Fall of the House of Ramesses, Book 1: Merenptah

by Max Overton

  The Kemetu, whipped into a killing frenzy, slaughtered the fleeing and surrendering Ribu without mercy, hacking and slashing, clubbing and stabbing defenceless men until their arms dropped from sheer exhaustion, their grip on their weapons slippery with blood. The men of the legions stared at the blood-soaked battlefield and at the cowering hordes of enemy, heard the screams of the wounded and the wailing cries for mercy, and stayed their hands.

  Merenptah called his commanders to him there on the battlefield within sight of the city. Every senior officer saluted the king and cheered his victory.

  "A wonderful victory, Son of Re," Disebek exclaimed

  "Never have I seen such a complete one," Besenmut added.

  "Not complete," Seti said. "Merey escaped."

  "Maybe not," Merenptah said. "He may be among the fallen or even the captured. Have men sent out to search for his body."

  "At once, Son of Re." The legion commanders saluted again and turned to give the orders, but Merenptah called them back.

  "I want a full tally of every enemy soldier killed or captured, their weapons and their goods. This is a victory that will live down the years and every man must know the scale of it."

  "Very good, Majesty," Disebek said. "A tally of hands?"

  Merenptah thought for a moment and said, "Let every man know that I have destroyed the Ribu beyond hope of recovery. Cut off the phallus of every fallen enemy, complete with foreskin and tally those." He laughed. "Let them try to build their numbers again without their private parts."

  The commanders laughed dutifully, but Besenmut asked, "What about the Sea Peoples? I am told they lack foreskins."

  "If any man lacks a foreskin then take his right hand. I want an accounting."

  Merenptah and Seti rode into the city along with an honour guard, and marvelled at the ruined gate and rubble filled streets. The populace poured out to line the way to the Governor's Palace, shouting and cheering their conquering king. Merenptah felt deathly tired but nodded and waved, whereas Seti, buoyed up by the excitement, grinned and yelled out in youthful exuberance.

  At the bottom of the steps of the Governor's Palace, two people waited, an older man and a young woman. The young woman ran out at the chariots drew up, a smile on her face.

  "Welcome, father. I knew you'd get here in time."

  "Tausret. Thank the gods you are alive." Merenptah clambered down from his chariot and embraced his daughter. Then he held her by the shoulders and looked at her sternly. "I am angry that you put yourself in danger."

  "It worked though, didn't it?" Tausret said.

  "We shall discuss this later. Now greet your brother Seti. I sincerely hope that as husband he can control you better than I could as a mere father."

  Tausret grinned and hugged Seti. "That was bravely fought," she said. "I watched the battle from the top of the walls. A pity the enemy chief escaped."

  "We shall pursue him, never fear," Merenptah said. "Now, this is Governor Amenakht? Let him approach."

  The Governor came forward and dropped to one knee before his king. "Welcome, Baenre Meryamun Merenptah, Son of Re. You have saved my city."

  "Yes, I have, but it looks as though your garrison put up a stiff fight if the rubble in the streets and dead bodies are anything to go by." He offered Amenakht his hand and drew him to his feet, the Governor beaming with pleasure at the signal honour done him by that gesture.

  Tausret frowned but said nothing, drawing back to walk beside Seti as Amenakht ushered the king into his palace. "Thank the gods you arrived when you did, little brother, we were just preparing to lay down our lives when we heard the rams' horns."

  "Less of the 'little brother' if you don't mind," Seti said with a tired smile. "Father handed me command of the chariot squadrons on the field of battle, so I think I can count myself a man now."

  "I never doubted it." She examined his stained and dusty visage. "Perhaps a bath? No one will think less of you for cleansing yourself before the king's council."

  Tausret sat with her brother while servants stripped away his soiled clothing, sluiced him down with cold water and patted him dry. They dressed him in clean linens and applied perfumes and cosmetics as befitted his rank.

  "That feels better," Seti said. "Now, a bite to eat and we'll see what happens next."

  They ate together, a light repast of bread and beer and beef, similar to that supplied to the army, but of a higher quality. While they ate, Seti talked about the battle and then asked Tausret about the defence of the city.

  "Governor Amenakht seems to have done well. He had only a small garrison yet he organised a defence that held out for four days."

  Tausret grimaced. She hesitated and then said. "If it had been Amenakht's choice, we'd have locked the gates and just let the Ribu march past. I had to take our own troops and any I could glean from the city, and go out to challenge the Ribu. I so enraged them that they forgot about moving east and attacked the city."

  "You, sister? You know nothing of warfare."

  "I had Iymeru from Men-nefer. He commanded the soldiers, but I told him what to do."

  "And Amenakht?"

  "He cowered in the city after trying to dissuade us from going out to meet them."

  "He probably just had the good of the city in mind. It was madness for a few hundred soldiers to attack thousands."

  "Maybe so, but it worked." Tausret swallowed the last piece of her beef and licked her fingers. "He said something odd."

  "Who did?"

  "Amenakht. On the fourth day he was berating me for bringing down the Ribu on the city instead of just letting them march past. I told him it was better to lose a city than the whole kingdom, and he said it would not have come to that. Lord Sethi had promised him it would not."

  "Who is Lord Sethi? And how could he promise that?"

  "I don't know. I asked him but he made his excuses and left."

  "Perhaps he should be asked again, by the king this time." Seti yawned. "But that can wait until tomorrow. It's nearly sunset and I could sleep for days."

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Anapepy, Chief Scribe of His Majesty, speaks:

  The king bids me write the account of his victory, so I dutifully set brush and ink to papyrus to record the truth. I call upon the army scribes, the generals and commanders to tell me of the great deeds of the king this day and I set them forth that future generations will know of this great victory.

  In the second month of Shomu, in Year 5 of His Majesty the king of Ta Mehu and Ta Shemau, Baenre Meryamun, Son of Re, Merenptah, Contented with Ma'at, Given Life, a messenger brought news that the wretched chief of the Ribu enemy, Merey, son of Dedy, has descended upon the land of Tjehenu together with his bowmen and many warriors of the Sherden, the Shekelesh, the Akawasha, the Lukka, and the Tursha. Every great fighter and runner of these foreign lands brought he, together with his wives, his children and his herds, and all the great ones of his tent, and came unto the borders of our land at Perire.

  Then did the king, Baenre Meryamun, Son of Re, Merenptah, Contented with Ma'at, rage like a lion at the news saying, "Listen to my pronouncements, O weak ones of Kemet, for I am your Lord, the Ruler who herds you and protects you like a father does his foolish children. Tremble like birds, you men of Kemet, for you do not know the good things I do for you every day. The Nine Bows are upon us, robbing the borders, attacking every day to plunder our fortresses, invading our rich fields even unto the Great River.

  "These men of the Ribu are as crawling things that creep upon their bellies, men that love death and hate life, whose hearts are very different from those of the people of Kemet. Their chief brings them to the land of Kemet to fill their bellies, so must spend their days wandering and fighting. Like fish upon their bellies they are brought, by their dog of a chief, a wretched man lacking a heart.

  "Behold, I am the one to whom the gods gave all nourishment, I, Baenre Meryamun, Son of Re, Merenptah, Contented with Ma'at. As my ka endures, and as I am ever victorious, I
am firmly established as the Ruler of the Two Lands. Amun has given his assent and is as a shield to the men that I bring to destroy the Ribu, the enemies of Kemet."

  Then did the king - Baenre Meryamun, Son of Re, Merenptah, Contented with Ma'at, bring together his army on the bank of the river close unto Perire, where a dream from the god Ptah came upon him in the night, and the king said, "Lo! I saw in a dream that a statue of Ptah stood before me and handed me a khepesh sword saying, 'Seize it, and expel the foul one from the heart of the land.'

  "Then did I prepare my infantry and chariotry in ranks and the army went forth in the third month of Shomu, the third day to meet the army of the wretched chief of the Ribu. Amun-Ra was with them, and Set of Nubt, god of soldiers, strengthened them, and for half a day the forces of I, Baenre Meryamun, Son of Re, Merenptah, Contented with Ma'at, gave over the forces of the Ribu to the sword, destroying them in the desert land.

  "Here it was that Merey, the wretched chief of the Ribu, became terrified, his heart weak within him and his bowels turned to water. He did cast aside his sandals, his bow, his quiver, great terror encompassing his limbs and he did flee the battle and the righteous anger of Baenre Meryamun, Son of Re, Merenptah, Contented with Ma'at. I took as my possession his tribute, his gold and silver and vessels of bronze, his wife's jewellery, his weapons and shields and all his oxen, donkeys and goats.

  "While the wretched chief of the Ribu fled, my infantry fell upon the men of Ribu and my chariots fell upon them from behind and so great was the slaughter that it has not been heard of in all the histories of the kings. So has the enemy Merey gone from the land. He is humbled, his bowstring cut, and his people destroyed, felled at my hand by the gods of Kemet on account of his failed promises."

  Then did Baenre Meryamun, Son of Re, Merenptah, Contented with Ma'at, He Who Surrounds the Tjehenu, stand at the Window of Appearances in the palace at Perire to view the tribute exacted from the Ribu. Gold and silver, bronze and copper, precious stones and worked leather, weapons and shields, and herds of oxen, donkeys and goats were brought before him. The women of the Ribu and the young children were sold into slavery that the Ribu might go down into destruction, and the men and male children who could bear arms were killed, those who had not died on the field of battle, bent their necks and embraced death.

  The numbers of the slain were counted by collecting the phalli with foreskins of every man and male child bearing arms, of the children of Merey and the brothers of Merey, six; of the men of the Ribu, six thousand three hundred and fifty-nine; of the foreign allies of the Ribu known as Sea Peoples, the Shekelesh, who did not have foreskins, two hundred and fifty hands; of the Tursha, seven hundred and ninety hands; of the Sherden and Akawasha, one thousand three hundred and twenty-two hands; of the other allies of the Ribu with foreskins, six thousand one hundred and eleven phalli with foreskins. Twelve wives of the fallen chief of the Ribu were brought as captives, and nine thousand three hundred and seventy-six others as captives to the glory of Baenre Meryamun, Son of Re, Merenptah, Contented with Ma'at.

  Weapons were laid before the king as spoils of war, nine thousand one hundred and eleven copper swords, and one hundred and twenty thousand, two hundred and fourteen arrows gathered from the field of battle. One thousand three hundred and nine cattle, six hundred donkeys, and a thousand goats were brought before the king before being driven off to join the royal herds. Sixty-four silver drinking vessels and three thousand one hundred and seventy-four other vessels were taken from the Ribu and their allies. The camp of the Ribu was laid waste and their tents reduced to ashes.

  The king, Baenre Meryamun, Son of Re, Merenptah, Contented with Ma'at, appeared in the broad hall of the Governor's Palace in Perire, where the officers of the army rejoiced to see him and acclaimed him as a king Mighty in Truth, who carries out what he says he will do. The servants of the king praise him, rejoicing to the heavens, and the king says, "It is the gods who give the power to their beloved, Baenre Meryamun, Son of Re, Merenptah, Contented with Ma'at, having caused every man in every city throughout Kemet and Kush to render tribute. Thus I make a great slaughter amongst mine enemies that all might go well with Kemet. The fallen chief has fled before me, his people are as nothing, and the enemies of Kemet are vanquished.

  "It is I, Baenre Meryamun, Son of Re, Merenptah, Contented with Ma'at, sole lord of Kemet, beloved of every god, who subdues his enemies, who tears up every land entirely. It is the victory of Re, who is a khepesh sword against the Nine Bows. It is the victory of Heru, Who Rejoices in Ma'at, who strikes the Nine Bows. It is Set who gives victory and valour to his son Baenre Meryamun, Son of Re, Merenptah, Contented with Ma'at.

  "These Ribu plotted evil against the land of Kemet, but behold, I felled them, I slew them, and I turned them into mounds of corpses. Behold, my perfection is lauded by the nobles, and I am loved by the people as I love them. Breath is given them in their cities that my name might be exalted in heaven and earth. My reign has been one of surpassing beauty in the mouths of the youth, in as much as the good things I did for them were great and Ma'at was preserved.

  "Let every noble, every commander, every adviser of the king of Ta Mehu and Ta Shemau, Baenre Meryamun, Son of Re, Merenptah, Contented with Ma'at say, 'How great it is, what has happened in Kemet. Great things are before us which our fathers have not seen. The enemy has been vanquished and the heart of every man shall rest unto old age in his body. Food is in our mouths and we sleep in joyfulness, for you are our fortified enclosure, our buttressed walls against all ill. Your name will endure forever, reaching from the sky to the ground, and the accounts of your victory will never be erased. You will be given years like Atum so your ka may endure. It is his divine son who energises your name, Baenre Meryamun, Son of Re, Merenptah, Contented with Ma'at, the ruler whom the gods gave to our Beloved Land.'"

  So said the King of Ta Mehu and Ta Shemau, Baenre Meryamun, Son of Re, Merenptah, Contented with Ma'at, Lord of Glorious Appearances, may he be given Life like Re forever!

  The king reads my account and then stands, looking out of the window toward the column of smoke that still rises above the camp of the enemy. After a long time he nods and hands the scroll back to me saying, "Have it inscribed upon the temple of every god and goddess in Kemet, so it may exist as a written record for eternity."

  And that is what I have caused to be done. I, Anapepy, Chief Scribe of Baenre Merenptah, whose name will stand with His Majesty forever, as my words exalt his great victory.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Year 5 of Baenre Merenptah

  The heat of Re brought forth maggots by the millions, swarming and writhing on the corpses of the Ribu, and the gentle winds carried the stench into the city of Perire. People clutched cloths to their faces, soaking them in whatever perfume they could afford, and all that many of the poorer people had to use was urine-dampened cloth. The smell of the urine was bad enough, but preferable to the stink of death. Within days, the stench abated somewhat, but then came clouds of flies, similarly engendered from the blood-soaked earth by the power of the sun's rays.

  The stench was still strong in their nostrils, however, when Seti and Tausret sought audience with their father the king and were admitted to his presence. The inner room had incense burning in braziers, the sweet, cloying perfume almost as bad as the stink of decay it disguised. Merenptah was seated at a desk with the Chief Scribe Anapepy, reading through a document and making corrections.

  "Ah, my son...beloved daughter...welcome. I am just going through the account of the battle, the one that will be painted or carved onto every temple in the Two Lands. Anapepy, read it to them."

  "Yes, Son of Re," the scribe said, getting to his feet. He cleared his throat and started reading. It soon became apparent that these were the scribe's words rather than the king's from the pleasure Anapepy took in declaiming the sonorous syllables. After a few minutes, he reached the end and bowed, smiling broadly.

  "What do you think?" Merenptah asked.

&
nbsp; "Wonderfully put, father, but where does it describe my chariot charge that finally broke the enemy's back and caused Merey, son of Dedy, to flee?"

  The king harrumphed. "This is my victory, Seti. When you are king you can fight your own battles and write what you want. While I am king, it is necessary for the people to see that my limbs are still strong and that I can protect Kemet against the Nine Bows."

  "You do mean Seti to be king after you then?" Tausret asked. "He proved himself in battle, didn't he?"

  "I have already said I will make him my heir, daughter. When you are married."

  "This would be a perfect time to announce it though, at your victory speech from the Window of Appearances. You have shown yourself the Bull of Heru who already has the Bull calf standing at his right hand."

  Merenptah laughed. "Would that please you, daughter?"

  "Yes, father, it would."

  "Then it shall be done."

  "There was something else."

  The king smiled indulgently. "I rather thought there might be. What is it? You have seen a piece of jewellery you must have? An estate, perhaps? Name it, beloved daughter. Your efforts these past few days have saved Kemet and I can refuse you nothing."

  "Put Governor Amenakht to the question."

  Merenptah's contented smile slipped from his face. "What are you talking about? Seti, do you know?"

  "Yes father, but I'll let Tausret tell you."

  "Father, we had brought the Ribu down on the city and held them for four days, but it was obvious that we must die on the fifth day unless you came to our rescue. Governor Amenakht made it plain he blamed me for this when I could have just let the Ribu march past the city. I told him that we might die but our sacrifice would mean Kemet would live. He then said something strange, that it would not have come to that. He said a certain Lord Sethi had promised him."