Battles & Wars › Ancient world › New Kingdom Egypt: the warrior pharaohs
Battle of Kadesh
c. 1274 BC· Battle· Middle East & Africa
Well documentedSolid records, physical evidence or scientific consensus.
Egypt under Ramesses II fought the Hittite Empire under Muwatalli II near Kadesh, Syria, in perhaps the largest chariot battle ever.
See it on the Battles & Wars map →What happened
Ramesses marched north to retake Kadesh, on the Orontes River in western Syria. Two nomads posing as deserters, planted by the Hittites, told him the enemy was far away. As his army approached in four divisions, Hittite chariots struck one division on the march and overran his camp. Ramesses rallied his guard, and Egyptian reinforcements arrived in time. The Hittites kept Kadesh; Egypt went home. The two sides may have fielded about 5,000 chariots together; estimates vary.
Why it matters
It ended in a draw neither empire could break, which led to one of the first recorded peace treaties. It is also an early, vivid case of war propaganda.
How we know
Ramesses' poem, official report and reliefs on five Egyptian temples, including Abu Simbel and Karnak, plus Hittite texts from their capital, Hattusa, that tell a different story.
Still debated
Army sizes and the exact sequence of the fighting are uncertain, because nearly all detail comes from Ramesses' self-glorifying account. Most historians call it a draw.
Inside this (2)
Connections (5)
▸War chariot dominated the fighting at Battle of KadeshWell documented
The connection
Kadesh was fought mainly with chariots. Heavier Hittite chariots with three-man crews ambushed an Egyptian division on the march; lighter, faster Egyptian two-man chariots carrying archers then counterattacked. With perhaps 5,000 chariots on the field, it was likely the largest chariot battle ever fought.
When and how
Near Kadesh on the Orontes River, western Syria, about 1274 BC; Ramesses II's Egyptians against Muwatalli II's Hittites and allies.
How we know
Egyptian reliefs show both chariot types in detail, and Egyptian texts give Hittite chariot numbers, which may be inflated.
Debates and open questions
Exact chariot numbers, and whether Hittite crews fought mainly with spears or bows, are debated.
▸Ramesses II led Egypt's army at Battle of KadeshWell documented
The connection
The young Ramesses led the campaign in person to win back Syria. Misled by planted spies, he camped near Kadesh unaware the Hittite army was close. When it struck, by his own account he rallied his guard and fought until reinforcements arrived, saving the army but not taking the city.
When and how
Kadesh, Syria, in the fifth year of his reign, about 1274 BC, against Hittite King Muwatalli II.
How we know
His own poem, official report and reliefs, copied on several temples, plus Hittite references to the campaign.
Debates and open questions
How heroic his personal role really was is uncertain, since the main account is his own propaganda.
▸Battle of Kadesh led years later to Egyptian–Hittite peace treatyWell documented
The connection
Kadesh showed that neither empire could defeat the other. After years of inconclusive border fighting, with Assyria rising and the Hittite throne contested, both sides chose to fix their frontier in Syria and become allies instead of rivals.
When and how
About sixteen years after the battle, around 1259 BC, between Ramesses II and Hattusili III, Muwatalli's brother.
How we know
The treaty survives in both Egyptian and Hittite versions, and later letters between the two courts show the peace working.
Debates and open questions
Historians weigh how much the treaty owed to Kadesh's stalemate versus the later Assyrian threat and Hittite succession politics.
▸Battle of Megiddo built Egypt's Levant empire, later contested at Battle of KadeshMostly agreed
The connection
Victory at Megiddo let Thutmose III turn the Levant into a zone of Egyptian vassal cities, for a time including Kadesh itself. Over the next century the Hittites pushed south into Syria. Kadesh, which had led the coalition at Megiddo, became the flashpoint where Ramesses II tried to win the region back.
When and how
Northern Israel and western Syria, about 1457–1274 BC; Thutmose III's campaigns, Hittite King Suppiluliuma I's expansion, then Ramesses II's war.
How sure are we?
Egyptian campaign records, the Amarna letters from Levant vassal rulers, and Hittite treaties with Syrian kingdoms trace the shifting control.
Debates and open questions
How firmly Egypt really controlled the Levant between the two battles, and how often Kadesh changed sides, is debated.
▸New Kingdom Egypt: the warrior pharaohs fought the Hittites at Battle of KadeshWell documented
The connection
Egypt and the Hittite Empire competed for the cities of Syria. Ramesses II marched north to take Kadesh, was surprised by a massive Hittite chariot attack and fought his way out. Neither side won outright, and about 15 years later the two powers made peace.
When and how
Kadesh, on the Orontes River in western Syria, about 1274 BC; Ramesses II against the Hittite king Muwatalli II.
How we know
Egyptian accounts carved at Abu Simbel, Karnak, Luxor and the Ramesseum, and Hittite archives at Hattusa, describe the campaign and the later treaty.
Debates and open questions
Ramesses claimed a great victory; most historians see a draw or a Hittite strategic success. Army sizes, about 20,000 Egyptians and perhaps more Hittites, are estimates.