Ramses II
Ramses II was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt and is often regarded as the greatest of the Egyptian rulers. He reigned for sixty-six years and built the monuments that bear his name throughout the country.
Early Life and Accession
Ramses II was born in about 1303 BC, the son of the pharaoh Seti I. He was appointed the crown prince and the commander of the army.
He took part in the campaigns of his father against the Hittites and the Libyans. He succeeded his father in 1279 BC at the age of about twenty-five.
He ruled for sixty-six years, one of the longest reigns in the history of Egypt. He had many wives and the large family of the children.
The Military Campaigns
Ramses II campaigned against the Hittites and the neighbouring peoples. He sought to restore the Egyptian control over the territory of Syria.
He fought the Hittites at the battle of Kadesh in about 1274 BC. The battle ended in the stalemate but was celebrated as the victory in the Egyptian records.
He concluded the peace treaty with the Hittite king Hattusili III in about 1259 BC. The treaty is the earliest known of the international peace agreements.
He built the new capital of Pi-Ramesses in the Delta. The city became the base for the military campaigns and the administration.
The Building Programme
Ramses II built more monuments than any other pharaoh. He constructed the temples and the statues throughout the country.
He built the temple of Abu Simbel with the four colossal statues of himself. The temple is the masterpiece of the Egyptian architecture.
He built the Ramesseum, the mortuary temple at Thebes. He added to the temples of Karnak and Luxor.
He usurped the monuments of his predecessors and inscribed his own name on them. The practice has left his name the most widely known of the pharaohs.
The Legacy
Ramses II died in about 1213 BC at the age of about ninety. He was buried in the Valley of the Kings and the mummy was later moved.
His mummy is one of the best preserved of the royal mummies. It is displayed in the National Museum of the Egyptian Civilisation in Cairo.
He is conventionally identified with the pharaoh of the Exodus in the popular tradition. The identification is not supported by the historical evidence.
He is regarded as one of the greatest of the pharaohs. The monuments and the statues that bear his name are the testament to his reign.
The New Kingdom and the Expansion
Ramses II reigned during the New Kingdom, the period of the Egyptian power. He restored the Egyptian control over the territory of the East.
He campaigned against the Hittites and the Libyans and the Nubians. The campaigns extended the empire and the influence of Egypt.
He built the new capital of Pi-Ramesses in the Delta. The city was the base for the campaigns and the administration.
The Peace with the Hittites
Ramses II concluded the peace treaty with the Hittite king. The treaty ended the long rivalry between the two powers.
The treaty is the earliest known of the international peace agreements. The copies survive in the Egyptian and the Hittite records.
The peace was sealed by the marriage of the Ramses to the Hittite princess. The alliance brought the stability to the region.
The Family and the Wives
Ramses II had many wives and the large family. The great royal wife was Nefertari, for whom he built the temple at Abu Simbel.
He married the Hittite princess after the peace treaty. The marriage sealed the alliance between the two powers.
He had many sons and daughters and the succession was complicated. He outlived many of his heirs.
The Monuments and the Statues
Ramses II built the monuments and the statues throughout Egypt. He constructed the temples and the colossi and the obelisks.
He built the temple of Abu Simbel with the four colossal statues. The temple is the masterpiece of the Egyptian architecture.
He added to the temples of Karnak and Luxor. He usurped the monuments of his predecessors with his own inscriptions.
The Mummy and the Study
The mummy of Ramses II is one of the best preserved of the royal mummies. It is displayed in the National Museum of the Egyptian Civilisation.
The study of the mummy has revealed the details of his health and the appearance. He suffered from the arthritis and the dental problems.
The monuments and the inscriptions are the source of the study of his reign. The scholars have reconstructed the history of the period from the evidence.
The Inscriptions and the Records
Ramses II left a large number of the inscriptions and the records. The texts recount the campaigns and the building works.
The inscriptions are the source of the study of his reign. The scholars have reconstructed the history from the evidence.
The peace treaty with the Hittites is recorded in the copies. The texts are the earliest of the international agreements.
See also
- Ancient Egypt
- Battle of Kadesh
- Abu Simbel
- New Kingdom
References
- ↑ Kitchen, Kenneth A. Ramesside Inscriptions. Oxford: Blackwell, 1975.
- ↑ Tyldesley, Joyce. Ramesses: Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh. London: Viking, 2000.
- ↑ Lichtheim, Miriam. Ancient Egyptian Literature. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976.
- ↑ Kitchen, Kenneth A. Pharaoh Triumphant: The Life and Times of Ramesses II. Warminster: Aris and Phillips, 1982.