Who is ramses ii egypt

Artwork on the interior of the Grand Temple commemorates the Battle of Kadesh in BC, which Ramesses seems to have considered his greatest triumph — he had it recorded in reliefs across many other temples, too, as well as in poetry. It was perched in a precarious position, on the frontier of these rival empires.

After leaving a detachment of soldiers at nearby Amurru, Ramesses set his sights on recapturing Kadesh.

His army numbered 20,, divided into four divisions of infantry and chariotry. On the way, he managed to apprehend some Hittite deserters, who brought him the welcome news that the terrified Hittites were still more than miles away. With an unshakeable confidence in his might, he marched towards Kadesh only to come across more Hittite soldiers, who were this time more honest in their confessions.

Ramesses had fallen for the oldest trick in the book: the Hittites, under the leadership of King Muwatalli II, had already reached Kadesh and were waiting just over the hill.

Everything which I attempted I succeeded … I found the enemy chariots scattering before my horses. Not one of them could fight me. Their hearts quaked with fear when they saw me and their arms went limp so they could not shoot.

What is likely is that the Egyptians had the superior technology that was better suited to the environment, in the form of lighter, more mobile chariots.

With the armies on opposing sides of the river, a truce was negotiated — though both sides claim it was the other who pleaded for peace. His near defeat was spun into a masterful retelling of victory; accounts subsequently inscribed on temples across his kingdom all applaud the fearless warrior king.

He slaughtered all the troops of the doomed Hittite, his nobleman and his brothers, along with the chiefs of all the countries which had supported him. Culture Reference. Who was Ramses II? A limestone relief depicts Ramses II smiting his enemies. Abu Simbel, monumental temple. Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. An elevated view of the Ramses temple and the Nile shoreline. Prince Khaemwaset. Share Tweet Email. Why it's so hard to treat pain in infants.

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In the first few years of his reign, Ramses foreshadowed his later power with battles against sea pirates and the beginning of major building projects. His earliest known major victory came in the second year of his reign, probably BC, when he defeated the Sherden pirates. The Sherden, who most likely originated from Ionia or Sardinia, were a fleet of pirates who kept attacking cargo ships en route to Egypt, damaging or outright crippling Egyptian sea trade.

Ramses also began his major building projects within the first three years of his reign. On his orders, the ancient temples in Thebes were completely renovated, specifically to honor Ramses and his power, revered as nearly divine. The stone carving methods used by past pharaohs resulted in shallow carvings which could easily be remade by their successors. In place of this, Ramses ordered much deeper carvings that would be harder to undo or alter in the future. He began with war against the nearby Canaan , the region to the northeast of Egypt where the countries of the Middle East such as Israel now are located.

One story from this era involves Ramses personally fighting a wounded Canaanite prince and, upon victory, taking the Canaanite prince to Egypt as prisoners. His military campaigns extended into areas previously held by the Hittites and, eventually, Syria.

Although Egyptian forces were outnumbered, he was able to counterattack and force the Hittites back into the city. A few years later, however, Ramses was able to return to Hittite-held Syria and eventually pushed further north than any pharaoh in over a century.

Unfortunately, his northern victories did not last long, and a small bit of land kept going back and forth between Egyptian and Hittite control. In addition to his campaigns in Syria against the Hittites, Ramses led military attempts in other regions.