A Light in the Darkness: An Alternate Late Bronze Age Collapse TL

1261: Semitic pirates, based out of the Sinai, begin to prey upon Egyptian trade. Despite her misgivings about expeditions outside of Egypt proper, Nefertari cannot let the wood trade – already weak after Egypt’s withdrawal from dhejy – to continue to whither. A force under the general Iyibkhentre is dispatched to take care of the pirates, which they do with admirable aplomb. The pro-imperial faction at the Egyptian court has been granted another member.

1260: The Hittite Empire begins its long awaited invasion of Canaan. However, the easy conquest Hattusili had expected fails to materialize. Only so many men can be spared from fighting the Assyrians: the Hittite army numbers a scant 5,000 troops. The plan is to intimidate Canaanite cities into surrender. Reality fails to live up to expectations: the Canaanite cities bar their gates and make the Hittites bleed for every advance. Progress is slow, if steady. At the end of campaign season only a few cities have fallen, and Hattusili calls for a temporary halt.

A group of Canaanite princes meet in Joppa to plan to resist Hattusili. A defensive league is formed, but not much comes of it. While many city-states are willing to assist the common defense, none will meet the Hittites in pitched battle and few will allow soldiers from other city-states behind their own walls. The meeting produces only a region-wide cease fire and more unanswered pleas to Shalmaneser.

1258: The Hittites return, in larger numbers and with siege equipment. In order to spare men for the invasion, Hattusili had to severely weaken the Empire’s defenses against the Assyrians. Nevertheless, the Hittites make large gains, pushing to the walls of Jericho before campaign season closed. Aklak, speaking for all the princes of Canaan, sent a messenger to Shalmaneser requesting aid.

Nefertari’s health begins a precipitous decline. Though still able to perform the ceremonial duties of a Pharaoh, many fear she will not see the next year.

--------------------​

Shalmaneser I, son of Adad-nirari, Lord of Time and Space, Great King of Assyria, was on the verge of sleep. His eyelids became heavy, his breathing slowed, and his head began to droop as he gradually tuned out the monotone echoing throughout his throne room. Then snap his eyes flew open and his head slammed back into attention.

“Enough!” he barked. The envoy from King Aklak of Joppa paled slightly as his eyes widened.

“Y-your highness?” he managed to stammer out.

“I have listened to your kings request and my answer has not changed. Tell Aklak that we are already fighting the Hittites. If he cannot stand against a fraction of their army then he deserves death.” said Shalmaneser, without blinking.

“Yes, your highness” gulped the envoy, turning and making to leave.

“And one more thing”

“Y-yes?”

“My patience with these messages runs thin”

The envoy jumped, bowed, and ran from the room in one motion.
“As entertaining as that was, your highness, perhaps we should intervene?” asked Shalmaneser’s general, Assur-alik-pana, “The Hittites are overextended now as they may ever be. It is a golden opportunity which may never come again. And if they do succeed we shall have to deal with a Hittite army stronger and more powerful than ever before.”

“Yes… I want you to begin making preparations to attack the Hittites. But not now. In the future. Years in the future.”

“Yes, your highness”

Shalmaneser’s attendants, sycophants, and servants left him. Alone, he sunk into his throne, put his fingers to his temples, and stared at the wall. Yes… He would have what he wanted. He would wait until the fruit had ripened to its fullest extent – and then he would pluck it in one swift motion. Yes… He was the Great King of Assyria. He would have what he wanted.
 
1257: The Assyrians increase the pressure on the eastern edge of the Hittite empire. Hattusili is forced to transfer soldiers away from his Canaanite adventures, weakening his offense in Canaan. Deprived of men, the Hittite army stalls outside of the walls of Jericho.

Nefertari’s health declines even further. She is in no state to travel the Nile and attend to the religious duties of a Pharaoh. Seti, only 13 years old is hurriedly prepared to take over for his grandmother. However – to quite literally everyone’s surprise – Ra-her-khepesef emerges from the palace for the first time in over a decade and attends to the religious duty befitting his status.

Then a tempest bestirred the calm laying over the Nile: a messenger from Assyria:

“Great King of Egypt,

From Shalmaneser I, Great King of Assyria.

You have retreated from the world. None can blame you, for the gods committed a great injustice. Now you can avenge the crimes of the Hittites. The Great King of Hatti is trapping himself in the land of Canaan as I write this message. We can combine our strength, and vanquish the Hittites from the face of the planet.

If you cannot commit soldiers, then send me gold. Gold is as common as dirt in your kingdom. You will not miss it, and you will still have your revenge. Respond quickly, or forever regret.”

The Egyptian court rushed headlong into bedlam. Nefertari, forever uncompromising, refused to commit either soldiers or gold to the adventure: with Amun actively fighting them, the Egyptians have no business playing war outside of Egypt. Hesy-Ra stood with her, though more to prevent the re-emergence of the priesthood of Amun than to uphold religious orthodoxy. Others, however, took a more pragmatic approach. Led by the general Iyibkhentre and the vizier Wetka, they saw a chance to for divine redemption – or at least basic revenge. Egypt was the greatest kingdom on earth, and it should behave like it. Notwithstanding the Asiatic’s arrogance – and who could blame an Asiatic for being arrogant? – it would be best to use him to destroy the Hittites.

Tensions only worsened when the general Nebamun returned, unannounced and unrequested, to Thebes at the head of several hundred soldiers. Going into the new year, matters appeared ready to come to a head, for better or for worse.

1256: Before the court could burst asunder, Nefertari’s ill health finally got the better of her and she passed into the afterlife. Ra-her-khepesef declined a period of mourning and delayed any decision on Shalmaneser’s offer until it was over. Nefertari’s body was embalmed and then laid to rest in her tomb, along with hundreds of gold items. There was grumbling, always out of earshot of the Pharaoh, that this was all a tactic to delay a choice until the Asiatic launched his invasion, rendering any decision moot.

Ra-her-khepesef ordered Nebamun to return to his Nubian post, and sent his son Bebi with him, to better gain an understanding of military strategy and assist his brother’s rule. Nebamun, an opportunist, accepted the exile without a word of resistance, bundling the Pharaoh’s son off to Nubia.

The Hittites, still stalled outside of Jericho, resort to unconventional strategies. They make contact with the brother of the prince of Jericho, a man named Opunli. The Hittites offer Opunli riches and the princedom of Jericho if he opens the gates. The next day, the gates of Jericho fall and the Hittite army storms in.

Meanwhile, the Assyrian war machine stops. After years of attacking the Hittites there are no assaults, no attacks, and no battles. Silence reigns supreme. There is great speculation within the Hittite Empire as to what this signifies, but Hattusili resolves to take advantage of it.
 
Xiang, I just got a book this morning that you might like to look at.
It's called Brotherhood of Kings. It is the letters between the near eastern bronze
age kings. I found it on Amazon and got it as a kindle book.
 
altwere: Thank you, that looks interesting, I'll check it out.

--------------------​

1255: The Hittites transfer men from the Assyrian front to facilitate the invasion of Canaan.
Though Hattusili does not know why the Assyrians have stopped, he knows the lull will not last forever. If he can conquer Canaan before war resumes with Assyria he will be assured of victory. Hattusili personally leads an army of 15,000 men.

The Hittites push past Jericho, destroying all in their path. Aklak gathers what troops he can in Joppa, but it is not enough. When the Hittites arrive in Joppa, the siege is over before it has scarcely begun. The Hittites storm the walls, and run rampant through the city. Aklak and his family are put to death. Hattusili crowns Opunli King of Canaan and vassal to the Great King of Hatti. The land of Canaan will be assimilated into the Hittite empire; the lands and men it provides shall ensure the triumph of the Hittites over the Assyrians.

Even the greatest of triumphs can prove fleeting – Shalmeneser’s wait was over. In the exact moment when Hattusili stood on top of the world, Shalmeneser struck. The Assyrians attacked the Hittite’s weakened defenses. They caught the defenders on the plains outside of Karkemish. The Assyrians charged headlong at the Hittites. The battle was briefly in doubt, but the arms of Assyr quickly proved superior. Broken and bleeding, the remnants of the Hittite army fled into Karkemish.

Word of the Assyrian invasion had by this time reached Hattusili in Joppa. He ceased his efforts creating a bureaucracy in Canaan – leaving that thankless activity to Opunli – and hurried north at the head of his army.

Meanwhile, the Assyrian siege of Karkemish preceded splendidly. The Assyrians piled sand before the walls of the city, rendering the defenses useless. Within a week Karkemish was subjugated; not a single Hittite was left alive. Shalmaneser, eager to press his advantage, ordered the advance to continue. A group of Hittite’s had fallen back on Ugarit – the Assyrians followed in their footsteps.

As the year closed the two armies, Hittite and Assyrian, were rushing headlong at each other.

--------------------​

Following in his mother’s footsteps, Ra-her-khepesef died of a heart attack before committing himself on a decision on Shalmaneser’s offer. The actual decision was academic at this point – the Assyrian offensive already having begun – but it had become symbolic battleground of the divisions in Egyptian society.

Ra-her-khepesef was laid to rest in his tomb with all the glory of a pharaoh. But all eyes were on a different pharaoh: Ra-her-khepesef’s 15 year old son, crowned Seti II. A pious individual, Seti seeks out Hesy-Ra for advice. The result is predictable. Seti declares that Egypt will not aid the Asiatic. Without Amun, no Egyptian should leave Egypt, so an expedition to help an Asiatic was clearly proscribed.

Iyibkhentre and Wetka are ominously silent. Hesy-Ra convinces the Pharaoh to double his guard, lest he be felled in the night. Wetka emerges after a week and bows before the Pharaoh – accepting his decision, if grudgingly. Iyibkhentre whereabouts remain unknown.
However, another source is not so willing. The army in Nubia has been converted to the cult of Amun by ex-Amunite priests. The Pharaoh’s 14 year-old younger brother, Bebi, is impressionable and has been converted as well. Further, Nebamun has been filling his head with questions. Why should Seti the Amunless heretic be Pharaoh while he, the true believer, be exiled above the First Cataract? How could he let the vipers at court – more concerned with their own social status than the wellbeing of Egypt – withdraw Egypt from the world? It is not difficult for Nebamun to convince Bebi to take one irreversible step. Bebi sends a proclamation along the course of the Nile:

“My name is Bebi.

My brother is Pharaoh, my father is Pharoh, and my grandmother is Pharaoh. They have forsaken Amun. They have attempted to scrub his name from the stone and cast down his temples. They banish him to the red land. They blame him for their failures. They will let Egypt rot before they embrace Amun.

They make war upon the gods, and the gods shall make war upon them.

Amun has spoken to me. He wishes me to correct these injustices. I shall do so. I am Pharaoh. All those who are righteous can seek me and be forgiven. All those who oppose me will die”
 
Real life has been catching up with me, so I'll probably have to update less frequently: probably weekly. I'll try to make the updates longer to make up for decrease in quantity.

--------------------​

1254: Ammittamru II , King of Ugarit, vassal of the Great King of Hatti, could do naught but sit in his throne and watch as death drew near. A massive 20,000 man Assyrian army drew up outside the walls of his fair city with 3,000 chariots in tow. The merchants, the priests of Baal, the elites, and anyone who could buy passage on a ship had left the city. Only the poor masses, their seemingly suicidal king, his soldiers, and the Hittites were left. The Ugarit city guard numbered 10,000 – his generals had impressed every able-bodied man in the city – but they were inexperienced and poorly trained. The Hittites numbered a scant 7,000, after having fled before Assyria’s finest. They had no chariots. If the gods abandoned them as well, then they would die. Ammittamru ordered the sacrifice of whatever livestock was left in the city. Perhaps the gods would prove lenient. Until then, Ugarit could only pray.

--------------------​

The Hittites hurried north, the ground flying beneath their feet. Any man who could not keep up with the murderous pace was left behind. If Ugarit fell, the main Hittite army, and their Great King, would be trapped in Canaan: easy prey for the Assyrian wolf.

--------------------​

“Your highness, the Hittite force approaches.” Assur-alik-pana entered the war tent, head bowed. Shalmaneser grunted a response, eyes intent upon the map.

“We had hoped they would be slower” remarked another general, Serriya. “If only we had taken Ugarit before their arrival, then matters would be simpler.”

“And yet they are here.” replied Assur-alik-pana “Their general must have whipped his men to get them here so fast. They will not fight so well as they might have. If we continue as we had discussed, victory is all but assured.”

“I still object to that plan. It spends my men’s lives needlessly.”

“In order to catch a fish the bait must perish.” Shalmaneser spoke, rising from the table. “Such is the order of things. We honor you and your men for the sacrifice. Battle shall be joined tomorrow, and a great empire shall fall”

--------------------​

The Hittite army drew within sight of Ugarit, and a wave of fear rippled through its ranks. Numbering only 11,000 men after the conquest of Canaan and the march north, the spectacle of a 15,000 man Assyrian army besieging Ugarit was not a welcome one. However, consternation quickly gave way to hope: one of the three Assyrian detachments was out of position. Far away from the rest of the army, it numbered only 5,000 spearmen and, crucially, no chariots. It was an easy target. Hattusili gave the order – the Hittite chariots rumbled into action with their king at their head.

The Assyrians were woefully unprepared to deal with chariots. The Hittites literally ran circles in front of the spearmen, and two archers per chariot meant a lot of dead Assyrians. The spearmen broke and ran. The chariots pursued, with the Hittite army following in their wake.

--------------------​

Hattusili was so close to the wine of victory that he was already drunk. His chariot thundered after the fleeing Assyrians. The day was won; his kingdom saved; the Assyrians vanquished. The retreat of the spearmen in front of him had left a gaping hole in the Assyrian lines: the Hittites could split them in two and destroy them. Then, the spearmen in front passed over rocky ground. Cursing, Hattusili’s driver pulled the chariot to a stop: the rest of the army did likewise. {1}

The Assyrians, given a moment to breath, began to regroup and stand their ground. The two detachments to both flanks of the Hittite army closed in, spears glinting in the sunlight. Just as Hattusili made to call a retreat, a fourth Assyrian detachment, 5,000 men strong and grouped with chariots, appeared behind the Hittite army. {2} The Hittites were surrended, outnumbered, and immobile.

--------------------​

Ammittamru cursed the stupidity of the Hittite commander. Even a ten year old knew better than to advance past a 5,000 man detachment without so much as looking at them. Now the Hittites would perish to a man for their leader’s blunder, and with them the last hope of Ugarit. The King of Ugarit stormed out of his chamber, and climbed the wall.

“Open the gates!” he commanded. Ugarit was going to war

--------------------​

The sortie of 17,000 men from Ugarit – all of the city’s troops – had a decisive effect upon the battle. Though inexperienced, ill-trained, and taking frightening casualties, they managed to break through the Assyrian lines and allow the trapped Hittite army to escape to safety. The Assyrians watched them limp back into their city.

Casualties for both sides were fierce. The Assyrians lost 6,000 men, mostly from Serriya’s division, which had been sacrificed to entrap the Hittites. The Hittites themselves lost near 4,000 men and most of their chariots, which had been the Assyrians’ prime target. The army of Ugarit returned home with only 6,000 men, with disastrous effects for the city’s population and continued prosperity.

The Assyrians left after the battle. Though they had “won”, in a sense by taking less casualties, they were outnumbered and outside a wall; they needed to leave before Hittite reinforcements arrived from the north. However, they still held the rest of the territory they had conquered on their campaign: Assyria was more powerful than ever. Shalmaneser was building an empire.

Hattusili could not say the same. His conquest of Canaan looked increasingly tenuous, and he had just suffered the gravest military defeat in living memory. With the memory of his nephew Mursili firmly planted in his mind, the royal usurper casted his gaze around for an potential pretenders.

--------------------​

1: Driving a chariot over rocky ground is akin to driving a Prius over a minefield
2: These men were hidden behind a ridgeline in the terrain, and while quite visible to those in Ugarit were invisible to Hattusili.
 
Top