RAMSES II: BIOGRAPHY, REIGN, WARS, DEATH - ARTE - 2025

Ramses II (c. 1303 BC - c. 1213 BC), popularly called Ramses the Great, was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 19th dynasty. Of his reign there are still many buildings that preserve his memory to the present day.

The ruler Ramses II held office during one of the longest periods in Egyptian history, spending more than six decades at the helm of his people. In fact, his father Seti I appointed him Prince Regent when he was 14 years old, with the intention that he would prepare to rule early.

Ramesses II Colossus in Luxor Temple, by Than217 (2007), via Wikimedia Commons

He also fought important battles with which he achieved control of Canaan and peace with the Hittites. The main armed confrontations of Ramses II were with the Syrians, but he also fought in Nubia and Libya.

He decided to move the capital to a city called Pi Ramses, which had been founded by his grandfather Ramses I. The new center of government gave him advantages by being in a better position to defend himself against invasions, as well as to coordinate attacks on Syria.

In addition, in the new capital he managed to shed the influence of the religious who remained in Thebes, a city that was established as the capital of faith in Egypt. Pi Ramsés managed to reach a population of 300,000 inhabitants.

Ramses died when he was approximately 90 years old. Of his reign it was said that because he had been in power for so long, Ramses II softened over the years and some believed that Egypt needed a strong leader who could defend the people.

When his son, Merenptah, came to the throne, he was also an older man. For this reason, after his death he left a convulsed kingdom, and the XIX dynasty began to crumble little by little due to the internal confrontations of the heirs to the throne.

Biography

Early years

Usermaatra Setepenra - Ramses Meriamón or Ramses II was born around 1303 BC. He was the son and heir of Seti I, after the death of his brother Nebchasetnebet, who died in infancy, placing him first in the line of succession. His mother was Yours, and some sources assure that Ramses II also had two sisters.

The line of Ramses II did not have a noble past. They came to power after the fall of the 18th dynasty, to which pharaohs such as Amenhotep IV and Tutankhamun belonged. Ramses I was the first of the XIX dynasty. He was the grandfather of Ramses II and intended to re-establish Egypt's territorial dominance in the area.

From a very young age, the heir to the Egyptian throne was linked to military life, as was proper in his family. His father had quelled rebellions in Palestine and Syria and had managed to win certain battles against the Hittites.

When Ramses was approximately 14 years old, Seti I appointed him prince regent with the intention that he would learn to rule from a young age, so that he would be prepared to assume his position.

Since then he had his own harem and house. In addition, together with his father he appeared in the battles fought in Egypt. Sources affirm that at age 10 they had already made him a captain in the army and he was receiving military training.

Reign

After receiving the throne, in 1279, Ramses II located the kingdom's capital at Pi Ramses, located in the Nile delta. It is believed that it began as nothing more than a summer palace for Ramses I and, thanks to the strategic vision of his grandson, it became one of the largest cities in the area.

Before that, Ramses II had briefly moved the court to Memphis. Some criticized his decision as he was distancing himself from the clergy, who were extremely powerful. But Ramses's main concern was to defend the kingdom from foreign attacks from a good position.

Ramses II, by Neithsabes, via Wikimedia Commons

In addition, in this way he managed to weaken the power that the old aristocracy held in the State and the military and clerks close to Ramses II began to gain relevance. The pharaoh did not, because of his origins, have traditional families retain so much power.

In his time in charge of Egypt, both the arts and literature flourished. One of his main endeavors was the construction of large and beautiful enclosures, which have stood to this day as a reminder of the magnanimity of his reign.

He also managed to gain territories that had been abandoned, especially during the 18th dynasty that preceded his family, as well as peace with neighbors who had long been in conflict with Egypt.

Death

Ramses II died around 1213 BC. C. By then he was about 90 years old and had served as pharaoh for approximately 67 years. Its longevity was quite exceptional at that time. Several of his sons, heirs to the throne, had died by the time of his death.

According to recent analyzes, it is known that Ramses II suffered from arthritis and circulation problems. It has also been determined that he must have originally had red hair, after analysis carried out on his mummy, which was found in 1881. It is known that it measured about 1.70 m.

In the 1970s his body was transferred to Paris for conservation. In order to make the trip, a passport had to be made, in which "king, (deceased)" settled as an occupation. The remains of Ramses II spent in the French capital for about a year, after which they returned to Egypt.

Ramses II was one of the most influential rulers of his time and nine later pharaohs decided to take his name to exercise government and honor his memory.

Constructions and monuments

The government of Ramses II transcended in Egyptian history for having been one of those that produced the largest number of temples and large buildings in Egypt. Likewise, he managed to put the art of his time to use, implementing it as propaganda.

Some buildings and works that were not carried out by him bear his name inscribed, after being restored during his tenure.

According to some sources, Ramses II usurped buildings and statues as a method of taking his propaganda to all corners of Egypt without spending so much budget, since only minor modifications or the engraving of his name were made.

The Ramesseum was his funerary temple in honor of the president, located in the necropolis of Thebes. At that time the pharaohs were considered a deity, therefore in these enclosures the rulers were worshiped in the same way as the gods of the Egyptian pantheon were done.

Representation of Ramses II in an Egyptian chariot. Scan by NYPL via Wikimedia Commons

Ramses II made changes in the engraving systems of the time so that his representations were not easily altered after his death, and in them he reflected his victories and achievements as a military man and pharaoh.

Pi-Ramses

This was the city that Ramses II chose as the capital for his reign. It was located near the present city of Qantir. The original name was Pi-Ramesses Aa-nakhtu, which translates as "Dominions of Ramses, Great in Victories."

That settlement became a great city. It was made up of huge buildings and temples, among which the royal residence stood out, which even had its own zoo in it. Furthermore, Pi-Ramsés had a population of more than 300,000 inhabitants.

Today, very little remains of that archaeological site that once served as the capital of the empire of Ramses II. Among the few artifacts that have survived to this day is a large statue representing the pharaoh.

Ramesseum

This was the temple that Ramses II ordered for himself and the construction of which took more than 20 years. In the enclosure the god Amun was honored, who had great prominence in the Egyptian pantheon. Over the years the structure suffered significant wear, so that today only fragments of several outstanding works remain.

Among the most famous elements that adorned the Ramesseum, was a statue of the Pharaoh that had a height of 17 meters. Today the upper part is protected and is exhibited by the British Museum.

On the walls of the Ramesseum scenes from the military confrontations that Ramses II had throughout his life are represented. Members of his family were also captured, as is the case with his many sons and daughters, in procession.

In the greatness of his temple and the majesty with which it was represented, Ramses II left his legacy cemented for future generations of Egyptians. He was recognized by his successors as one of the great builders of the Empire.

Abu simbel

These were two large twin temples built by Ramses II in Nubia, near Sudan. Both were sculpted directly from the mountain and served both to commemorate their victory at Kadesh and to honor the royal couple of Egypt.

With his grand building plans, Ramses II made sure that the Nubians were impressed by his techniques and ability to execute immense works, as well as that the presence of the pharaoh was in the day-to-day lives of his subjects in every corner of their land. land.

Great Temple of Abu Simbel, by Internet Archive Book Images, via Wikimedia Commons

The first or "Great Temple" was dedicated to Ramses II, and the "Little Temple" honored his wife Nefertari. In both they were shown as gods, with immense representations. They were inaugurated around 1255 a. C.

The temple was discovered by Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1813, and in 1979 it was designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site. In 1968 it was relocated to an artificial hill, since its original location was used for other purposes.

Battle against the shardana

After two years in power, Ramses II decided to confront one of the most important factions known as Gentes de Mar: the Shardana. The occupation of this group was the piracy of ships from Egyptian lands.

Pharaoh hid troops and military ships on the shores near one of the mouths of the Nile Delta, while a group of seemingly unprotected merchant ships acted as bait.

The shardana pirates attacked the ships and were soon surrounded by the Egyptians, who sank many ships and captured large numbers of the pirates.

The prisoners had a choice to make: join the Egyptian army or be executed. A wide margin accepted the offer, and they were part of the royal guard of Ramses II.

Syrian campaign and the Hittites

In the fourth year of his reign, Ramses II advanced his army towards Canaan, where he faced the princes of the region. After defeating them and taking their lands, he took them as prisoners to Egypt. In addition, he managed to capture the city-state of Amurru, a vassal state of the Hittites.

The following year, the pharaoh returned to Canaan with greater military force as he wanted to take the city-state of Qadesh, which was a border between the Egyptian and Hittite empires. This city was under Egyptian influence until 1340 BC. C., approximately, when he changed his allegiance to the Hittite Empire, established in Syria and the Anatolian peninsula.

The Hittites tricked Ramses II into believing that his army was absent, so the pharaoh, who had arrived in the van with a quarter of his forces, decided to set up camp.

The Syrians attacked with force, almost eliminating the Egyptian forces; but at the moment when Ramses II began his retreat, the rest of his forces arrived and were able to solve the situation. Although they were victorious in battle, they failed to take Qadesh.

Because of this, Hittite influence increased in Syria and northern Canaan, and the Canaanite princes in Egypt rebelled.

Return

During the seventh year of his rule, Ramses II moved his armies again towards Syria. He took the Kingdoms of Eden and Moab and the cities of Jerusalem and Jericho to, finally, retake the lands around Damascus, thus managing to recover the ancient sphere of influence of the Empire.

For the next ten years, the battle of powers between Hittites and Egyptians continued until, in the twenty-first year of their reign and in the city of Qadesh, the empires signed the first recorded peace treaty in history, recognizing each other as equals and with reciprocal concessions.

References

1. Faulkner, R. and F. Dorman, P. (2019). Ramses II - Biography, Achievements, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: britannica.com.
2. National Geographic (2019). Ramses II. Available at: nationalgeographic.com.es.
3. En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Ramesses II. Available at: en.wikipedia.org}.
4. Tyldesley, Joyce (2000). Ramesses: Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh. London: Viking / Penguin Books.
5. Rice, Michael (1999). Who's Who in Ancient Egypt. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-15448-2.