Episode C6 – The Splendid Flame

Synopsis: The long-lived rulers of Egypt’s Twelfth Dynasty undertook the kingdom’s revitalization – restoring the depleted Faiyum Oasis and raising a massive chain of forts to subjugate Nubian lands. While the south Levant faced Egyptian raids, north Syria saw increased trade und ...  Show more

Synopsis: The Sintashta way of life and death seeds aspects of Vedic Aryan Hinduism and Iranian Zoroastrianism, while their quest for a lucrative market for metals brings them into contact with the Oxus Civilization and – through them – the larger Near Eastern world. In post-Ur I ...  Show more

Moves and counter-moves. In the aftermath of Kadesh, Muwattalli (King of Hatti) seems to consoldiated hold over Syria. Border territories like Amurru fell to Hittite influence. At home, Ramesses spent at least one year regrouping before launching his reponse. Soon, pharaonic armi ...  Show more

Ramesses, Muwattalli, and the Trojans(?). In June of 1287 BCE, the Great Kings of Hatti and Egypt were on the verge of a major confrontation. Ramesses, marching across Sinai and into Canaan, made careful preparations for his assault on Kadesh. Alas, even the best-planned campaign ...  Show more

Interlude: Warlords and Adventurers. In the second millennium BCE, a new power rose to the north of Egypt. The Kingdom of Hatti (aka the land of the Hittites) emerged as a significant political, economic, and military force. In this episode, we introduce the Hittite state and its ...  Show more