“And lo, the army of the High King did smite the invader and drive his host into the sea”. This is the battle summary recorded in the state archives of Hatti.
However, recent discoveries have shown that….
The year is circa 1200BC. The maritime phenomenon known as the Sea Peoples continues to wreak havoc on the coastlines of the Eastern Mediterranean. Last night the invaders landed on the coast of North Lebanon with a view to pillage and worse. The Governor of Ugarit has urgently petitioned the king for help, and a Hittite army has marched to join the local levies. Battle is joined.
Phil, Chris and Rob commanded the Hittites. Dave, Malcolm and Tony the forces of barbarism.
The early phases saw Phil’s left wing of heavy chariots start to push back Dave’s Sea People’s right.
However, recent discoveries have shown that….
The year is circa 1200BC. The maritime phenomenon known as the Sea Peoples continues to wreak havoc on the coastlines of the Eastern Mediterranean. Last night the invaders landed on the coast of North Lebanon with a view to pillage and worse. The Governor of Ugarit has urgently petitioned the king for help, and a Hittite army has marched to join the local levies. Battle is joined.
Phil, Chris and Rob commanded the Hittites. Dave, Malcolm and Tony the forces of barbarism.
The early phases saw Phil’s left wing of heavy chariots start to push back Dave’s Sea People’s right.
The centre appeared the vital field of battle where Malcolm’s massed Sea People’s warriors seemed to at least have a numerical advantage over Chris.
Outside the city walls Phil’s chariot force proved victorious but cannily avoided the lure of the camps, preferring instead to target Dave’s exposed flank. A true tactician. That’s why he is King!
Far from the City walls Rob pushed Tony’s lone chariot back whilst himself being pushed back in turn towards his own camp. In the centre Chris and Malcolm slugged it out. Deep warriors proved hard to kill, but once disorganised they too proved that it was hard to land a killing blow.
For a time weight of numbers still seemed favoured the invaders, but in several moves the allied archers and javelinmen from the Levant proved their worth, and Rob finally pushed Tony’s chariot literally “over the edge”.
With their flanks shattered and their camps captured or at the mercy of the Hittites the Sea Peoples yielded.
The High King mercifully allowed two of the Sea Peoples leaders to sail away having vowed never to return. But justice demanded one leader be left behind to meet the vengeance of the people. After debate, the bearded one with the accent that even the Sea Peoples found unintelligible was left behind to see out his days in the mines.
Simon
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