The Legacy of Ramesses the Great

Running Head: THE LEGACY OF THE RAMESSES THE GREAT






The Legacy of Ramesses the Great
Jetca Narte
Academic Decathlon
Mr.Ysidro Valenzuela
Fresno High School












Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to give the reader a thorough insight into the life of the man that built some of the wonders of the world. Students will be able to identify who built those great monuments they often see in movies, they will also learn the names of those massive monuments and what their purpose were. Students will also gain insight into one of the world’s greatest ancient civilization, the ancient Egyptians.








Introduction: This paper is designed to acknowledge Ramesses the Great’s accomplishments. This paper will acquaint the reader about Ramesses. To give the reader an idea about the man who built some of the greatest world wonders. To give the reader an idea how Ramesse the Great earned his name.
Ramesses the Great is considered to be the greatest and most powerful pharaoh that ever ruled ancient Egypt. To his people, he was warrior, a builder, a peacemaker, a king, a god. He was the man who restored Egypt back to its glorious position. He was the man who expanded the Egyptian empire. To his people, he was the greatest pharaoh that ever grazed the throne of Egypt. Some also know him as the tyrannical biblical figure, who forced Jewish slaves to build massive structures the world at that point in time has never seen before, ultimately, driving them on an exodus out of Egypt.
Ramesses the Great was born USERMARE RAMSES in 1303 BC, the exact date is unknown. He was the second ruler of the 19th dysnaty. Ramesses was the second child of Pharaoh Seti I and Queen Tuya. He was the grandson of Ramesses I. At a very young age, it was already clear that Ramesses was going to become a great leader. His father, pharaoh Seti I recognized this hence the appointment of Ramesses as Prince Regent at the tender age of 14. Soon after, Ramesses assumed the throne of Egypt and began his long bountiful reign. Ramesses reigned for 67 years; it is the second longest reigning period of a pharaoh in the history of Egypt.
When Ramesses first assumed the throne of Egypt, many tested his authority and capabilities. In ancient times, it was customary to test the new pharaoh’s power, to see how long the new pharaoh can keep the peace in his kingdom. This custom was abused by many upper middle class Egyptians all of whom were rooting for Ramesses to fail. But despite of all the challenges that were thrown at him, Ramesses the Great persevered and still went on to become to the greatest pharaoh that ever grazed the throne of Egypt.
Ramesses had a passion for building. Ramesses is famous for many things but he is probably most famous for all of the great colossal structures he built during his time as pharaoh. In ancient Egypt, great buildings and structures that were commissioned by the past pharaohs not only symbolizes the advanced culture of the ancient Egyptians but they are also the key in gauging a pharaoh’s power. Ramesses the Great built more structures than any other pharaohs, which only furthers suggests that Ramesses the Great may truly have been the greatest pharaoh that ruled Egypt. Many of the structures he built still stand today. Some of the structures he built are the Temple of Abu Simbel, the Temple of Luxor, the Rameseum, and some parts of the temple of Karnak. Though all of these structures are equally exquisite and incredibly, his most famous structure is the Temple of Abu Simbel. According to (http://witcombe.sbc.edu/sacredplaces/abusimbel.html ).
Pharaoh Ramses II had two temples carved up out of solid rock. This site is located on the west bank of the Nile. The Temple of Abu Simbel is dedicated to the sun gods Amon-Re, Re-Horakhte, Ptah and to Ramses himself. Because of its remote location, the Temple was not discovered until in 1813. Abu Simbel or Ipsambul was designed to strike awe into travelers from southern africa, to acquaint them of the much advance culture of the Egyptians.
According to (http://www.pilotguides.com/destination_guide/middle_east_and_north_africa/egypt/ramses_temple.php ) . The four large statues in front of the temple are Ramses the great, the smaller statues are his first and favorite wife Nefertari and his son Amonherkhepshef. The walls of the inside of the temple are effigies of Ramesses and and important events that took place in his life.
Egyptians worshipped in the temple during Ramesses' long reign but it was eventually abandoned and was buried beneath the sands the fine golden sands of Egypt, forgotten.
Another famous structure Ramesses built is the Temple of Luxor. The modern town of Luxor is the site of the famous city of Thebes, (Waset in ancient Egyptian) the city of a Hundred Gates. It was the capital of Egypt from the 12th dynasty (1991 BC) and reached its zenith during the New Kingdom. It was from here that Thutmose III planned his campaigns, Akenaten first contemplated the nature of god and Rameses II set out his ambitious building program. Only Memphis could compare in size and wealth, but Memphis was pillaged of its masonry to build new cities and little remains. Although the mud brick palaces of Thebes have disappeared the stone built temples have survived.
The temple of Luxor is close to the Nile and parallel with the riverbank. King Amenhotep III who reigned 1390-53 BC built this beautiful temple and dedicated it to Amon-Re, king of the gods, his consort Mut, and their son Khons. This temple has been in almost continuos use as a place of worship right up to the present day. It was completed by Tutankhamun and Horemheb and added to by Ramses II. Towards the rear is a granite shrine dedicated to Alexander the Great.During the Christian era the temple's hypostyle hall was converted into a Christian church, and the remains of another Coptic church can be seen to the west.
Then for thousands of years, the temple was buried beneath the streets and houses of the town of Luxor. Eventually the mosque of Sufi Shaykh Yusuf Abu al-Hajjaj was built over it. This mosque was preserved when the temple was uncovered and forms an integral part of the site today. This is from (http://www.eyelid.co.uk/luxor1.htm).
When people think of Ramesses the Great, they think of the gargantuan edifices he left behind, not very many think of his other accomplishments. One of his less famous accomplishments but just as significant as his others is his victory at the Battle of Kadesh.
Ramesses the Great was a valorous warrior. In his younger years, Ramesses would constantly accompany his father, Pharaoh Seti I in his war campaigns to acquaint himself of the rules of the battlefield. Ramesses engaged in numerous wars and battles to reconquer the lost territories of Egypt and to further expand his empire but his most famous battle is the Battle of Kadesh
The Hittites wanting too recover Amuru from the Egytians, the Hittites marched into Egypt. Ramesses did not see the Hittite as a threat, he saw the Hittite army as feeble and weak, so with that taken into consideration, Ramesses and his great army faced the Hittites with the same valor.
Ramesses was desperate to win the Battle of Kadesh for it will expand the Egytian Empire into Syria. Another reason that fueled Ramesses to win this Battle was that his father also invaded Kadesh in his during his reign. The battle was over who gets to take control of Syria, a location, Ramses was so desperate to posses for it would have served as a great strategical location for his massive army. The Hittites decided that the war would be best fought in Kadesh. The Hittites thought it would have been to their advantage if the battle was fought in Kadesh for it offered the Hittites the best opportunities.
The battle of Kadesh is said to be one of the bloodiest battle in the history of the world according to this website (http://keralaarticles.blogspot.com/2008/01/abu-simbel.html). Ramses produced 5000 chariots, a record that has yet to be broken.
Ramesses recorded this famous and notable victory in one of his structures. Ramesses recorded this victory on the walls of the temple of Abu Simbel.

Based on this website (ttp://www.fruitofthenile.com/ramses.htm) like Seti I, Ramses had red hair so he and his father were often associated with god Set (also known as Seth, Suti and Sutekh), the god of Drunkness and War. Even though Egyptians scorned Set for symbolizing bad things, Ramses was proud for being associated with him. Ramses engaged in many battles during his reign in order to expand his empire so Set is the perfect god to associate him with.
Ramesses is known to have fathered about 100-150 children. According to this website (http://www.ccds.charlotte.nc.us/History/Egypt/save/cramer/cramer.htm) Ramses had about numerous concubines and wives, but his first wife, Queen Nefertari was the one he chose as the "Great Royal Wife" and "Mistress of the Upper and Lower Nile". Ramses married Nefertari before he assumed the Egyptian throne, she bore his first son Amen-Hir-Khopshef(one of his 168 children). Nefertari quickly assumed the title of queen soon after her she married Ramesses. Even though Queen Tuya, Ramesses mother was still alive then, she willingly gave her position as queen to her daughter in law.
We are not sure of the parentage of Ramesses II's first principal wife (Chief King's Wife), Nefertari, though she had to have probably been of royal blood (though Almost certainly not of the immediate royal family). It has been suggested that she may have been the daughter or at least related to King Ay, one of the last rulers of the 18th dynasty. Many Egyptologists speculate that she may have been his granddaughter of niece or maybe even his great-niece. Sadly, archeologists have scant evidence to prove any of these theories. Ramesses was the second pharaoh of the 19th dynasty who, at the time chose his main queen, was already destined to rule Egypt. His other major wives include Bent’anta, Merit-amun, Nebttaui, Hentamire, and Maathomeferue. Some of his wives, such as Merit-amun were his daughters. Archeologists also suggest that Ramesses had many mofre wives but unfortunately, they were not as important as the ones named above to e preserved by history. (http://www.touregypt.net )
Ramesses large family served to strengthen his rule of the Egypt. It is unknown the true number of Ramesses’ children, but surviving artifacts, hieroglyphs, and papyri suggest that he may have had over one hundred children. Some Egyptologists believe that some of Ramesses’ children were not recorded; these children were Ramesses’ offsprings with his unofficial consorts. Others even believe that some of these children probably never knew who their father was. The ones that are recorded are those of his many wives and official consorts.
Ramesses died when he was 96 years old. Following the ancient Egyptian tradition, his corpse was mummified and buried in the Valley of the Kings. His mummy was recovered and was placed in the Egyptian museum in Cairo in 1885. Ramesses the Great’s mummy is considered to be one of the most well preserved mummies there is. Ramesses’ mummy gives us a pretty good sense of how Ramesses looked. His mummy shows that Ramesses had a hooked nose, a strong prominent jaw, and stood 5 feet seven inches, a below average height for an ancient Egyptian.