Ramases II - The Greatest of Egypt's Pharaohs Essay

Ramesses II, also known as Rameses and Ramses was the third Pharaoh of the nineteenth dynasty in ancient Egypt and arguably the most powerful ruler Egypt has seen. He led his civilization from 1279-1213 B.C.E. With a seemingly everlasting reign of around sixty six to sixty seven years, Ramesses aided Egypt in the ways of expansion and growth of power. Being born into royalty and prosperity, Ramesses was able to influence the politics and growth of his country at a very young age. Shortly after his death, Egypt’s new kingdom faced a decline in power and influence.

Pharaoh was really responsible for the welfare of Egypt. Pharaoh had great partnerships with the gods assured affluence and banned natural disasters such as drought, insect pests and epidemics. The last Pharaoh ended the reign that ravaged the Persian invaders.

In the Planet Egypt: Birth of the Empire, it provides an overview of King Narmer’s legacy and his ambition to unite the lower and upper kingdoms of Egypt as one. The debate present in the video is whether or not Narmer did it by force, or the people of the lower and upper kingdoms assimilated peacefully over generations to create one unified group.

One of the most famous pharaoh of that time was Thutmose I who was the son of unknown warrior and queen Ahhotep’s daughter. He earned control over the Nubians’ gold mines by sending them to the south and penetrated deeper into Palestine and Syria. Thutmose I during his leadership expanded Egypt territory; the country prospered.

Amenhotep IV better known as Akhenaten is one of the most interesting pharaohs to have ever ruled over Egypt (BBC). He changed his name to Akhenaton, which means 'the servant of Aten' early in his reign (ehistory). He came into power around 1353 BCE and stayed in power for 17 years (BBC). His wife was queen Nefertiti and they had six daughters, he also fathered king Tut (BBC). Akhenaten was a true visionary as he made revolutionary changes to the religion and art of Ancient Egypt.

The Hyksos invaded and occupied Egypt from the 15th - 17th dynasties known as the second intermediate period, before their eventual defeat by the Egyptians which started the 18th dynasty.

Let’s start with Pharaoh Hatshepsut. This amazing pharaoh was the first girl pharaoh. This pioneer ruled during the new kingdom, otherwise known as the Golden age. She ruled from about 1473 B.C.E to about 1458 B.C.E. This pharaoh encouraged trade in Egypt and in other civilizations. She made her government stronger by filling her government with royal advisers. She also wanted the same respect that people gave to rulers that are men. Some fun facts about her is that sometimes she wore a fake beard and she shared her rule with male

Geb’s son, Osiris, was the god of afterlife. He was murdered by his own brother Seth, which they think was the cause of the droughts, but his miraculous rebirth caused the flooding of the Nile valley. He was married to his sister Isis and had a son named Horus. Osiris also had another sister, Nephthys. It was said that Osiris was the one who brought civilization to the ancient Egyptian. He left and showed the Egyptians many things, but while he was gone Seth planned to kill him. His plan worked, he killed Osiris and threw him into the Nile River, but Isis found his body only to let Seth rip it into 14 pieces. Isis and Nephthys worked together and found every piece except one, which was eaten by the Nile fish. Isis recovered him just long enough to have Horus, which would be the future king of Egypt.

When she died Thutmose took her throne. He was the only pharaoh that had conquered the most land. He conquered Nubia, Syrian, Lebanese Coast, Israel, and Palestine. Later on in his life Thutmose took children from Nubia and made them Egyptians and put them back in Nubia. Thutmose III ruled Egypt for 54 years.

* Conquering five northern kingdoms * Defeated 31 kings. * Settled Israelites in Canaan. The Period of Judges Othniel 14 Century B.C. * Defeated the Cushan – Rishathaim.

One example is Thutmose III. During his rule he made Egypt larger and more powerful. Thutmose III was able to expand Egypt's territories, while never losing a battle. His great military success was shown when he captured a total of 350 cities. As a result of this he was viewed as a military genius. Lastly, he built monuments and temples with the riches he collected on his military excursions. Due to his expansion, and wealth he is considered one of the most significant pharaohs of the New Kingdom time.

Djedkare Isesi was an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh, the eighth ruler of the Fifth Dynasty in the late 25th century to mid 24th century BCE, during the Old Kingdom period. He likely enjoyed a long reign of over 40 years, which heralded a new period in the history of the Old Kingdom. Breaking with a tradition followed by his predecessors since the time of Userkaf, Djedkare did not build a temple to the sun god Ra, possibly reflecting the rise of Osiris in the Egyptian pantheon. More significantly, Djedkare effected comprehensive reforms of the Egyptian state administration, the first undertaken since the inception of the system of ranking titles. He also reorganised the funerary cults of his forebears buried in the necropolis of Abusir and reformed

Upper and Lower Egypt were united for the first time under one ruler, however, this would come to an end around 2200 B.C.. In much of the Egyptian hieroglyphs, the Pharaoh was often depicted as almost larger than life, with great power and much of Egyptian art is a celebration of his accomplishments. The formation of a royal absolutism occurred during this period, with the Pharaoh and a small-centralized administration, composed mainly of royal kin and relatives, overseeing all aspects of Egyptian life. The Pharaoh was looked at as a living god among the Egyptian people, who assured the success of Egypt as well as its peace. "The Pharaoh belonged both to the world of the gods and the world of men, and he was seen as a bridge between them. Some of the local deities represented various aspects of nature, such as the earth and the sky, or the Nile and it's gifts of fertility. So the king, living in their midst, could bring the Egyptians into a harmonious relationship with their divinities and with the forces of nature upon which their whole existence depended" (Hawkes 43).

Ramses had a harsh and profound life, yet he was able to accomplish, build, and expand so many ideas across Egypt and even into today. Ramses II made most decisions based on his involvement whether that was war, politics, or ruling. Egypt had to rely on Ramses II to be Pharaoh when his father died. This step in which Ramses had to take at the age of 19 was hard to fulfill with only some training by his father. Ramses was able to accomplish many innovations that have survived to be around today. As ruler Ramses was also the leader of his army and led many battles including the famous war between the Egyptians and Hittites. Ramses created the first treaty to be written down after a war. Ramses has been known to be one of the most profound

The reign of Amenophis III was the beginning of a political era of diplomatic relations and an economic upturn in Egypt. Amenophis III was original with the choice of his ‘Great Royal Wife’, Tiye, who was not born into a family of monarchs.