The Egyptians had geographical boundaries which offered some security from foreign invasions and threats. Nevertheless, Egyptian Wars were common in the ancient world and so were in Egypt. The inscriptions, paintings, sources of war, specific war-related architectural layouts etc constitute the sources of war. Sekhmet was the goddess of war.

Egyptian Wars

Throughout the Old Kingdom, Egypt mounted raids and expeditions against its neighbors, particularly Nubia and Libya, to acquire resources such as gold, building materials, cattle and, of course, slaves.

Battle of Megiddo between Egypt and Syria took place in 1479 BC when Tuthmosis ruled Egypt. The Egyptians won the battle (Egyptian Wars), capturing over two hundred chariots and two thousand horses from the defeated Syrians.

The Egyptian battle with Hittites took place in 1288 BC in the city of Kadesh in Syria. The city was under the control of Hittites whose objective was to control Syria. The Egyptians were led by Ramesses II, who commanded an army of 20,000 men divided into four divisions.

Each division was named after a major Egyptian deity: Amun, Ptah, Ra, and Sutekh. Ramesses led several charges into the Hittite ranks, killing the king’s brother and several other key leaders. The Egyptians were seemingly victorious in the war though they never took the city. A peace treaty was signed by both sides.

Around 1650 BC, Egypt was invaded by the Hyksos who introduced them the chariot. They ruled the northern part of the country for over a century from their capital of Avaris. During the second intermediate period, Egyptian soldiers began to be better equipped protective jackets, lighter shields, compound bows and swords.