Ancient Egypt's Napoleon
Pharaoh Thutmose III’s legendary military career kicked off on 16th April, 1457 BC with the Battle of Megiddo, the first recorded battle in history.Facing a rebellion from the Canaanite city-states, who thought they could take advantage of his inexperience, Thutmose assembled a massive army and marched straight to Megiddo, a crucial strategic hub in modern-day Israel. Boldly, he led his troops through a treacherous, narrow pass, single file, at great personal risk. His generals were understandably terrified, but the gamble paid off—and they took the enemy by surprise. Yet, despite his brilliant tactics, his troops got distracted looting the battlefield, and it took a further seven months of siege before they secured the city.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how detailed records of the Pharaoh’s expeditions have been passed down; wonder if scribes became weary of the warrior-king’s repeated victories; and discover why we should all pay attention to Megiddo - it’s in the Book of Revelation…Further Reading:• ‘Thutmose III's Battle of Megiddo Inscription’ (World History Encyclopedia, 2017): https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1102/thutmose-iiis-battle-of-megiddo-inscription/• ‘Battle of Megiddo’ (National Army Musem): https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/battle-megiddo• ‘The Deadliest Pharaoh | Thutmose III | Ancient Egypt Documentary’ (History Explained, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2XS3vmVGjU#Egyptian #War #Israel #RoyalsLove the show? Support us! Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY… … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie PeartCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today In History with The Retrospectors
Curious, funny, surprising daily history - with Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina and Arion McNicoll.
From the invention of the Game Boy to the Mancunian beer-poisoning of 1900, from Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain to America's Nazi summer schools... each day we uncover an unexpected story for the ages. In just ten minutes!
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