Here it is, the greatest battle of the late bronze age. Pharaoh Ramesses II of Egypt faces off against Muwatalli II of the Hittites, with control over the Levantine coast as the prize. This is a huge deal historically for a number of reasons. It was absolutely massive, involving as many as 90,000 men. It was the largest chariot battle in history, with perhaps as many as 6,000 chariots on the field. It is the oldest battle in history for which we have extensive tactical detail. And, of course, it represents the clash of two mighty civilizations at their very peak and would shape the near east for the rest of the bronze age.
And, of course, we need to have a bunch of maps to illustrate the course of the battle, since everyone likes maps.
Oldest Stories 