Walter wrote:
> Dear Dierk,
>
> It has been the understanding of Egyptologists for over 100 years that
the
> founder of the Saite Dynasty, Psmatik I (664-610 BC) came to power via
the
> employment of Greek mercenaries, the first contingents being furnished
him
> by Gyges of Lydia, when both Lydia and Egypt sought in unison to thwart
the
> power of Assyria.
Answer: I've indeed mismatched the Psamettichs, that's all. However,
Psamettich I didn't came to power via the Greek and Carian mercenaries he
had bought from the stock of the tyrant of Lydia, Gyges. It was merely 'en
vogue' among tyrants to keep a guard built of mercenaries. I recall the
Cretan and Philistean mercenaries of David's guard. And the House of Gyges
was wealthy enough to keep a chiliarchia of 1000 men stabile in the 6th and
5th century. But to argue on any alliance between Lydia and Egypt in
confrontation to Assyria is beyond the reality. Psammetich I had the urgent
need in 640 to stop the Scythian horsemen, but finally he was successful in
front of the Nile flats not by the help of additional professionals but by
increasing the gifts to their warlord. A few names of locations in
Palestine - e.g. Skythopolis south of Lake Gennesar - remind of that
military security problem. Assyria itself had other, more existential
problems with the New-Babylonians and Medians: 614 fell Asshur and 612
Niniveh. The rest of the Assyrian force was, after the retreat, concentrated
in North-Mesopotamia and tried - in vain - to reconquer Haran. Parallel to
the siege of Haran 609, an army of Pharaoh Necho marched towards the
Assyrians at the Euphrates ( not 'versus'; 2 Ki 23,29 - Josiah wasn't an
ally of Asshur) - called by the King of Asshur (cuneiform tablet, Gadd
1923). What you see here is an alliance of Egypt and Assyria.
> Clayton:
> "He prevailed by conscripting a great army, bringing in mercenaries from
> the
> Mediterranean world, many of them Greeks, and including Carians whose
> inscribed tombstones found at Saqqara have only recently been
deciphered."
> (p.195, "Psamtik I," Peter A. Clayton. Chronicle of the Pharaohs. London.
> Thames & Hudson. 1994)
Answer: Against whom did P-I. prevail? Asshurbanipal's province governors?
Yes - the Assyrians couldn't keep Egypt any longer, logistically. With the
help of Lydian mercenaries? No - the area between the Sinai and Lydia was
still Assyrian territory between 668 and 626, the terminus a quo for the
tyrant deal with mercenaries; quick downfall of Assyria under
Asshur-etil-ilani 625-621;uprisings under General Sin-shun-lishit 620;
temporary stability under Sin-shar-ishkun 619-612 (I'd make the deal now!).
> Breasted:
> "The army which Psamtik I now put together was made up of Greeks, Carians
> and Syrians...The Ionians and Carians were stationed on the northeastern
> frontier near Daphnae..." (p.569. James Henry Breasted. A History of
Egypt.
> New York. Scribner's & Sons. 1912)
Answer: Correct, but not at 'Daphne near Antioch' at the Orontes, but at the
strategic turn-off Paneion near 'Daphne near Antioch' in the Paneas. Cf. my
post on Pliny's map orientation.
> "By 640 BC Psamtik felt himselfstrong enough to resume the old projects
of
> conquest in Asia, to revive Egypt's traditional claims upon
> Syria-Palestine,
> and to dispute their possession with Assyria. He invaded Philista and for
> many years beseiged Asdod..." (p.580, Breasted)
Answer: Breasted is simply two decade too early.
> Breasted notes that Necho conquered Palestine and Syria, and that like
his
> father, he employed Greek mercenaries in his army. Pottery shards dated
to
> the late 7th century BCE found at Tell Arad in the Negeb mention rations
> for
> the Kittim who bear Greek names.
Answer: The conquer of Palestine and Syria is misleading, for it was Josiah,
who tried to stop the Egyptian supply for the hated Assyrians. But in the
end he merely had tried his fate. That's all.
'Kittim' who bear Greek names. Hmmh. Do we know Kittim who don't bear
Graeco-Roman names? On the Tal Arad find: I need the reference to check the
reliability of the information.
> The scholarly dispute is- are these Greeks
> serving Josiah as mercenaries or are they serving Phraoh Necho, they
being
> left in Judah to oversee the compliance of that country as a vassal in
> raising the tribute imposed by Necho? Stern also notes sites which
suggest
> a Greek mercenary presence in conjunction with Jews within Palestine.
Answer: If ever, the mercenaries stood under Egyptian contract (probably
they served already under P.I.)
> Sooo, contrary to your claim that there are no Greek mercenaries until
> Psamtik III, Egyptologists and Israeli Archaeologists dispute your
> assertions- there were indeed Greek mercenaries serving the Pharaohs in
> Palestine by the 7th century BCE, before Assyria came to her end in 612
> BCE.
Answer: You have only 0-14 years left to play off the card of the Thousand.
That's not so much, I believe.
Tot ziens.
Dierk
~`´~
( o o )
-oOOO--------OOOo-----
Cunctine adestis, liberi?
oooO Hic est Casparolus
( ) Oooo *g*
---\ (---( )-----------------
\_) ) /
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