation that I would even think it." I held out my hands beseechingly, heedless to who might see my action or how they might interpret it. "Help me, Ament. I must be there; I must see this war if only from a distance for it will be my only chance to escape my bonds for a short time. Find me a place where you think I will be safe, and I will make certain no harm befalls you if the king finds out." I looked up at him shyly and smiled. "I influenced the king once before on your behalf, if you remember."

  He nodded glumly. "After threatening to have me arrested for attempted rape, if you remember."

  "I would never have done it."

  Ament grunted and gave in, seeing I was determined to go, with or without his help.

  "I'll see what I can do," he said.

  And so it came about that I, Tausret, daughter of the king, first went to war.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Year 3 of Baenre Merenptah

  Once King Baenre had discussed the latest intelligence of the Retenu rebellion with General Hotepnebi, he called his counsellors together and put the question to them, 'Do we go to war?' Merenptah was already decided on this point, but wanted his closest advisors to agree with him. There was little dissention as the enemy were mainly rebels supported by the Sea Peoples.

  "We cannot ignore this," Tjaty Prehotep said. "If we allow one tribe to rebel, it will only encourage others."

  "That is the advice of you all?" Merenptah asked.

  All the lords and military experts nodded their heads and murmured their assent, but Lord Mentuhotep had something to add.

  "I presume this is a punitive expedition rather than one of conquest. I agree we must crush the rebellious tribes, but that is work for the northern legion alone. Why are we mobilising other legions, and why is the king involved in something Hotepnebi could handle?"

  "If it was the Retenu tribes alone, my Re legion would be more than enough," General Hotepnebi said. "But they are supported by the Sea Peoples who have established colonies along the coast and incite rebellion."

  "That is more serious," Mentuhotep agreed. "Do we know the strength of the Sea People?"

  "They are weak as yet," Merenptah said. "Three legions should be ample to crush the Kanaanites and drive the Sea Peoples away from our shores. What say you? Do I seek the approval of the gods?"

  This time, everyone agreed to go to war, and Merenptah prepared to petition the gods.

  The next day, the king dressed as if for war, in all his finery, and donned the blue leather war crown, gathered the officers of the Ptah legion together, and rode in his war chariot to the temple of Amun. Men of the Ptah legion marched behind him, the tramp of their feet shaking dust and debris from the buildings along their way, the populace shouting and cheering their king on to victory.

  The High Priest of Amun in Men-nefer waited for the king in the hypostyle hall, together with the highest representatives of Mut and Khonsu, and all three priests escorted him into the presence of Amun, deep inside the temple. Flickering torches made the shadows sway and jump, and the great carved and polished statue of the god looked down on the king and seemed to move. The king spoke, lifting his voice in praise of Amun and petitioning him for permission to wage war.

  Priests lifted the torches high while others clashed sistrums and blew on rams' horns, and Amun, shadowed and brooding, appeared to nod. The High Priest took the sacred khepesh sword from its place at the foot of the god and presented it to the king.

  "Amun offers you the sword of war," the High Priest of Amun said. "Carry it to victory and defeat the enemies of Kemet."

  "The goddess Mut, Lady of Heaven, the Eye of Re, witnesses and concurs," the High Priest of Mut said. "She bids Baenre Merenptah defeat Kemet's enemies during the day."

  "Khonsu the traveller witnesses and concurs," the High priest of Khonsu said. "He bids Baenre Merenptah defeat Kemet's enemies by night."

  Merenptah exited the temple and found that the crowd had swelled while he had visited with the gods. Rams' horns blew again and the populace lifted up its voices in praise of god and king. He mounted his war chariot again and the High Priest of Amun set the god's standard in another chariot in front of the king, whereupon the procession passed once more through the city and out onto the riverbank where ferries waited to transport the Ptah legion across the river. The king would lead the army, General Hotepnebi having gone north to rejoin the Re legion.

  * * *

  Over the next few days, the army of King Baenre moved slowly through the rich farmlands of Ta Mehu, passing the city of Iunu and later Per-Ramesses. The priests came out from each city to bless the army of the king, and men flocked to join the banner of the legion. Women came too, attaching themselves to the multitude that followed the army, cooks and victuallers, washerwomen and tailors, men whose duty it was to look after horses, repair weapons and armour, women who catered to the needs of the men, and wives and mothers, anxious to look after their menfolk. Whole herds of mules carried food for the multitudes.

  The army passed into the scrubby borderlands, threading through the forts on the Heru Road, and many of the less committed camp followers dropped away, returning to easier lives in the well-watered lands of Ta Mehu. Eventually, the army drew up on the border of Kemet, looking out on the loosely occupied lands of Retenu. Spies now came in warning of the presence of enemy soldiers, and the king called a conference a little after dawn to discuss the situation.

  "Spies report the presence of a large but undisciplined force of rebels half a day north of here," General Hotepnebi said. "I think we should strike them immediately."

  "How many men face us?" asked Commander Disebek. "The Re legion is slightly under strength."

  "Two thousand or thereabouts," Hotepnebi said. "And I don't expect my legion commanders to quibble about the number of men facing them. You know your duty, Disebek, so do it."

  Disebek saluted his general, his face pale. "I will, of course, do my duty to the king and the gods of Kemet, even if it means my death. I meant only to say that we must strike a decisive blow. We cannot afford to throw too few men at the enemy and only achieve a stalemate."

  "Well said," Merenptah murmured. "But we shall achieve glory, not death. Amun has promised us victory. The Ptah legion that marched up with me is at full strength and more, and the Heru legion will be with us soon, marching as they must from their station in the west. We have enough men on hand to settle this rebellion with one swift strike."

  "Divine Father," asked a junior officer, no doubt primed by one of the commanders. "What is the order of battle?"

  "Advise me," Merenptah said.

  "Hit them with the full force of our chariots," Hotepnebi said. "Rout them utterly."

  "We don't know the nature of the battlefield yet, nor the state of the land over which the enemy must flee," Commander Besenmut of the Ptah legion said. "We should use our infantry to break their ranks."

  "My spies can find that out."

  "Why haven't they already?"

  "The infantry needs blooding."

  "Smash them with chariots."r />
  "Archers are the key. Then follow up with an infantry charge."

  "My chariots are ready," Chariot Commander Ikeni declared. "Must we stand aside while others fight?"

  Merenptah listened to all the advice, weighing the strengths and weaknesses of his legions, the experience of his commanders, and then made his decision. "The infantry of Ptah and Re shall meet the enemy, together with a small force of chariots under my personal command. When the rebels break and flee, we will hit them with chariot squadrons from the sides, harrying them and putting every man to death. I want no survivors, gentlemen. The tribes must learn that there is no mercy shown for rebellion."

  The king led his officers in prayer to the gods, offering up sacrifices before they hurried to ready the men. Before the sun's disc had climbed halfway to the zenith, the army was on the move, the Ptah legion to the fore and Re behind. Small squadrons of chariots ranged out in front and to either side, spying out the land and reporting back as the might of Kemet closed on the rebellious tribes. Merenptah rode in his war chariot in the van, his personal charioteer skilfully holding the four stallions in check, while beside him stood his young son Seti, his chest swelling with pride.

  The boy turned and looked back at the marching men, the dust raised by thousands of feet rising into the clear air and drifting away to the southeast, carried by the gentle breeze.

  "We are invincible, father. No army could possibly stand against us."

  "This isn't an army we face, Seti. Only a rabble of dissatisfied tribesmen."

  "So we'll crush them, won't we?"

  "Very likely. Imagine you are the General today, Seti. How would you attack?"

  "Me, father?" Seti struggled to contain his excitement. "I would charge them with my chariots and trample them into the dust, slaughtering every last one of them."

  Merenptah nodded. "Direct and to the point. General Hotepnebi was of the same opinion."

  "So that's what we are going to do?"

  Merenptah was silent for a few moments, scanning the surrounding countryside. Then he pointed off to the right. "You see that chariot squadron scouting the land to the east? Why are they going so slowly?"

  Seti stared, his forehead wrinkled in thought and his eyes squinting. "There are too many rocks, father. They are afraid of breaking a wheel." As if to underline his conclusion, the king's chariot bounced over a boulder, causing the king to grab hold of the rail, steadying himself and his son.

  "Forgive me, Son of Re," the charioteer muttered. "I did not see it."

  "You are forgiven for you prove my point," Merenptah replied. "How is that, Seti?"

  "Chariots cannot drive across rocky ground?"

  "They can, but they must travel slowly. We don't know what the ground is like where the rebels are massing. If it is stony, then the chariots must go slowly, and there is no such thing as a slow charge. Better to use the infantry until we are certain. Simple foot soldiers can break the enemy lines."

  Seti thought about this. "Could we not bring the rebels to a place of our choosing? It is a pity not to use our strength, which is the chariot charge."

  "If there are any sensible men among the rebels, they will hold fast to their position, forcing us to come to them. We will not waste our chariots, however, for they will join in the pursuit. No matter how stony the ground, a chariot can move faster than a tired man on foot."

  A light scouting chariot raised a plume of dust as it raced toward the head of the column. It passed the royal chariot before curving back alongside. While the charioteer held the team steady, the scout saluted the king.

  "The enemy is in sight, Son of Re. North and east."

  "How far away?"

  The scout glanced up at the position of the sun. "By midday."

  "Any sign of the Sea Peoples?"

  "None, Son of Re."

  General Hotepnebi occupied his own chariot a little behind the royal one and he was watching the report of the scout with great interest. The king gestured and the general tapped his charioteer on the shoulder, his chariot moving up alongside the king's.

  "The enemy are about five thousand paces away," Merenptah said. "Rest the men and have water and bread distributed."

  When the general left to pass on the king's orders, Merenptah turned to his son. "Some commanders would close on the enemy at once, but I believe in having my men rested and fed before a battle. If the enemy fights hard, it could be nightfall before they can rest and eat. I'll give them until midday, and then advance on them angling to the left, striking them with the afternoon sun at our backs. If they fight, the sun will increasingly be in their eyes; and if they flee, they can only do so toward the east, away from their allies."

  By midday, the army was on the move again, refreshed and eager to get to grips with the rebels. Because this was a punitive expedition, the men knew that they would be taking no prisoners and would have free rein with regard to plunder. Anything they could snatch from a corpse served as wages, and if they came upon a Retenu village, there was the added incentive of captive women. Many of the men in the legions were untrained, being more at home with a mattock or fishing net than with sword of spear, so they were glad to be facing ordinary tribesmen in their first martial encounter rather than a trained army.

  Scouts brought in additional reports as the Kemetu army closed on its prey. The tribesmen numbered a little more than first thought, perhaps as many as three thousand, but none of them looked to be particularly well armed or disciplined. In the early afternoon, the rebels came in sight, and General Hotepnebi drew up the legions with the sun at their backs and the chariot squadrons ranged on either side.

  "Are we going to charge them, father?" Seti asked.

  Merenptah scanned the enemy ranks, pointing out the loose formations of undisciplined foes. "Chariots seldom succeed in a head-on charge against disciplined soldiers, my son, for the horses shy away, but against tribesmen like these we will smash our way through them as if they were a ripe melon."

  Merenptah had his chariot pull out in front of his army and race along the front. As he passed, the men raised their weapons aloft and cheered their king, shouting out "Baenre" or "Kemet", or the name of one of a dozen gods that was dear to a man facing possible death. Back and forth the king drove, with Prince Seti beside him, hopping with excitement, and after several passes, took up his position at the head of the Ptah legion. He raised his bow aloft and gave the signal. Rams' horns blew, and three thousand Kemetu voices roared and the legions leapt forward.

  * * *

  Ament had been as good as his word, but Tausret's first taste of war had not been anywhere near as exciting as she had anticipated. The Leader of Fifty had arrived in the palace in the company of a servant girl who he introduced as "Ti-ament, my sister", and when Tausret had dismissed her women, had handed her a plain brown linen kilt and tunic, together with a rather oversized headdress that obscured her features when she donned it.

  "I can't wear this," Tausret said. "I look ridiculous."

  "You look like a servant," Ament replied with a slight smile. "And no one can see your face. How else are we going to get you out of the palace unnoticed? Now put the kilt and tunic on."

  Tausret did as she was told, shuddering at the feel of the coarse fabric on her skin. "Now what?"

  Ament looked around the room and pointed to two small tables. "Pick one up." She did, and Ti-ament followed suit. Ament led the burdened women out of the apartments, looking neither left nor right and behaving as if he had every right to be there. When a servant intercepted them, Ament waved a hand nonchalantly and said, "On the Lady Tausret's orders." As the servant could not find Lady Tausret to query the order, the trio were allowed to pass through into the kitchen area, where the tables were exchanged for empty wicker baskets. Nobody gave the soldier and two female servants a second glance and they walked out through the back of the palace and down toward the dock area of the city.

  "That easy?" Tausret queried.

  "People see what they expec
t to see," Ament said. "You are dressed like servants, so they see that." He looked at Tausret critically. "You don't hold yourself like a servant though. Too proud. You must learn from Ti-ament how to comport yourself."

  The girl smiled and bobbed her head. "It's not hard, Lady. I'll help you."

  "No, no, no," Ament chided. "She's not a lady now, just another servant. Call her...Tau. No offence meant," he added apologetically to Tausret, "But if someone was to hear Ti-ament call you 'Lady', they might wonder. You don't want to attract attention."

  "Whatever you say, Ament, but I hope it's not for long. These clothes are itchy. I should have brought my dress to change into."

  "You can't go on campaign in a fine dress, Tau. If you must wear good clothes, go back to the palace. If you want to accompany the army, you can only do it as a camp follower. Your choice."

  Tausret scowled and shrugged. "I'm coming."

  Ament took his two charges down to the docks and left Tausret in the hands of his sister. "I cannot accompany you. I have to travel with the men, but my sister has a place among the camp followers. You'll have to be her sister too." He regarded Tausret with a mischievous grin on his face. "An older sister but less experienced, ignorant of ordinary life, perhaps a little funny in the head?"

  Tausret sniffed. "I could describe your ancestry accurately, Ament, but it wouldn't be ladylike. Nor would it be fair to taint your sister thus," she added.

  Ament laughed. "A palace servant then, who has never stepped out of that sheltered existence."

  "I can do that."

  "Good. I'll leave you in my sister's care then. Do everything she tells you to do, without question."

  "When will we see you again?" Ti-ament asked.

  "Whenever I can." Ament took his leave and strode off.

  "Come on, Tau," Ti-ament said. She picked up her empty basket and started toward one of the barges loading men and equipment.

  Tausret followed with her own basket, looking all around at the frenetic activity on the docks. Men, some in plain kilts, others naked, were carrying loads of stores toward the boats, stacking them on the decks and going back for more amid shouted orders, curses and coarse banter. Tausret blushed at some of the things she heard, but Ti-ament answered back sharply, warning off any man who came too close or paid them unwelcome attention. They found a place on the deck of one of the boats amidst piled stores and sat down out of the way. Presently, the boat cast off and rowers toiled to carry it across the current to the eastern shore.