Original Historical Documents - Scene 1 - Click on image for the next Scene
.......................Medinet Habu Scene
The Egyptians, supported by the Pereset and the Peoples of the Sea, assault the Libyans. Observe the headgear, the small shields of the Peoples of the Sea. This reflects the changes in military hardware introduced by the Greek general Iphicrates. The story of this war is written up in the `History' by Diodorus.

Seawar participants detail
Please notice the appearance of the sea warriors: The Egyptians, Persians, Greeks and Libyans. Look for these types in all images to be able to see who is fighting against whom.[Also see Ancient Egypt, Aug/Sep 2005, p. 48-53]
Scene 2 below

See color coded image below - - Click on image for the next Scene
Seawar participants detail
 The Egyptians fight, with the assistance of the Peoples of the Sea, against the soldiers of the Pereset. This reflects the situation as it existed when the Greek general Chabrias was in Egyptian mercenary service and the Persians were ejected from Egypt as described by the Greek historian Diodorus. Closer inspection shows Egyptian soldiers holding shields in front of themselves with a stick like weapon attacking retreating `Prst' soldiers holding spears. The Egyptian weapons in this case could be some sort of narrow bladed cutting weapon. Since they are not shown with a ball at the end they probably were not mazes. A comparison with other sections on these reliefs shows the main weapons of the Egyptians were archery, spears and a sort of club in one case. Overall it appears that these reliefs seem to suggest that Ramses is bragging about his victory obtained not so much because of the weapons used but by divine providence perhaps and his own efforts. While the Papyrus Harris contains long lists of perishable items it contains nothing on military hardware.
From the walls of the temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu.
Scene 3 below

Also see Ancient Egypt, Aug/Sep 2005, p. 51 for a partial, actual photo of the scene. 		The Egyptian fleet of Ramses III destroying the fleet of the Pereset. The Peoples of the Sea are, at this stage, allies of the Pereset. The helmets of the Peoples of the Sea have horns but not the sun disk between the horns indicating they were under the command of the Greek general Iphicrates. Those serving under Chabrias had the disk between the horns. Soldiers with horned helmets and a sun disk are also carved into the scene of Ramses III on a lion hunt.
The following line of hieroglyphic text presented in English and the original German translation was read by Walter Wreszinski over Ramses III list of subjected enemies as follows:
"All Fnh-valleys ... the Sn-kbh-w-land, all mortals, all Egyptians, all Aegeans, all of mankind are under the feet of the good god. Every Egyptian pleads: May we have life, and both lands, every day for millions and millions, as his father Amon-re-sonter has commanded, for ever, for ever."
"Alle Fnh-Ebenen ..., das Sn-kbh-w ... Land, alle Sterblichen, alle Ägypter, alle Ägäer, die ganze Menschheit sind unter den Füßen dieses Guten Gottes. Jeder Ägypter fleht: Mögen wir leben, und beide Länder, jeden Tag für Millionen von Millionen (Tagen), wie sein Vater Amonrasonter geboten hat, ewiglich, ewiglich!" [Wreszinski, `Atlas zur Altägyptischen Kulturgeschichte', Ramses III]

This inscription dates from the time after the wars of Ramses III against the Peoples of the Sea and their allies. Finding here a reference to the Aegeans should help us understand that we are in Greek times.
Diese Inschrift datiert von der Zeit nach den Kriegen Ramses III. gegen die Seevölker. Die Erwähnung von Ägäern sollte uns helfen zu verstehen, das wir uns nun in Griechischen befinden.
From the north wall of the temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu.

Notes & References

1) For the original appearance of the sea battle carving at Medinet Habu see the full page image in Omar Zuhdi's, Imperial Twilight in KMT, Vol. 12, No. 4, Winter 2001-02, p. 46.

Persian War Ship This small protruding point, if all of the ships are just representational, could hint of the Greek type triremes. The Egyptian artist(s) may have been unfamiliar with triremes or his artistic design or wall space made him choose to carve older style ships to represent this sea battle scene.
Egyptian War Ship DecorationThe Egyptian war ships feature this type of lion head on their bow. It may have been just a decorative item, however, if the ships are just representational the interpretation of it may offer other choices. - `Mouse Over Image' Greek warship of about 500 BC with 2 rows of oars, BA, Winter 1979, p. 31
On ship shapes of Mediterranean peoples see conventional views by Michal Artzy, `On Boats and Sea Peoples' in BASOR, Vol. 266, 1987, p. 75-83.
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