by Gordon Miller 2004
all rights reserved
Tuthmosis was old. Even by the standards of his long-lived kin he was old, his skin seared by the sun of many summers. A great man, he was undisputed ruler of all the World. A man for the times, he had brought order where there was chaos and justice where there was none. Driving out foreign invaders and extending Egypt's hand, mightiest of all Egyptians, he was a living God. As was his custom, Tuthmosis sat within the palace courtyard, on a plain wooden bench watching the sun god Ra sweep away the demons of the night. He, (like many old men) was plagued with visions from the past. Deeds he had done, right and wrong came to share his sleep, creasing his brow. Tuthmosis took comfort in the fact that Ra rode his chariot every morning to banish his tormentors and burnish the new day copper-gold. Tuthmosis believed this time of day was sacred to the gods, divine, and the only living being permitted to share this time with him was his especial favourite Betheza.
Betheza was not what you would expect in the favourite of a King. Short of leg and stout of body, wrinkled and grizzled beyond her years, she was a sight to behold, yet for reasons known only to a few, Betheza and her family had been raised high in his favour. Many a courtier had witnessed their King pass the night in Betheza's company. Cloaked and cosseted within the warmth of their love Tuthmosis and Betheza, would sit and watch as the wings of darkness were driven back and a new day was born.
Breaking their fast together Tuthmosis would delight in finding the sweetest of dishes to tempt Betheza's palate, and then, together they would spend the forenoon roaming the palace grounds, as he talked in muted tones. Some said the King was mad to be spending so much time with such an ugly creature. Those wiser and with kinder dispositions understood the love Betheza had for their King and the full measure of the debt both he and his Kingdom owed her kind. Ugly she may be, but the King had commanded that her likeness be carved into the rock of his tomb, never separated from her master, revered for all time.
Knowing his time was near Tuthmosis spent the morning sitting on his bench, one arm around his beloved Betheza, watching the sun traverse the heavens. In a whisper he took them back to a time long past, to a land in peril, a land he had inherited from his sister Hatshepsut. In truth, Tuthmosis privately admitted that the word inherit was a false-hood, necessary, but a lie never the less. In a bloody and vicious palace coup he had wrested power from his sister, killing her and feeding her body to the jackals. Claiming divine right he had seized the dual crowns of the upper and lower Kingdoms. He, born of a concubine became supreme ruler of Egypt.
Tuthmosis's father (Thothmes the first) had been a strong King, who had reclaimed much of Egypt's past splendor, indeed it was he who had subdued a rebellious Nubia, conquered Syria and Naharina, making Egypt the greatest power in the region. Thothmes the first had four recognised heirs, but like so many other Egyptian's they had died during child-hood. Not from lack of nutrition, or war, but from disease. Egypt's greatest blessing was also her biggest curse. Each year the sacred Nile would flood, bringing with it the rich nutrients necessary to grow the enormous amounts of grain Egypt needed to feed both her people and to trade with others. Sadly the combination of the hot summer suns and the vast delta swamps provided an ideal breeding ground for flies. Using the dung heaps of animal and human alike, they bred in numbers uncountable, plaguing the Egyptians and bringing with them all manner of pestilence and death. Rich or poor, commoner or King all suffered under the black swarms. Summer in Egypt was a living torment. Thothmes the first cursed the vileness these creatures carried and counted them his bitterest enemy.
On the death of the King, the succession passed to his only surviving legitimate child, his daughter Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut was an able administrator and a great patron of the arts. Her reign was a golden era for the many artisans who flocked to Egypt, the center of the civilised World. Great monuments were built, and the myriad of gods that the Egyptian's worshipped were housed in splendid temples. Hers was an enlightened rule. Sadly however, Hatshepsut failed to garrison her borders, she neglected to train her armies. Slowly Egypt's defenses fell into disrepair and her armies withered. Piece by piece, her empire crumbled. Wracked by intrigue, invasion, and insurrection Egypt was brought to her knees. It was time. For fourteen years Tuthmosis had waited, watching. He loved his sister, but he loved Egypt more. Bowing to his destiny he finally took the palace and stamped his name as King. These were dark days for Egypt. Tuthmosis had a long memory, and it is said that for weeks after the sacred Nile ran red with the blood of those who had offended him.
After securing the throne Tuthmosis immediately set about rebuilding Egypt's military. Without regard for station or birth he decreed that all men, upon their sixteenth summer were to serve in an expanded military. Those who were unfit for direct military duties were sent to the deltas to increase the food production necessary to sustain such an army. Any who refused were offered up as sacrifices to Amun. Tens of thousands died but Tuthmosis had his way, a new army for a new King. Tuthmosis beggared the treasuries buying weaponry of all sorts for his troops. New tactics and machines of war were tried. The gods were consulted. No stone was left unturned. Egypt would have an army that would strike fear into the hearts of her enemies. For the first time in the history of humanity an entire country was dedicated to one cause. War.
And then tradgedy. Perhaps it was just fate, or perhaps the Gods were angered by what they saw. Whatever the reason Egypt suddenly found herself decimated. The annual flooding of the Nile had been particularly severe, with muddy waters ranging far into normally dry lands. Spring had followed warm and mild and Summer had come in its time. Unlike previous years though, this summer was as mild as a spring day, and so they came. The weather had conspired with the floods to produce a perfect breeding environment for the flies, and this time they came in their billions. The sky was black with them. From the dung heaps of the paddocks to the cribs of children, they would nestle in uncountable numbers. Feeding at the mouths and eyes of all, they brought sickness and death wherever they went. A full third of Egypt's armies died of disease or were so ill as to render them incapable of combat. Another third needed to care for their sick comrades. In her hour of need Egypt was defenseless.
Tuthmosis in his despair offered up a bull to Egypt's supreme God Amun. He also promised a new temple would be raised to Chonsu, the moon-god, a renowned exorcist and healer, pledging to honour them in every land he trod. If only they would show him the way. In deepest supplication the King spent the entire day laying prostrate at the foot of Amun's altar, but the priests could find no answer. The sun set, Ra had driven his chariot over the edge of the World, yet still no answer came. As the evening sky filled with stars Tuthmosis wearily rose and ignoring his attendants went to his chambers. An emptiness he had never known filled his soul, for the first time in his life he felt that the Gods had deserted him. Desperately tired the King collapsed onto a divan and slept. As Tuthmosis slept the Goddess Ta-urt came to him in her disguise as a hippopotamus. Her affinity with water in general and the sacred Nile in particular was well known, so the sleeping spirit of Tuthmosis was eager to talk to her. "Lady" he cried "why have you brought this evil to my people? How have we offended you, for you to smite us so?" Ta-urt replied " It was not I that brought you so low, but Sebek the crocodile. He is evil and has cursed your lands, but if you are willing I will show you a way whereby you can yet be first among Kings. Sleep on noble King, soon I will guide your way".With that Ta-urt vanished and Tuthmosis passed the night in a deep refreshing sleep.
Awakening from his slumber an invigorated King recounted his vision to the priests of Amun who consulted with their oracles and advised him that his was a true vision and that he must wait for Ta-urt's guidance. Tuthmosis and his court fretted the weeks away awaiting the promised sign. weeks turned into monthss and still no sign. With the threat of invasion looming large, Egypt slowly came to a standstill as the whole nation watched and waited. The seasons wheeled and summer came again bright and strong.
Finally, in despair Tuthmosis called for his hounds and took himself and his retinue off hunting. They went from Thebes to the Waddi Hammamat. There game was always plentiful and there the King would hunt his favoured pack. But this time as if cursed game was not plentiful, despite days of coursing none was found. In fact no game could be found anywhere. Not a bird flew the sky, nor an animal crawled the ground. Tuthmosis was despondent; the noon sun searing even his sacred brow. Wearily the King closed his eyes. Immediately a vision of Ta-urt came to him and said "My Lord you can be the greatest of the great, are you prepared to keep your vows and honour me and mine?" "Yes," cried Tuthmosis "A thousand times yes". "Then behold," said Ta-urt "Learn what your fathers would not", and with that Ta-urt vanished.
In great excitement Tuthmosis awoke from his stupor and calling his advisers to him, told them of Ta-urt's visitation. He asked them to ponder what she had said and what the true meaning may be. Some thought the King had been stricken by the heat, others, in his defense, argued that Ta-urt had indeed made her presence known and was about to give them a weapon that would destroy Egypt's enemies, who even now massed at her borders. Believing the latter, Tuthmosis called off the hunt and sent his priests to the four-corners of the compass, searching every bush and hut looking for Ta-urt's secret weapon, but days passed and no one returned. In despair Tuthmosis went over to the horses and sat on the trunk of a rotting tree; morosely cradling his head in his hands.His hunting dogs, unaware of his anguish, happily yapped at his heals. Suddenly as one, his sight hounds raised their heads and catching site of a lone antelope, sped off in happy pursuit. Only two animals remained. These two were a pair of hounds named Ka and Ki. They were the Kings favourites and were of a type bred to slowly trail along and run their prey to ground. Given great endurance by their short legs and strong bodies, they were much too slow to run with the others, and besides they genuinely enjoyed the company of their master.
Tuthmosis smiled and watched idly as Ka and Ki romped and played in the dust at his feet. Their loose skin and long ears rolled and flapped as they ran, giving them a comical appearance. Comical they may be, but they could trail an animal that had passed days before and Thothmes knew, that should he ask it, Ka and Ki would gladly give their lives for him. To him they were very special dogs. Morosely, his thoughts drifted to his officials scouring the land, looking for Ta-urt's promised weapon, a weapon that would secure Egypt's future forever. He knew that with one third of his armies ill or dead and fully another third having to look after them, he was unable to field an effective force. Without Ta-urt's gift Egypt was doomed.
Tuthmosis was musing on the invasion he felt sure was coming, when he was brought out of his reverie by the insistent baying of his dogs. Easily distracted, Ka and Ki had found a beetle and were happily yapping and barking at it, as the beetle, oblivious to the King or his hounds, busily rolled a piece of horse dung into a tight ball and pushed it down its little home in the ground.
Sure that he was failing to grasp something important Tuthmosis looked around him, as suddenly a score or more of beetles following the example of their kin, also began rolling horse dung into tiny balls and dragging it underground. A vision of Ta-urt came unbidden to his mind. "You are a strong King" she said, "but sometimes a King must be a healer, not a warrior, look and see". Tuthmosis looked and he saw.
Immediately recalling his advisers Tuthmosis made haste to Thebes, called his palace staff together and made the following pronouncements. Firstly he decreed that henceforth the dung beetle was now a sacred animal named scarab and to kill one was immediate death. Secondly he decreed that each household, from the wealthiest to the poorest was to raise one hundred scarab beetles every year, which they were to release on the plains of Egypt each spring. Next in honour of his pact with Ta-urt, he caused his hounds Ka and Ki to become members of the royal family. They and their descendants were placed under the protection and patronage of the Kings of Egypt till the end of time, for through them Ta-urt had shown the way.
With millions more dung beetles eating the refuse of Egypt there was no food for the flies to eat and breed upon. The plagues and pestilence's of the past were no more. Egypt grew strong again and the following year Tuthmosis put her armies in the field against the Syrians and began the job of bringing back to Egypt what had been taken from her. Egypt's secret weapons were not some mighty siege engines, nor warriors of un surpassing skill; they were the humble dung beetle, a funny dog and the good sense of her King.
As Ta-urt had promised, Tuthmosis led Egypt to great victories over the Hittites and Libyans. He defeated the Syrians, Mitanni and the Nubians. Mut, Kush, Sudan and Ethiopia all paid tribute. His armies controlled the known World. True to his word, to every land the Egyptians went, he caused great works to be raised, honouring his Gods. Unlike previous conquerors however and out of respect for Chonsu (who he believed had asked Ta-urt to show him the way) he spared all who were prepared to treat honestly and fairly with him and Egypt, allowing them self governance and the right to worship the Gods of their ancestors. Any who dealt falsely with Egypt were obliterated down to the last living animal. In this way he himself became revered as a living God. Feared as a remorseless enemy, yet honoured as a just and pious man, Tuthmosis died peacefully with Bethza at his side, aged eighty two, having built a united and prosperous Egypt. The mightiest empire the World would ever see.