. The dawn of civilization: Egypt and Chaldaea . together ;they would at once be constrained to attack the second gate under a shower of 1 Drawn by Bondier, from a photograph by Emil Brugsch-Bey. Modern Arabs call it the Shûnef-ez-Zebib, the storehouse of raisins (for the possible derivation of this name, see Kochemonteix,(Œuvres diverses, p. 80); the plan of the fortress is given by Mariette, Abydos, vol. ii. pi. 68. 452 TEE FIRST TEEBAN EMPIRE. missiles, and did they succeed in carrying that also, it was at the cost ofenormous sacrifice. The peoples of the Nile Valley knew nothing of theswin
. The dawn of civilization: Egypt and Chaldaea . together ;they would at once be constrained to attack the second gate under a shower of 1 Drawn by Bondier, from a photograph by Emil Brugsch-Bey. Modern Arabs call it the Shûnef-ez-Zebib, the storehouse of raisins (for the possible derivation of this name, see Kochemonteix,(Œuvres diverses, p. 80); the plan of the fortress is given by Mariette, Abydos, vol. ii. pi. 68. 452 TEE FIRST TEEBAN EMPIRE. missiles, and did they succeed in carrying that also, it was at the cost ofenormous sacrifice. The peoples of the Nile Valley knew nothing of theswing battering-ram, and no representation of the hand-worked battering-ram has ever been found in any of their wall-paintings or sculptures ; theyforced their way into a stronghold by breaking down its gates with their axes,or by setting fire to its doors. While the sappers were hard at work, thearchers endeavoured, by the accuracy of their aim, to clear the enemy fromthe curtain, while soldiers sheltered behind movable mantelets tried to break. ATTACK UPON AN EGYPTIAN FORTRESS BY TROOPS OF VARIOUS down the defences and dismantle the flanking galleries with huge metal-tippedlances. In dealing with a resolute garrison none of these methods provedsuccessful ; nothing but close siege, starvation, or treachery could overcomeits resistance. The equipment of Egyptian troops was lacking in uniformity, and menarmed with slings, or bows and arrows, lances, wooden swords, clubs, stoneor metal axes, all fought side by side. The head was protected by a paddedcap, and the body by shields, which were small for light infantry, but of greatwidth for soldiers of the line. The issue of a battle depended upon a successionof single combats between foes armed with the same weapons ; the lancersalone seem to have charged in line behind their huge bucklers. As a rule, thewounds were trifling, and the great skill with which the shields were usedmade the risk of injury to any vital part very slig
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidd, booksubjectcivilization
