Ramses the Great vs the Hittites: The Battle of Kadesh

Over 5,000 chariots clashed at the Orontes River in 1274 BCE. Ramses II's gamble at Kadesh nearly cost him his empire, but he turned near-defeat into a propaganda triumph. Lucas unpacks the battle's two surviving accounts—the Egyptian Poem and Bulletin versus the Hittite letters from Hattusa—to reveal a far messier truth. He explains how Ramses's elite division Amun was ambushed, how the pharaoh personally rallied his troops with a desperate chariot charge, and why the 'great victory' carved on temple walls masked a military stalemate. The episode also explores the treaty that followed sixteen years later, a pact between equals that ended decades of war. Lucas and Luna discuss the role of spies, the 'hostage prince' Hattusili III, and whether Ramses ever truly learned the limits of his power. #BattleOfKadesh #RamsesII #Hittites #MuwatalliII #OrontesRiver #AmunDivision #EgyptianChariotry #Hattusa #DivinePtra #Qadesh #RaDivision #PtahDivision #SethDivision #HattusiliIII #Puduhepa #PeaceTreaty #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo