Battle Relief of Seti I ,Cast
Original: Sandstone, pigment
Cast: Plaster, pigment
Original: New Kingdom, Dynasty 19, ca.1291-1279 B.C.
Original: Luxor, Hypostyle Hall of the Temple of Amun at Karnak
Cast: OIM C148

This is a cast of a massive relief from Karnak Temple in Luxor. Pharaoh Seti I commissioned artisans to carve scenes of his heroic battles on the walls of the temple in order to commemorate his victories over enemies of ancient Egypt.

This impressive relief, created around 1291 B.C., shows King Seti pursuing the frightened Shasu people of Palestine as he tramples them under the wheels of his chariot. Trying to escape to the safety of their fort (at upper left), some men are pulled to safety, while others fall in heaps, struck down by the king's arrows. A pair of horses, their heads topped with tall plumes, draws the king's chariot. A quiver of arrows is slung cross the king's back, and another is ready at the back of the chariot. Spears are stored in a quiver in front of the chariot. The Shasu are armed with spears and short battle axes. Some wear armor made of material wrapped around their chests. To the lower left, two soldiers lament the loss of their right hands. Below them, a small child cries out to her mother in fear.

The text above the battle scene describes the pharaoh's success over the Shasu. It reads in part, "His majesty prevailed over them like a fierce lion, being one who made them into heaps of corpses throughout their valleys, overthrown in their own blood as though they had not come into being."

Of course, Seti I did not fight battles all by himself! Soldiers were valued members of Egyptian society and were compensated very well for their services. After successful battles, treasure from the defeated enemy would sometimes be distributed among the soldiers. Acts of courage were rewarded with grants of land, tomb sites, or elaborate gifts such as gold necklaces or military medals.