Ancient History sample essay for "Assess the significance of the Warrior Pharaoh image during this period.".
The "Warrior Pharaoh" image was extremely significant during this period because the New Kingdom was founded on military conquest and thus a militaristic society was formed. However as the period progressed, and the empire was created, diplomacy began to be employed to maintain the empire. However, official inscriptions continue to stress military achieved and all acts of diplomacy and trade are represented as tribute. The "Warrior Pharaoh" image was also inextricably intertwined with the Amun-Re cult and therefore, used to create a nationalistic support base in Egyptian society.
The humiliation borne by Egyptians after Hyksos domination saw them unite under Seqenenre Tao I and II and fight against Hyksos rule. This is seen through the mummy of Seqenenre Tao II, with mace wounds to his head. Kamose also conducted military campaigns to expel the Hyksos, but it was Ahmose who successfully defeated the Hyksos at Hubris and Shuriken. It was very militaristic in his rule because he professionalised the army and equipped it with new technology from the Hyksos, such as the composite bow and the horse and chariot. The New Kingdom was born out of military victory and the uniting of the two lands only occurred because of military victory, so the Pharaoh gained a new "warrior" image. Amenhotep I continued this image by extending the boundaries and building fortresses to maintain military superiority, but Thutmoses I was the first Pharaoh to extend the boundaries to its natural limits. From the evidence of Ahmose son of Ebana in his tomb inscription autobiography, it can be seen that he travelled as far north as the Euphrates River into unknown territory to invade the military Navarin. This was so that in official propaganda on the commutative stela he erected, he could claim to have extended Egypt "as far as the sun encircles" and had achieved a military feat never before achieved by a Pharaoh.