The Battle of Kadesh

In 1274  Ramesses II led an vast army of Egyptians through the Levant and into the lands to north. A long brewing conflict with the people there, the Hittite Empire, had at last boiled over and the two came to grips in a series of running battles in and around the city of Kadesh. Ramesses commanded at least 4 bodies, or divisions, of troops each with 500 chariots and an unknown number of foot soldiers. The Hittites had a similarly equipped force.

Each chariot possessed a driver and archer. In riding forward they generally turned and let loose volleys of arrows, circling back to strike again.

The battle waged for the better part of a day as the two came to grips. Ramesses early on split his forces allowing one of his divisions to be mauled and a second overrun. But in the ensuing chaos of a seeming route the Pharaoh regrouped and pummeled the scattered Hittites, driving them back and into the river Orontes. The hard fought battle left neither side the victor but it does have the distinction of being the largest chariot battle on record with well over 4000 machines coming to grips with each other in the plains of Syria.

post script: No matter which way you cut it, ancient Egyptians just look bad ass.