**ТУТМОС III | Наполеон Древнего Мира | ИСТОРИЯ ДЛЯ СНА — Transcript & Summary | SozAI** Source: https://sozai.app/transcript/tutmos-iii-napoleon-ancient-world-history/ Explore the life and reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III, his rise from shadow to power, military conquests, and the erasure of Queen Hatshepsut's legacy. ## Key Takeaways - Thutmose III’s early life was marked by political sidelining but strategic military training. - Hatshepsut’s reign was unprecedented and supported by religious propaganda. - Military prowess and leadership were key to Thutmose III’s eventual consolidation of power. - Egypt’s transformation into a superpower was driven by military conquest and economic stability. - The erasure of Hatshepsut’s legacy reflects the complex and ruthless nature of ancient Egyptian politics. ## What the video covers - Thutmose III grew up overshadowed by his stepmother Queen Hatshepsut, who ruled as Pharaoh during his youth. - Hatshepsut declared herself Pharaoh, supported by the priesthood, and sidelined Thutmose III from real power. - Thutmose III focused on military training, becoming a skilled commander and earning respect among soldiers. - He was gradually entrusted with command of the Egyptian army, gaining practical leadership experience. - After Hatshepsut's death, Thutmose III assumed full power and faced external threats and internal challenges. - He led successful military campaigns that expanded Egypt’s empire, including conquests of Mitanni and Nubia. - Thutmose III transformed Egypt into a dominant superpower with a professional army and stable economy. - The video reveals the political intrigue behind the erasure of Hatshepsut’s memory from history. - The reign of Thutmose III marked the creation of the first world empire in history through long-term planning. - The video combines historical narrative with insights into ancient Egyptian politics, religion, and military strategy. ## Chapters 1. 00:00 Introduction to Thutmose III and Hatshepsut 2. 03:33 Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power and Regency 3. 06:58 Thutmose III’s Military Training and Command 4. 10:35 Military Strategies and Campaigns 5. 14:08 Siege and Defense Tactics 6. 17:53 Egypt’s Expansion into a World Empire 7. 21:53 Economic Stability and Military Success 8. 25:28 Conquest of Mitanni and Nubia 9. 33:12 Legacy and Erasure of Hatshepsut 10. 44:21 Conclusion: Thutmose III’s Reign and Impact Answers ## Questions about this video Who was Thutmose III and what was his early life like? Thutmose III was a Pharaoh of ancient Egypt who spent his youth overshadowed by his stepmother Hatshepsut, who ruled as Pharaoh. He was formally king but had no real power during his childhood. How did Hatshepsut justify her rule as Pharaoh? Hatshepsut declared herself Pharaoh by claiming divine origin, supported by the priesthood of Amun, and adopted all royal symbols, including male attire and the false beard. What were Thutmose III’s major achievements as Pharaoh? Thutmose III created the world’s first professional army, led successful military campaigns against Mitanni and Nubia, expanded Egypt’s empire, and established economic and political stability. ## Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown 00:03 Speaker A In this video, we will dive into the history of one of the greatest and most mysterious rulers of the ancient world, Pharaoh Thutmose III. You will learn what it was like to spend your youth in the shadow of your domineering stepmother, Queen Hatshepsut, being a formal ruler without real power, and secretly forging the character of a future great commander. You will see how the world's first professional army was created, and how Egypt turned into an invincible superpower that defeated the mighty Mitanni kingdom and conquered the rich lands of Nubia. And finally, we will reveal a dark secret of ancient politics. Why, in the twilight of his years, did the Pharaoh order the methodical destruction of the memory of Queen Hatshepsut and have her name erased from history? If you enjoy this video, please give it a like, subscribe to the channel, and write in the comments what you would like to hear about next. Enjoy the listening. 00:15 Speaker A The history of great conquerors almost always begins with trials that befall them in early childhood. The future ruler of a vast empire was born into a world where power, religion, and family ties were woven into one complex and dangerous knot. His father was Pharaoh Thutmose II, a ruler from the Eighteenth Dynasty. The boy’s mother was a woman named Iset. She did not hold the title of Great Royal Wife and was merely a secondary spouse in the Pharaoh's lush and crowded harem. This circumstance, from the very moment of his birth, defined the difficult position of the young heir. The palace world of ancient Thebes lived by its own strict and ruthless laws. The true mistress of the royal house was the Pharaoh’s primary wife, Queen Hatshepsut. She was a purebred royal daughter in whose veins flowed the blood of the great rulers of the past. 00:30 Speaker A Hatshepsut and Thutmose II had a daughter, but they had no sons together. The only boy who could continue the dynasty through the male line was the son of Iset. When Thutmose II passed away suddenly after a short reign, his son was just a child. Historians believe that the boy was no more than two or three years old. A small child could not physically hold the symbols of royal power or perform the complex religious rituals required of the living incarnation of the god Horus on earth. The state required a strong and adult ruler capable of holding the reins of a great country. According to existing customs, Hatshepsut became regent for her young stepson. In the first years, this seemed like a perfectly natural order of things. The widow of the deceased king took on the daily cares of the state, gave orders to officials, and directed the work of the priests. The young Thutmose III was officially listed as the ruler of Egypt. His name was carved onto the walls of temples, and priests recited prayers for the health of the young king. 00:45 Speaker A However, this period of calm did not last long. As the boy grew older, his stepmother’s ambitions became increasingly obvious. Hatshepsut was not just a regent wishing to preserve the throne for her stepson. She possessed a brilliant mind, an iron will, and had secured the support of the most influential priesthood of Amun in Thebes. Around the seventh year of their joint reign, an event occurred that had no parallel in the history of the New Kingdom. Hatshepsut decided to take an unprecedented step. She declared herself not just a regent to the young king, but the rightful Pharaoh of Egypt. To justify her claims to the throne, the priests created a legend about her divine origin. It was announced that the supreme god Amun himself had taken the form of her father and appeared to her mother. From that moment on, Hatshepsut began to wear all the symbols of royal power. In bas-reliefs and statues, she began to be depicted in the traditional male attire of a pharaoh, with a false beard and the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. She took complete control of the country into her own hands. For the young Thutmose III, long years of life in the shadows began. Formally, he was not deprived of his royal title. Egyptian documents of that time continued to be dated by his regnal years, and on official monuments his name was sometimes carved next to Hatshepsut’s. But in reality, he was completely excluded from making any state decisions. All important decrees came from the queen. And her loyal associates held all the key posts in the administration; in such an uncertain and dangerous position, the heir to the throne had to exercise extreme caution. Any careless move or show of claim to real power could have cost him his life. The young king chose the only right path. He did not weave conspiracies at court and did not enter into open conflict with his stepmother. 01:03 Speaker A Instead, he focused on what attracted him most and where he could be useful to the state. Thutmose III dedicated his growing years to military affairs. 01:19 Speaker A During the reign of Hatshepsut, Egypt waged practically no major wars of conquest. The queen preferred to develop trade, outfit rich expeditions to distant lands, and erect grand temples. However, the state's army required attention. Border checkpoints needed guarding, and the southern territories in Nubia required constant supervision. The young king went to the troops. It was in army camps that his youth and early adulthood passed. He learned to drive a war chariot and perfected his archery and swordsmanship skills. Thutmose lived the life of an ordinary military commander, sharing all the hardships of camp life with his soldiers. He studied the structure of the Egyptian war machine down to the smallest detail. While among the warriors, the young ruler learned to understand tactics and master logistics and unit supply. He memorized the geography of neighboring lands, studying road maps and terrain features. In the military environment, Thutmose III quickly earned the sincere respect of commanders and common soldiers alike. For them, he was not just a distant symbol of power, but a real leader who knew the craft of war in practice. 01:35 Speaker A While Hatshepsut built a magnificent temple at Deir el-Bahari and sent ships to the mysterious land of Punt, her stepson tempered his character and gathered loyal men around him. 01:52 Speaker A Gradually, the queen entrusted him with the supreme command of the Egyptian forces. It was a reasonable decision on her part. By handing the youth control of the army, she occupied him with work, channeling his energy into a useful path while keeping him away from palace intrigues in the capital. For Thutmose himself, this appointment became the best school of administration. He led small military operations on the country's southern borders, pacifying rebellious tribes and maintaining order on trade routes. Over the years of this strange co-regency, he transformed from a defenseless child into an experienced, cool-headed, and strategically minded military leader. The period spent in his stepmother's shadow lasted more than 20 years. It was a time of long waiting, patience, and continuous learning. The heir to the throne saw how the country's policy was changing, how the priests were growing rich, and how discontent was gradually boiling among the rulers of neighboring Asian lands who no longer feared Egypt's weakened military influence. Thutmose III understood that sooner or later his stepmother's time would end, and the country would face serious external threats. Over the years of forced distance from the throne, he formed his own vision for the future of the state. 02:01 Speaker A He required only one thing: to wait for the moment when he could become the sole and rightful ruler of Egypt. In the twenty-second year of Thutmose III's formal reign, the earthly life of Queen Hatshepsut came to an end. The long-standing period of co-regency drew to a close, and the thirty-year-old ruler finally gained full and undivided power over Egypt. However, he inherited from his stepmother not only a wealthy state, but also a deadly external crisis. During two decades of Hatshepsut's peaceful... 02:20 Speaker A son was just a child. Historians believe that the boy was no more than two or three years old. A small child could not physically hold the symbols of royal power or perform the complex religious rituals required of the 02:33 Speaker A living incarnation of the god Horus on earth. The state required a strong and adult ruler capable of holding the reins of a great country. According to existing customs, Hatshepsut became regent for her young stepson. In the first years, this seemed like a 02:52 Speaker A perfectly natural order of things. The widow of the deceased king took on the daily cares of the state, gave orders to officials, and directed the work of the priests. The young Thutmose III was officially listed as the ruler of Egypt 03:08 Speaker A . His name was carved onto the walls of temples, and priests recited prayers for the health of the young king. 03:15 Speaker A However, this period of calm did not last long. As the boy grew older, his stepmother’s ambitions became increasingly obvious. Hatshepsut was not just a regent wishing to preserve the throne for her stepson. She possessed a brilliant mind, an iron 03:33 Speaker A will, and had secured the support of the most influential priesthood of Amun in Thebes. Around the seventh year of their joint reign, an event occurred that had no parallel in the history of the New Kingdom. Hatshepsut decided to 03:46 Speaker A take an unprecedented step. She declared herself not just a regent to the young king, but the rightful Pharaoh of Egypt. To justify her claims to the throne, the priests created a legend about her divine origin. It was announced that the supreme god Amun 04:02 Speaker A himself had taken the form of her father and appeared to her mother. From that moment on, Hatshepsut began to wear all the symbols of royal power. In bas-reliefs and statues, she began to be depicted in the traditional male 04:15 Speaker A attire of a pharaoh, with a false beard and the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. She took complete control of the country into her own hands. For the young Thutmose III, long years of life in the shadows began. Formally, he was 04:30 Speaker A not deprived of his royal title. Egyptian documents of that time continued to be dated by his regnal years, and on official monuments his name was sometimes carved next to Hatshepsut’s. But in reality, he was completely excluded from making any 04:46 Speaker A state decisions. All important decrees came from the queen. And her loyal associates held all the key posts in the administration; in such an uncertain and dangerous position, the heir to the throne had to exercise extreme caution. Any careless move or 05:05 Speaker A show of claim to real power could have cost him his life. The young king chose the only right path. He did not weave conspiracies at court and did not enter into open conflict with his stepmother. 05:19 Speaker A Instead, he focused on what attracted him most and where he could be useful to the state. Thutmose III dedicated his growing years to military affairs. 05:31 Speaker A During the reign of Hatshepsut, Egypt waged practically no major wars of conquest. The queen preferred to develop trade, outfit rich expeditions to distant lands, and erect grand temples. However, the state's army required attention. Border checkpoints needed guarding, and the southern 05:52 Speaker A territories in Nubia required constant supervision. The young king went to the troops. It was in army camps that his youth and early adulthood passed. He learned to drive a war chariot and perfected his archery and swordsmanship skills. Thutmose lived the life of an 06:11 Speaker A ordinary military commander, sharing all the hardships of camp life with his soldiers. He studied the structure of the Egyptian war machine down to the smallest detail. While among the warriors, the young ruler learned to understand tactics and master logistics 06:26 Speaker A and unit supply. He memorized the geography of neighboring lands, studying road maps and terrain features . In the military environment, Thutmose III quickly earned the sincere respect of commanders and common soldiers alike . For them, he was not just a distant 06:42 Speaker A symbol of power, but a real leader who knew the craft of war in practice. 06:47 Speaker A While Hatshepsut built a magnificent temple at Deir el-Bahari and sent ships to the mysterious land of Punt, her stepson tempered his character and gathered loyal men around him. 06:58 Speaker A Gradually, the queen entrusted him with the supreme command of the Egyptian forces. It was a reasonable decision on her part. By handing the youth control of the army, she occupied him with work , channeling his energy into a useful 07:12 Speaker A path while keeping him away from palace intrigues in the capital. For Thutmose himself, this appointment became the best school of administration. He led small military operations on the country's southern borders, pacifying rebellious tribes and maintaining order on trade routes. Over the years of this 07:33 Speaker A strange co-regency, he transformed from a defenseless child into an experienced , cool-headed, and strategically-minded military leader. The period spent in his stepmother's shadow lasted more than 20 years. It was a time of long waiting, patience, and continuous learning. The heir to the throne saw 07:51 Speaker A how the country's policy was changing, how the priests were growing rich, and how discontent was gradually boiling among the rulers of neighboring Asian lands who no longer feared Egypt's weakened military influence. Thutmose III understood that sooner or later his 08:07 Speaker A stepmother's time would end, and the country would face serious external threats. Over the years of forced distance from the throne, he formed his own vision for the future of the state. 08:19 Speaker A He required only one thing: to wait for the moment when he could become the sole and rightful ruler of Egypt. In the twenty-second year of Thutmose III's formal reign, the earthly life of Queen Hatshepsut came to an end. The 08:40 Speaker A long-standing period of co-regency drew to a close, and the thirty-year-old ruler finally gained full and undivided power over Egypt. However, he inherited from his stepmother not only a wealthy state, but also a deadly external crisis. During two decades of 08:57 Speaker A Hatshepsut's peaceful policy, Egyptian influence in Asia had weakened significantly. The rulers of small city-states in Canaan and Syria stopped paying tribute and ceased seeing Egypt as a formidable force. Taking advantage of the change of power in Thebes, the 09:11 Speaker A ruler of the rich and influential city of Kadesh formed a powerful military coalition against Egypt. Dozens of Canaanite princes joined him. The center of this uprising and the main base for the rebels became the fortified city of Megiddo, located on 09:27 Speaker A an important trade route. For the young pharaoh, this rebellion became the greatest test of his life. If he had shown weakness or hesitation, Egypt would have lost its Asian territories forever. Thutmose III acted decisively and quickly. He announced a general 09:44 Speaker A mobilization of troops and, already by the end of winter, led the Egyptian army out of the border fortress. The Egyptian soldiers made a rapid march across the Sinai Desert. In 9 days, the army covered hundreds of kilometers and 09:57 Speaker A arrived in the city of Gaza, which had remained loyal to the pharaoh. Thutmose did not give the soldiers a long rest. 10:04 Speaker A He understood that the element of surprise played a key role. From Gaza, the troops moved further north and soon reached the foothills of the Carmel mountain range. In the city of Yehem, the pharaoh convened a war council. The 10:18 Speaker A ruler and his generals faced a difficult task: to pass through the mountain range and reach the valley where the enemy army was positioned near the walls of Megiddo. Three roads led to Megiddo. Two of them were wide, convenient, and safe for moving a huge 10:35 Speaker A army with chariots. One skirted the mountains from the south, the second from the north. The third path lay directly through the narrow and dangerous Aruna mountain pass. At the war council, the generals unanimously pleaded with the pharaoh to choose one 10:51 Speaker A of the safe bypass routes. They argued that the path through Aruna was too dangerous. The gorge was so narrow that the soldiers would have had to walk through it in a single file line. The chariots and horses would have to be 11:04 Speaker A dismantled and led by hand. If the enemy set a trap in the gorge, the army's vanguard would be destroyed before the tail of the column could enter the pass. Thutmose III listened to his commanders and made a decision 11:19 Speaker A that would enter every military textbook. He categorically refused to take the detours. The pharaoh declared to his generals that the enemy also considered the Aruna path madness and would therefore not expect the Egyptians to appear from there. To 11:35 Speaker A boost the soldiers 'morale and prove the soundness of his plan, Thutmose promised to personally lead the column at the head of the troops. Early in the morning, the Egyptian army entered the narrow mountain gorge. The pharaoh moved in front in his gilded chariot. 11:51 Speaker A Movement was incredibly difficult and slow. The soldiers walked along the narrow path in deep silence, ready to repel an attack at any moment. However, Thutmose's calculation proved absolutely correct. The Canaanite commanders truly did not expect the Egyptians to emerge from the mountain 12:08 Speaker A pass. They had divided their main forces and sent them to guard the wide northern and southern roads. Having overcome the arduous pass, the vanguard of the Egyptian army emerged from the gorge into the Jezreel Valley. Thutmose III did not attack the enemy 12:22 Speaker A immediately. He waited until his entire army, including the last chariot and the rear guard, safely emerged from the pass and reformed into battle lines. 12:32 Speaker A The Egyptians set up camp south of Megiddo and began preparations for the decisive battle. The next morning, the Egyptian army drew up for battle. 12:42 Speaker A Thutmose divided his army into three parts. The left wing rested on the hills, the right was positioned closer to the river, and the pharaoh himself led the center. He stood in his forged-bronze war chariot, clad in shining armor with a devastating bow in 12:58 Speaker A his hands. When the signal for attack was given, the Egyptian chariots and infantry moved swiftly against the enemy. The Egyptian onslaught was so powerful and coordinated that the united army of the Canaanite princes could not withstand the very first 13:12 Speaker A strike. The enemy ranks fell into disarray, and panic ensued. Rebel soldiers threw down their weapons, armor, and chariots and fled toward the walls of Megiddo. The people of Megiddo , seeing their army fleeing, locked the city gates in fear. The fleeing princes 13:32 Speaker A and warriors had to tie themselves with garments and ropes so that the townspeople could haul them up the high stone walls. At that moment, the Egyptian army could have stormed the city on the heels of the retreating enemy and finished the campaign in one 13:47 Speaker A day. However, the discipline of the Egyptian soldiers faltered. Seeing the rich enemy camp, abandoned chariots of gold and silver, and valuable weapons, Thutmose’s soldiers rushed to plunder the spoils. Precious time was lost. The enemy managed to get all their 14:08 Speaker A commanders onto the walls and secure the city's defense. Thutmose III was angered by the missed opportunity to end the war with a quick blow, but he did not lose control of the situation. 14:19 Speaker A He addressed his soldiers and explained that capturing Megiddo meant the subjugation of all the rebel cities of Asia. At the same time, the pharaoh ordered the immediate commencement of a formal siege of the fortress. Egyptian soldiers surrounded Megiddo with a 14:33 Speaker A solid wooden wall, built from trees cut down in the nearby forests. This fortified line was named "Thutmose, the Conqueror of the Asians." No one could leave the city or enter it. The siege lasted for a long seven months. A 14:50 Speaker A terrible famine began in the city. Eventually, the exhausted defenders of Megiddo realized that further resistance was futile. Envoys of the Canaanite princes emerged from the city gates and begged the Pharaoh for mercy. 15:04 Speaker A Thutmose III showed the wisdom of a statesman. He did not destroy the defeated rulers. The Pharaoh accepted their surrender and took their horses, chariots, and a vast amount of gold and silver. The rebellious princes swore an oath of loyalty to Egypt, paid a huge 15:21 Speaker A tribute, and acknowledged Thutmose's authority. As a guarantee of future loyalty, the Pharaoh took their sons and heirs with him to Egypt. These children were raised at the royal court in Thebes with respect for Egyptian culture, so they would return home as 15:38 Speaker A loyal vassals. The victory at Megiddo and the capture of the city became a triumph of the military genius of Thutmose III. The daring passage through the Aruna Pass and the harsh siege showed the entire Middle East that a great commander had emerged in 15:54 Speaker A Egypt. The young Pharaoh's first independent campaign ended in absolute success, opening a new chapter in ancient history. The victory at Megiddo showed Thutmose III that one-time military successes could not guarantee long-term order on the state's borders. 16:17 Speaker A Previously, Egyptian rulers raised a militia of peasants only for specific campaigns, after which the warriors would go back home. The Pharaoh realized that to hold vast territories and maintain constant control over the Levant, Egypt needed an entirely new 16:34 Speaker A military system. First of all, Thutmose III began implementing a large-scale military reform. He created the first standing professional army in the country's history. Now, the warriors did not return to farming but remained in military service all year round. 16:51 Speaker A They received a regular salary from the royal treasury, were supplied with the best weapons, and spent their days in constant training. The Pharaoh changed the structure and organization of the troops. The army was divided into clear units and divisions, bearing the names 17:06 Speaker A of the main gods of Egypt. An institution of professional officers and generals emerged, promoted from common soldiers for combat merit, not for high birth. Thutmose paid special attention to the development of chariot troops. The chariot became the main 17:24 Speaker A striking force of the Egyptian army. Egyptian craftsmen improved the design of combat vehicles, making them lighter , more maneuverable, and sturdier. 17:35 Speaker A However, the king's main innovation was the development of a unique strategy for a regular military presence. During his independent reign, Thutmose III carried out 17 victorious campaigns into Asia. These were not chaotic raids for the sake of looting. Each campaign 17:53 Speaker A was a carefully planned stage of a single, long-term plan to turn Egypt into the first world empire in history. 18:00 Speaker A In the first campaigns of the new series, the Pharaoh faced a complex logistical problem. The overland crossing through the Sinai Desert and constant marches by land drained the army of energy and time. Local rulers had time to learn of the Egyptians' 18:15 Speaker A approach and prepare their cities for defense. To solve this problem, Thutmose II developed a revolutionary rapid deployment tactic using the naval fleet. The Egyptians built a large military and transport fleet. The pharaoh decided to use the Mediterranean not just for trade, but 18:37 Speaker A as a main transport artery for moving troops. During several consecutive campaigns, Thutmose directed his strikes at the coastal territories of the Levant. The Egyptian army captured key Phoenician port cities such as Ugarit, Byblos, Sidon, and Arwad. 18:57 Speaker A Instead of destroying these wealthy centers, the king turned them into well-fortified Egyptian naval bases. 19:04 Speaker A Permanent garrisons were stationed in Phoenician ports, and huge warehouses were built for provisions, ammunition, and forage. From this moment on, the strategy of military campaigns changed dramatically. Now the pharaoh did not need to lead his army for months on 19:20 Speaker A foot across deserts and enemy lands. Egyptian soldiers boarded ships in the Nile Delta and, within a few days, landed on the Phoenician coast, fresh and ready. In the Phoenician ports, supplies of food, repaired weapons, and prepared chariots awaited them. This 19:39 Speaker A tactic gave Thutmose III an incredible advantage in speed. The Egyptian army could appear in any region of the Levant completely unexpectedly for the enemy. If a rebellion broke out or local princes refused to pay tribute, Egyptian ships immediately delivered 19:58 Speaker A the pharaoh's regiments to the scene, crushing the uprising in the bud. Each of the seventeen campaigns solved specific objectives. In some campaigns, Thutmose secured power on the coast, while in others, he advanced inland, subjugating the interior of Syria. The 20:17 Speaker A pharaoh methodically destroyed the fortifications of cities that resisted and generously rewarded those rulers who voluntarily recognized his supremacy. Beyond military force, Thutmose II created an effective administrative system to govern the conquered lands. He did not completely eliminate the local ruling elite. Local 20:39 Speaker A princes continued to rule in the subject cities, but an Egyptian official or governor was always stationed beside them. Egyptian garrisons were installed in key fortresses. Each year, rulers of Asian cities were required to send a strictly established tribute to Egypt: silver, 20:58 Speaker A gold, copper ore, precious woods, purple fabrics, horses, and livestock. To account for this wealth, hundreds of scribes worked in the army and at court . They recorded every incoming item, compiling detailed reports that were carved onto temple walls in Thebes. The 21:17 Speaker A system of constant campaigns forced neighboring states to realize the new reality. Egypt ceased to be just a closed Nile Valley. It transformed into a powerful state whose interests extended 1,000 km to the north. Rulers of distant lands, who previously did 21:35 Speaker A not take Egypt into account, began to seek friendship and alliance with Thutmose II. Envoys with gifts appeared regularly at his court. The rapid-response system developed by the pharaoh, relying on a professional army and Phoenician port bases, worked like 21:53 Speaker A clockwork. The Egyptian state attained unprecedented stability and wealth. Regular military campaigns did not exhaust the country, but rather brought colossal revenues to the state treasury . Thutmose III proved that he was not only a talented commander but also an 22:12 Speaker A outstanding organizer. He built a military and logistical machine that functioned without failure for many decades. The conquest and holding of the Levant became the foundation upon which the Great Egyptian Empire was finally formed. Having secured his positions in the Levant and turning 22:35 Speaker A Phoenician ports into reliable military bases, Thutmose III encountered the main rival in the ancient Near East. 22:41 Speaker A This rival was the Mitanni state. It was located in Northern Mesopotamia and possessed vast human resources, a powerful cavalry, and wealthy cities. 22:53 Speaker A It was the rulers of Mitanni who, with secret money, weapons, and promises of military aid, constantly pushed Syrian and Canaanite princes to rebel against Egyptian rule. The pharaoh understood a simple fact perfectly well. As long as the Mitanni state maintained its 23:12 Speaker A influence east of the Euphrates River, the borders of the Egyptian Empire would never be truly safe. Simple punitive expeditions against the rebellious cities of Syria only eliminated the consequences of the problem, not its cause. For complete dominance over the region, a direct 23:29 Speaker A strike was required against the very heart of the enemy power. Preparation for this grandiose military campaign demanded several years of intense labor and ingenious engineering solutions from Thutmose III. The pharaoh planned a campaign such as the Egyptian army 23:46 Speaker A had never undertaken before. It had to pass through all of Syria, cross enemy territories, and force the opponent to engage in battle on his own land. The main technical challenge of this campaign was the necessity of forcing the great Euphrates River. In the 24:04 Speaker A thirty-third year of his reign, Thutmose III began his thirteenth military campaign. The Egyptian fleet delivered regiments of soldiers and supplies to the Phoenician ports. From there, the army moved inland, methodically suppressing the resistance of individual cities loyal to Mitanni. 24:22 Speaker A The most surprising element of this campaign was the preparation for the crossing of the Euphrates. In the forested mountains of Northern Syria, Egyptian craftsmen and soldiers, by the pharaoh's order, felled hundreds of sturdy trees. From this timber, they 24:36 Speaker A built a large river fleet. They built disassembled wooden ships and pontoons. These vessels were loaded onto heavy carts pulled by oxen. The Egyptian army hauled the river ships on wheels across dry steppes and hills for hundreds of kilometers directly to the banks of the 24:53 Speaker A Euphrates. The rulers of Mitanni considered the Euphrates River an insurmountable natural barrier. They convinced themselves that the Egyptian army would never dare to cross the water obstacle and invade their native lands. The appearance of Thutmose III's armada on the riverbank came as an 25:12 Speaker A absolute surprise to the Mitanni king. Egyptian engineers and soldiers quickly assembled the ships delivered on the carts and launched them into the water. 25:22 Speaker A Before the eyes of the astonished enemy , the army of Thutmose III made a successful crossing of the Euphrates. 25:28 Speaker A Egyptian chariots and infantry set foot on the left bank of the river, finding themselves on the territory of the Mitanni state itself. The king of Mitanni did not dare to engage in an open, decisive battle with the magnificently trained and 25:42 Speaker A battle-hardened Egyptian army. The enemy troops turned and fled, avoiding a direct confrontation. The pharaoh moved his regiments across the lands of Mitanni, devastating enemy military camps and capturing rich spoils, livestock, and prisoners. Egyptian warriors devastated the surrounding territories, demonstrating the complete 26:04 Speaker A helplessness of the local authorities. On the banks of the Euphrates, Thutmose III ordered a victory inscription to be carved on a stone stele. This stele was placed next to the monument of his grandfather, Thutmose I, who had also 26:17 Speaker A reached these places several decades earlier but could not secure the success. The new monument marked the extreme northern frontier of Egyptian influence and symbolized the absolute supremacy of Egypt. The army's return to Egypt turned into a triumphal procession. A direct clash between the 26:38 Speaker A two greatest powers of the time ended in an unconditional victory for Thutmose III. The state of Mitanni suffered a crushing defeat, lost its authority among the rulers of the Near East, and was forced to abandon all claims to the lands of Syria and the 26:55 Speaker A Levant. The results of this campaign made a colossal impression on the entire known ancient world. The rulers of neighboring powerful states realized that Egypt had become the strongest military power on the planet. Endless lines of ambassadors began to stream 27:14 Speaker A into the camp of Thutmose III, and later into the Egyptian capital, Thebes . Kings of the Hittite Empire, rulers of Babylon, and kings of the distant island of Cyprus hastened to send the pharaoh the richest gifts. They sent 27:27 Speaker A silver and gold vessels, rare metals, valuable weapons, thoroughbred horses, and ivory. These gifts were effectively a recognition of Egypt's supremacy in international affairs. Thanks to the victory over Mitanni, Thutmose III finally consolidated the absolute dominance of the Egyptian empire in the 27:46 Speaker A Near East. From this moment on, no ruler in the region could start a war or conclude an alliance without considering the will of the pharaoh. 27:55 Speaker A Syria and Phoenicia firmly entered the sphere of Egyptian influence, ensuring the country decades of stability, prosperity, and huge revenues from international trade. The duel between the two superpowers concluded in the absolute triumph of Thutmose III. The pharaoh proved that his army was 28:15 Speaker A capable of solving the most complex strategic tasks at great distances from home; Egypt became the main force of the ancient world, and the name of its ruler inspired fear and respect for thousands of kilometers around. Having defeated the state of Mitanni and 28:36 Speaker A subdued the lands of the Near East, Thutmose III turned his gaze to the opposite end of his state. In the north , the empire had gained stability and secure borders, but to maintain a massive military apparatus and realize 28:49 Speaker A grand plans, the country required a constant and uninterrupted flow of resources. The main source of fabulous wealth for Egypt since ancient times was the southern territories located beyond the First Cataract of the Nile, the rich lands of Nubia. Before the 29:07 Speaker A reign of Thutmose III, the Egyptian presence in Nubia was limited in nature . Previous pharaohs made sporadic punitive raids there, keeping only the nearby regions under control. However, the local population, consisting of warlike tribes, regularly raised rebellions, attacked trade caravans, 29:26 Speaker A and blocked paths to valuable deposits. The pharaoh needed to put an end to the instability in the south forever and firmly incorporate the Nubian lands into the unified state. In the fiftieth year of his life and the forty-seventh 29:40 Speaker A year of his formal reign, Thutmose III personally led a large-scale military expedition to the south. The Egyptian army moved up the Nile. The advance of the troops was accompanied by the hard labor of clearing the riverbed in areas 29:55 Speaker A of dangerous cataracts. The pharaoh ordered the clearing of an old canal at the first cataract, so that Egyptian ships could sail upstream unhindered with regiments of warriors and provisions. Egyptian forces methodically pushed further south, suppressing the resistance of local 30:12 Speaker A chieftains. Thutmose II’s campaigns into Nubia were characterized by high organization. The pharaoh did not simply defeat enemy detachments in open clashes. He erected massive stone fortresses along his path, in which he left permanent garrisons. These outposts controlled navigation on the 30:32 Speaker A Nile, protected desert wells, and ensured the security of moving caravans . The Egyptian army advanced further south than ever before in the country's history. Thutmose II reached the fourth cataract of the Nile and secured the empire's southern border at the sacred 30:48 Speaker A mountain of Jebel Barkal. At this extreme frontier, the pharaoh ordered a new fortress to be built and a stone stele to be erected. This monument signified that from then on, all lands from the northern Euphrates steppes to the southern Nubian cataracts belonged 31:03 Speaker A to the sole ruler of Egypt. The main goal of conquering Nubia was the total seizure of its resource-rich regions. 31:12 Speaker A The most valuable treasure of these lands was gold. The captured territories housed the richest gold mines of the ancient world. Thutmose II brought the extraction of the precious metal under strict state control. 31:27 Speaker A Hundreds and thousands of Nubian workers and Egyptian craftsmen labored in the mines. Each year, caravans and ships laden with tons of pure gold and ebony were sent from Nubia to the capital of Egypt. Also ivory, ostrich feathers, panther skins, and 31:45 Speaker A semi-precious stones. This huge flow of wealth turned Egypt into the wealthiest state on the planet. Nubian gold became the main financial engine of the empire . It allowed Thutmose II to maintain an army, pay officials 'salaries, conduct international trade, and purchase rare 32:04 Speaker A goods across the Mediterranean. For the effective management of the vast southern territories, Thutmose II created a special administrative apparatus. He established a crucial state position. The King's Son of Kush. 32:19 Speaker A This viceroy, appointed personally by the pharaoh from among the most loyal and capable commanders, held unlimited power in the south. He reported directly to the king, oversaw the collection of tribute, commanded local garrisons, and supervised the operation of the gold mines. The pharaoh applied 32:36 Speaker A in Nubia the same wise policy of integration he had previously used in Asia. The children of local Nubian chieftains were sent to the pharaoh's court. They were taught the Egyptian language, literacy, customs, and the art of war. Returning to their homeland 32:54 Speaker A , these young men became loyal viceroys of the Egyptian king, having fully adopted Egyptian culture. Thanks to a well-thought-out administrative system and a powerful network of fortresses, Nubia turned from a dangerous rebellious frontier into a stable, peaceful province of Egypt. Tribal 33:12 Speaker A raids ceased, and trade routes became absolutely safe. Cargo ships continuously plied the Nile, delivering building materials, livestock, and valuables to the north. The conquest of Nubia and the advancement of the borders to the fourth cataract of the Nile completed the formation of the 33:31 Speaker A Egyptian empire's territorial core. Thutmose II united completely different worlds under his rule. On one hand, the wealthy and developed cities of the Middle East, and on the other, the resource-rich and harsh lands of the African continent. The southern front 33:49 Speaker A provided the country with a fundamental economic pillar. The seizure of Nubian gold mines and the establishment of absolute order in the south guaranteed Egypt unprecedented financial stability . The acquired resources provided the foundation for grand state projects, which the great pharaoh-conqueror was 34:09 Speaker A fully prepared to implement in the heart of his empire. After the completion of major military campaigns and the firm securing of borders in the north and south, an unprecedented flow of wealth rushed into Egypt. Annual tribute from conquered lands, gold from 34:31 Speaker A Nubian mines, spoils of war, and duties from international trade overflowed the royal treasury. Thutmose III directed these resources toward the implementation of a large-scale construction program. The great commander sought to glorify the god Amun-Ra, whose will, as the Egyptians 34:48 Speaker A believed, brought the country victory over all its enemies. The main center of the pharaoh's construction works became the great temple of Amun, located in Thebes. This ancient sanctuary was built and rebuilt by many generations of rulers, but it was under 35:05 Speaker A Thutmose III that it turned into a true architectural complex of unprecedented scale. The pharaoh ordered the expansion of the temple territory, the erection of new majestic pylons, massive stone walls, and spacious courtyards. The most famous structure of Thutmose III was the festival hall, 35:24 Speaker A which received the name Akhmenu, translating as "the most glorious of monuments." This unique building was erected in the eastern part of the temple complex. It was intended for the performance of solemn rituals associated with the Sed festival—an ancient ritual for the renewal of the 35:43 Speaker A pharaoh's life force and power. The architecture of the festival hall was distinguished by innovative solutions. 35:51 Speaker A The main hall was covered by massive stone slabs, supported by two rows of rare columns. The stone columns were shaped like the huge wooden poles usually installed in ancient royal tents during military campaigns. In this way, the pharaoh immortalized in 36:11 Speaker A stone the memory of the nomadic life and victorious camps of the Egyptian army. Inside the festival hall were numerous shrines and rooms for the priests. On the walls of one such room, by order of Thutmose III, the so-called 36:27 Speaker A Karnak King List was carved. This large-scale relief contained the names of sixty-one of the pharaoh's predecessors on the Egyptian throne. By carving this list, the king demonstrated the inseparable connection of his dynasty with the great rulers of the past. An equally amazing part of 36:47 Speaker A the festival hall was the room known today as the Botanical Garden. Thutmose III was not just a ruler and a warrior, but also a man with a deep intellectual interest in the surrounding world. 37:01 Speaker A During his numerous campaigns to Asia and Nubia, the pharaoh ordered artists, scribes, and scholars to sketch and study unknown plants, trees, birds, and animals. On the stone walls of the Botanical Garden, the best masters of Egypt carved hundreds of detailed and 37:18 Speaker A accurate images of curious flora and fauna. The reliefs displayed flowers never before seen in the Nile Valley, rare trees and land birds, wild beasts and fish brought from Syria, the Levant , and the depths of Africa. These images served as a stone encyclopedia, 37:36 Speaker A a clear proof that the domains of the pharaoh and the god Amun stretched from one end of the earth to the other. 37:44 Speaker A Beyond the festival hall, Thutmose III ordered the installation of majestic obelisks in Karnak and other religious centers of the country. These monolithic stone needles, carved from single blocks of pink granite in the Aswan quarries, symbolized frozen rays of the sun. Cutting, transporting along 38:04 Speaker A the Nile, and erecting such giants required the highest engineering skill and the labor of thousands of workers. 38:11 Speaker A Before the entrance to the Karnak Temple, obelisks were raised, reaching dozens of meters in height and weighing hundreds of tons. Their tops were covered with sheets of electrum, an alloy of gold and silver. When the first rays of the rising sun touched 38:26 Speaker A the tops of the obelisks, they shone for many kilometers around, blinding the inhabitants of Thebes and symbolizing the presence of divine light on Earth. Hieroglyphic inscriptions were carved on the sides of the obelisks, glorifying the pharaoh's victories and his devotion to 38:41 Speaker A the gods. Thutmose III launched grand projects throughout Egypt and Nubia. Under his rule, temples in Luxor, Abydos, Memphis, Heliopolis, and Buhen were rebuilt and decorated. In Nubia, at the foot of the sacred mountain Jebel Barkal, the pharaoh erected a 39:00 Speaker A large temple in honor of Amun, solidifying Egypt's religious presence on the far southern frontiers. 39:07 Speaker A Realizing this unprecedented construction program required the work of thousands of craftsmen, stone carvers, architects, and artists. 39:15 Speaker A Thutmose III personally monitored the quality of the work. He demanded from the masters the highest precision in the execution of details. The art of his reign was characterized by harmony, grace of lines, and monumentality. The grandiose construction projects of 39:31 Speaker A Thutmose III forever changed the face of Ancient Egypt. The temples and majestic obelisks he erected became a visual embodiment of the empire's power , wealth, and cultural flourishing. The great conqueror went down in history as one of the most outstanding builders of 39:50 Speaker A the ancient world, leaving behind monuments that would continue to delight humanity for thousands of years . In his later years, when the main military campaigns were behind him and the borders of the great empire were unshakable, Thutmose III made a 40:10 Speaker A decision that long remained one of the greatest mysteries in the history of Ancient Egypt. Suddenly, a massive campaign began across the state to destroy the memory of Queen Hatshepsut. 40:22 Speaker A Egyptologists would later call the events of this period a process of\* damnatio memoriae\*, where a person's name and image were intentionally erased from history. Throughout Egypt and the conquered lands of Nubia, special teams of craftsmen and priests began methodically destroying the 40:39 Speaker A traces of the late co-ruler's reign. In Hatshepsut's memorial temple at Deir el-Bahari, in the Karnak sanctuary, and on the walls of numerous structures, sculptors chiseled away her images. 40:53 Speaker A Stone statues of the queen were pulled from their pedestals, broken into pieces, and thrown into special pits near the temples. Special attention was paid to hieroglyphic inscriptions. The name Hatshepsut was carefully scraped from granite and limestone surfaces. In 41:11 Speaker A the cleared spaces, craftsmen carved the names of Thutmose III's father, his grandfather, or the pharaoh himself. In some cases, the queen's name was simply covered with stone or plastered over. 41:26 Speaker A For many decades, researchers of Ancient Egypt believed these actions were the result of Thutmose III's deep personal hatred for his stepmother. It seemed obvious that the young ruler, kept in the shadows for over 20 years, harbored a grudge and, after the 41:44 Speaker A queen's death, took out all his rage on her monuments. This version seemed very convincing and dramatic. However, a detailed study of archaeological findings and timeframes revealed a completely different picture. The campaign to destroy Hatshepsut's monuments did not begin immediately 42:01 Speaker A after her death, as one might expect in a case of personal revenge. For over 20 years after his stepmother's passing, Thutmose III ruled the country peacefully without touching her images. 42:14 Speaker A Reliefs featuring the queen remained intact, and her name continued to be mentioned in official documents. The destruction of monuments began only in the forty-second year of Thutmose III's reign, when the pharaoh himself was already at an advanced age. Such a 42:30 Speaker A delay completely rules out the theory of an emotional impulse or a flash of personal resentment. The process of erasing memory had deep political and dynastic roots. The main reason for the pharaoh's actions was the need to restore the proper dynastic order. In 42:49 Speaker A the view of the ancient Egyptians, the universe was subject to the strict divine law of Maat, the principle of harmony and order. The ruler of the country could only be a man, who was the living embodiment of the god Horus. 43:04 Speaker A The crowning of a woman and her declaration of herself as a full-fledged pharaoh was seen as a serious violation of religious and state norms. As long as Hatshepsut was alive, Thutmose III tolerated the status quo for the sake of preserving 43:19 Speaker A the unity of the state. But at the end of his life, the pharaoh began to think about the future of his dynasty. The existence of a female pharaoh in the past created a dangerous precedent for the Egyptian state structure. This 43:33 Speaker A could cast doubt on the legitimacy of the entire Eighteenth Dynasty and create conditions for future palace coups. A second crucial reason was the preparation for the transfer of power to the heir to the throne. Thutmose III had a growing son, the future pharaoh, 43:49 Speaker A Amenhotep II. The young prince was born to a junior wife of the king and had no direct blood ties to Hatshepsut's branch. If the memory of the queen remained untouched, relatives or supporters of her line could lay claim 44:05 Speaker A to the throne after the old pharaoh's death. By destroying Hatshepsut's name, Thutmose III was effectively rewriting the state's official chronicle. The period of her independent rule was being crossed out of Egyptian history. 44:21 Speaker A On official monuments, the years of Hatshepsut's reign were appended to the reign of Thutmose III himself. Thus, an illusion was created that after the death of Thutmose II, power passed immediately and continuously to his son . The nature of the monument 44:37 Speaker A destruction also confirms a strictly selective approach. Only those statues and reliefs where Hatshepsut was depicted as a male king and pharaoh with traditional royal attributes were destroyed. Monuments where she appeared in the role of a regular queen, great 44:56 Speaker A wife, or royal daughter often remained untouched. The erasure of memory was not an act of blind, barbaric revenge. 45:05 Speaker A It was a cold, calculated state policy aimed at strengthening the throne and ensuring the smooth transfer of power to the legitimate heir. Thutmose III acted as a pragmatic politician, placing the interests of state stability and his dynasty above 45:22 Speaker A personal memories. By destroying his stepmother's name, the pharaoh sought to close the chapter of co-rule forever and leave descendants a history in which only one great ruler existed. 45:36 Speaker A This war on memory became the last major political operation of Thutmose III within the country. Having cleared the historical record of dynastic contradictions, the old pharaoh finally prepared the ground for a peaceful transfer of power to his son. In the 45:56 Speaker A fifty-fourth year of his reign, Thutmose II reached an advanced age. His life was spent in constant labor, military campaigns, state administration, and large-scale construction. The aging ruler’s health was gradually fading, but his mind remained sharp and his will 46:14 Speaker A unyielding. The Pharaoh understood that the main legacy of any ruler is not just the number of victories won, but the ability to preserve the state he created after his departure. To avoid a struggle for the throne and ensure a 46:30 Speaker A seamless transition of power, Thutmose II employed the time-tested institution of co-regency. Two years before his death, he made his young son, Amenhotep II, his official co-regent. The father gradually involved the young prince in solving critical state affairs, shared 46:49 Speaker A the secrets of managing the army, and introduced him to the empire's administrative system. Amenhotep II was raised with respect for his father's military traditions. He possessed immense physical strength, was an excellent archer, and was a skilled horseman. The experienced Pharaoh 47:05 Speaker A managed to personally pass on the leadership of the military apparatus and state services to his son. Thanks to this appointment, the young heir took over the levers of control of the vast power while his great father was still alive. In his fifty-fourth year, 47:20 Speaker A the great ruler of Egypt, Thutmose II, passed away. His earthly journey ended, but in the memory of his subjects, he remained the sovereign under whom the country reached the heights of its power. The Pharaoh’s body underwent a complex embalming procedure, which 47:36 Speaker A lasted 70 days. Priests and high-ranking officials held a grandiose funeral ceremony. The royal procession moved across the Nile to the western bank of Thebes, to the foothills of the mountains where the famous Valley of the Kings is located. The mummy of 47:51 Speaker A Thutmose II was laid to rest in a deep rock-cut tomb, carved into the mountain massif. The walls of the tomb were painted with sacred texts from the Book of Amduat, describing the sun's nocturnal journey through the underworld. A vast quantity of 48:06 Speaker A treasures, golden weapons, and royal household items were placed alongside the Pharaoh. The results of Thutmose II’s reign proved to be grandiose in their scale. During his years on the throne, he completely changed the face of the ancient world and turned Egypt 48:23 Speaker A into the strongest empire of the Bronze Age. The king’s foreign policy created a system of absolute Egyptian dominance over vast territories from the northern Syrian lands to the southern Nubian cataracts. The country’s economy under Thutmose III experienced an unprecedented 48:40 Speaker A flourishing. A constant influx of tribute, precious metals, livestock, rare materials, and slave labor allowed Egypt to finance large-scale projects. 48:51 Speaker A Bales of Phoenician textiles, Nubian gold, Asian silver, and cedar wood flowed continuously into the royal treasuries. The state’s wealth ensured a high standard of living for the royal court, the priesthood, and the administrative apparatus. The culture and art of Egypt reached a new 49:10 Speaker A level of development. The construction of magnificent temple complexes, the creation of unique reliefs, the development of new architectural forms, and a high level of craftsmanship became models for future generations of Egyptian masters. The art of this period combined traditional 49:29 Speaker A monumentality with graceful detail. The military art of Egypt under Thutmose II rose to previously unattainable heights : the creation of a professional regular army, the development of chariot troops, the use of the military fleet for the rapid deployment of 49:46 Speaker A regiments, and a well-thought-out strategy of swift strikes made the Egyptian forces the best in the world. 49:54 Speaker A The pharaoh developed principles of logistics, intelligence, and power diplomacy that were centuries ahead of their time. In the 19th century, historians and researchers, struck by the scale of his military victories and strategic talent, gave Thutmose III the respectful nickname of the Napoleon of 50:12 Speaker A Ancient Egypt. This comparison highlighted his genius in commanding troops, boldness in decision-making, and ability to defeat superior enemy forces on foreign territory. The legacy left by Thutmose III proved to be so enduring that the empire he created successfully existed and flourished for 50:36 Speaker A several centuries. He managed not only to conquer vast lands but also to build a clear management system that ensured long-term peace and order. His son Amenhotep II and grandson Thutmose IV inherited Egypt at the peak of its economic, military, and cultural power. 50:56 Speaker A Thutmose III went down in history as one of the greatest rulers and military commanders of all time. His life, full of trials, long waiting, and brilliant victories, became a symbol of the golden age of ancient Egyptian civilization, and his name remains 51:14 Speaker A forever carved into the granite of history's eternal monuments. Topics: Thutmose III Hatshepsut Ancient Egypt Pharaoh Egyptian Empire Military Conquest Mitanni Nubia Ancient History New Kingdom Egypt Study this video - [Flashcards from this video](https://sozai.app/tools/ai-flashcard-generator/?from=transcript&id=77540) - [Quiz on this video](https://sozai.app/tools/quiz-generator/?from=transcript&id=77540) Free, made by AI from this transcript. No signup. --- This is the markdown twin of https://sozai.app/transcript/tutmos-iii-napoleon-ancient-world-history/ — the same content, without the markup. Published by SozAI (https://sozai.app). Reuse and quotation are allowed with attribution and a link back. Machine-readable index: https://sozai.app/llms.txt · data API: https://sozai.app/api/