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1/ Let's talk today about the inability to admit to a loss, the absurdity of both sides being victorious. To this end we will utilize a famous battle from antiquity as an example.
The Battle of Qadesh, fought between the Egyptian & Hittite Empires, around 1274 BC. >>
@nickfshort
The Battle of Qadesh, fought between the Egyptian & Hittite Empires, around 1274 BC. >>
@nickfshort
2/ >> The battle was a crucial moment in the history of both empires & the Ancient Near East in general, it brought to an end a long geographical & military dispute on the border between the Hittite & Egyptian empires. The battle is fascinating both tactically & textually. >>
3/ >> This is perhaps the earliest documented battle in history, we have bith Egyptian documentation in the form of murals, carvings & written sources. The Egyptian records have a fairly detailed description of the events, including, quite predictably, much praise for Pharaoh. >>
4/ >> But, the description of Pharaoh Ramesses II as a great victor & the praise for him actually make it less credible. Interestingly, the Hittites do not have a direct record of the event, but only a letter sent by Pharaoh Ramesses II to the them. >>
5/ >> The letter was found in archeological excavations at the Hittite capital, Hattusa, it is written in Akkadian (the international language of the time) but it does not contain much information about the battle itself. >>
* The entrance gate to the Hittite Capital, Hattusa.
* The entrance gate to the Hittite Capital, Hattusa.
6/ >> A peace treaty was signed 16 years after the battle, & it is the oldest peace treaty in the world. The agreement states that peace was ordained by the gods & included a defense agreement, something that had not been heard of before. >>
* The original peace treaty.
* The original peace treaty.
7/ >> Like any peace treaty, it also established a border between the Hittite & Egyptian Empires. Another clause included free passage to Egypt, mainly for trade purposes, through the Hittite Empire to the coastal city of Ugarit. >>
* The treaty at the temple in Karnach.
* The treaty at the temple in Karnach.
8/ >> The treaty was cemented by a marriage between the daughter of Pharaoh Ramesses II to the Hittite ruler, it was so important that it was originally written on silver plates which did not survive, but have a mention in the Egyptian and Akkadian copies. >>
9/ >> There is no other treaty like it from this period, & it is displayed in the Archaeological Museum of Istanbul. There is also a copy at the UN headquarters. When reading the different versions, one can understand something between the lines. >>
* Replica at the UN.
* Replica at the UN.
10/ >> Although each side claims to have won the battle, according to the terms of the treaty it seems that in this case, the Hittites are the ones who came out on top, and the Egyptians this time, lost.
But not everyone knows how to admit a loss.
- The End -
But not everyone knows how to admit a loss.
- The End -
