Petrie, William M. Flinders: Syria and Egypt from the Tell el Amarna letters (London, 1898)

INTRODUCTION 9

side as long as he could. But the more
usual case seems to have been that the
Egyptians had lost Interest in Syria, lost
the power of sparing troops to manage the
country and to keep order, and lost heart
in foreign matters since they were absorbed
in the home politics of religious revolutions.
So soon as the strong hand of the power
of Egypt ceased to act in all emergencies,
to interfere in every squabble, and to make
capital out of the internal discords of the
Syrians—so soon the Syrians began their
old life of aggression one on the other. It
was just what we see every year in India;
any place without a garrison is liable to out-
bursts of the old feud of Hindu faith against
Muhamedan. So it was in Syria; all the
petty chiefs and shekhs whose ancestors had
heen cutting each other's throats for genera-
tions, and who, doubtless, had venerable
blood-feuds unavenged, soon began to attack
one another when not vigorously kept in
hand by Egypt. Also any strong and
capable man like Abdashirta and his son
Aziru, soon found that he could safely bully
his neighbours, and gradually acquire power
over them.

Hence the weakening of Egypt threw