![]() Their primary role was to reestablish the ancient ways and to assure that no foreign countries took advantage of the temporary disorganization. After Tutankhamen, a series of three military leaders and government officials in turn assumed the throne. Akhenaton moved the capital out into a new desert city that was abandoned after the traditional religion and government were restored. Tutankhamen’s reign marked the end of what is known as the Amarna Interlude, a sixteen-year period of revolution in Ancient Egypt when the religious fanatic Akhenaton mandated that his “personal god,” Aton, be the only one worshipped. Ramses came to power approximately 46 years after the death of Tutankhamen. The pharaohs of the New Kingdom were kings of a massive nation, and many of their tremendous works, temples and fortresses are still extant today as testament. When the young Ramses came to power, 1300 years had already passed since the time of the Fourth Dynasty, the dynasty that is traditionally associated with the famous pyramids and Sphinx of the Giza plateau (although much evidence suggests that they were constructed many years before even the first historical dynasty). He was a pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty, during the New Kingdom. Ramses II ruled for 67 years during the 13th Century BC. The system of dynasties dates back to the third century BC, when the High Priest of Heliopolis, Manetho, defined the basic Egyptian chronology still in use today. In an effort to handle the 3,000 years of Egyptian history which includes 170 or so pharaohs, Egyptologists have divided Ancient Egypt into Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom, with intermediate periods in between. Ramses’ place in Ancient Egyptian History Finally, the astute history student will know that Ramses II, popularly known as “Ramses the Great,” built more temples, statues and obelisks than any other pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. A series of best selling novels has recently been written based on the life of Ramses II. Many may remember him from Shelly’s famous, if historically inaccurate, poem, “Ozymandias.” Some associate him with “Pharaoh” from the Biblical story of the Exodus. Even if little importance is currently placed on knowledge of ancient history, legends of this great ruler still live on. Returning to our “name that pharaoh” question, if the average person were to be able to name a second pharaoh, it would almost surely be Ramses II. Outside of the contents of his tomb, little is known of his reign, and he is not considered to be a pharaoh of major importance. This brought Egypt an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity that continued until Rameses' death.If, today, at the end of the twentieth century, one were to ask the average person to name an Egyptian pharaoh, the reply would probably be, “Tutankhamen.” This, of course, is due to the highly unusual discovery by Howard Carter in 1922 of the child-king’s small but almost intact tomb. ![]() Perhaps more significant was the treaty signed afterwards between the Egyptians and the Hittites, which is believed to be the first written peace treaty between foreign powers. It is now thought the battle was more of a draw. Rameses claimed a great victory against the Hittites, who were long-standing enemies of the Egyptians. The most momentous event of his reign was the Battle of Kadesh (now in Syria) in 1274 BC. Rameses reasserted Egyptian control over the Levant in the east and Nubia to the south. The tomb of his principal wife Nefertari, also at Thebes, is one of the best-preserved royal tombs. He built the rock temples of Abu Simbel and his own mortuary temple at Thebes. Early in his reign, he constructed a new capital, Piramesse, in the Nile delta. His reign is best known for the buildings he commissioned. Rameses became the third king of the 19th Dynasty at the age of 25. © Known as Rameses the Great, he ruled Egypt for more than 60 years and built many of ancient Egypt's greatest monuments. ![]() A stone carving of Ramesses II found at Abu Simbel
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