Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History

In this special 100th episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the fascinating story of Ramses the Great's own tomb, KV7, in the Valley of the Kings. Unlike the more famous tomb of Tutankhamun, KV7 is one of the largest and most elaborate royal tombs ever built in Egypt, yet it remains largely unknown to the public. Lucas reveals how Ramses deliberately broke with tradition by being the...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the crucial role of archery in Ramses II's military campaigns, focusing on the composite bow — a weapon of advanced design that gave Egypt a strategic edge. They discuss the types of wood and sinew used, the training of specialized bowmen, and the tactical deployment of archers in chariot warfare, as depicted at the Battle of Kadesh. The conversation also to...

For decades, Ramses the Great's military campaigns have been overshadowed by the Battle of Kadesh. But in his later years, Egypt faced a different threat: waves of Libyan tribes pressing into the Nile Delta. This episode explores Ramses' Libyan war—a brutal, strategically complex conflict that reshaped Egypt's western frontier. We trace the origins of the Libyan incursions, the tribes involved (Me...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the extraordinary story of Ramses the Great's mummy — from his death around 1213 BCE to the desperate measures priests took to protect his body from tomb robbers. They trace the mummy's journey from the Valley of the Kings to the Deir el-Bahri royal cache, where it lay hidden for nearly 3,000 years alongside other New Kingdom pharaohs. The...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the economic engine behind Ramses the Great's monumental building projects and military campaigns: gold. They travel to the mines of the Eastern Desert and Nubia, discussing the logistics of extraction, the role of the state, and how gold from places like the Wadi Hammamat and the mines of Kush financed an empire. They touch on the Turin P...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the shadowy figure of Crown Prince Ramses—the firstborn son of Ramses the Great who was groomed to rule but died before his father, leaving the throne to his younger brother Merenptah. They piece together his life from scattered inscriptions: his titles as King's Son, his military role at Kadesh depicted on temple walls, his priestly duties in Memphis, and h...

In 1258 BCE, after decades of war and the famous Battle of Kadesh, Pharaoh Ramses II and Hittite King Hattusili III signed a peace treaty that ended the conflict between their empires. This episode explores the text of that treaty, discovered in both Egyptian hieroglyphs at Karnak and Hittite cuneiform at Hattusa. Lucas and Luna discuss the terms—extradition of refugees, mutual defense, and divine...

In the 34th year of his reign, Ramses the Great secured a historic peace with the Hittite Empire by marrying a Hittite princess, the daughter of King Hattusili III and Queen Puduhepa. This episode explores the diplomatic negotiations, the princess's journey from Hattusa to Per-Ramesses, her Egyptian name Maathorneferure, and the political and cultural implications of the marriage. Lucas and Luna d...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Ramses the Great's coronation ceremony—a ritual that transformed him from prince into living god. They walk through the sacred journey from Memphis to Abydos, the Osireion temple, the white sedan chair, the presentation of the crook and flail, and the moment he received the fivefold titulary: Horus, Nebty, Golden Horus, Nisut-Bity, and Sa-Re. They discuss th...

Ramses the Great had many sons, but none left a mark like Khaemwaset. As High Priest of Ptah in Memphis, he restored crumbling pyramids and temples, earning a reputation as Egypt's first archaeologist. He was also a powerful magician in later legend, starring in Demotic tales like the Setna cycle. This episode explores his real-life career: his role in the Apis bull burials at the Serapeum, his in...

We often marvel at Ramses II's colossal statues and temples, but who actually cut the stone, hauled the blocks, and carved the hieroglyphs? This episode turns the spotlight away from the pharaoh and onto the army of craftsmen, laborers, and slaves who built his monuments. We examine the organization of work crews at the Ramesseum and Abu Simbel, the specialized roles of quarrymen and sculptors at...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the pivotal role of royal scribes in Ramses the Great's propaganda machine, focusing on the scribe Pentaur and the famous 'Poem of Pentaur' that immortalized the Battle of Kadesh as a glorious victory. They discuss how Egyptian scribes were trained, the political necessity of crafting a heroic narrative after a near-disastrous battle, and...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the heart of Ramses the Great's empire: his magnificent capital city of Per-Ramesses, 'House of Ramses, Great of Victories.' Built on the site of the former Hyksos capital Avaris in the eastern Nile Delta, this sprawling metropolis was a showcase of imperial power, blending Egyptian tradition with foreign influences. We follow the city's c...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the vital role of the horse in Ramses II's military and ceremonial life. They visit the sprawling royal stables at Per-Ramesses, where thousands of horses were bred, trained, and prepared for war. Lucas explains the origins of the Egyptian chariot force — imported from the Hyksos and refined by the New Kingdom — and describes how Ramses personally named his...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Theogamy relief at Luxor Temple, where Ramses the Great claimed divine birth from the god Amun-Re. They discuss how this propaganda mirrored Hatshepsut's earlier claims, the political context of the 19th Dynasty, and what it tells us about Egyptian kingship. The conversation also touches on the temple's architecture, the role of Queen Tuya, and how Ramse...

When you rule the ancient world's greatest superpower for 67 years, you need to feed millions. This episode explores the vast agricultural engine behind Ramses II's Egypt—the grains, cattle, and fish that sustained the might of Kemet. We follow the annual inundation of Hapi, the Nile's flood, which turned the desert green and filled the royal granaries. Lucas and Luna discuss the daily diet of a D...

While Ramses the Great is famous for his monumental building projects and military campaigns, his personal life was equally complex. This episode delves into the lives of his two principal wives, Nefertari and Isisnofret, exploring their political roles, religious influence, and the power dynamics within the royal harem. We examine Nefertari's temple at Abu Simbel, her diplomatic correspondence wi...

In this episode of the Fexingo History podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the career of Setau, Ramses the Great's viceroy of Kush, who governed Egypt's Nubian territories for over two decades. They discuss how Setau rose from a lowly scribe to become the king's right hand in Nubia, overseeing gold mines, temple construction, and diplomatic relations with local chieftains. Lucas reveals details from S...

Ramses the Great is famous for his chariots at Kadesh, but what about the horses that pulled them? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the vital role of horses in Ramses's military campaigns, their breeding, training, and care. They discuss the names of Ramses's personal horses, like "Victory in Thebes" and "Mut is Content," and how the pharaoh's bond with these animals was immortalized in tem...

What was it like to serve in Ramses the Great's army? This episode pulls back the curtain on the men behind the pharaoh's legendary campaigns. We explore the structure of Egypt's military during the New Kingdom's 19th Dynasty: the professional core of soldiers, the conscripted peasants filling the ranks, and the foreign mercenaries like the Sherden and the Medjay who brought their own tactics to t...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into one of the most dramatic crises of Ramses the Great's reign: the invasion of the Sea Peoples. These mysterious raiders from the Aegean and Anatolia — including the Sherden, Lukka, and Peleset (the biblical Philistines) — swept across the eastern Mediterranean, toppling empires like the Hittites. Ramses faced them in a massive naval battle in the Nile Delta...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Theogamy, or divine birth narrative, of Ramses the Great as depicted on the walls of the Luxor Temple. Ramses didn't just claim to be the son of Seti I—he claimed to be the literal offspring of the god Amun-Re. We walk through the reliefs showing Amun visiting Queen Tuya in the guise of her husband, the divine conception, and the birth of the prince. Luc...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Nubian gold mines that fueled Ramses the Great's monumental building projects and military campaigns. They discuss the Turin Papyrus Map, the oldest surviving geological map, which details gold mining operations in the Wadi Hammamat region. The conversation covers the techniques used by Egyptian miners, including fire-setting and the use of Medjay police...

Ramses the Great's building program in Nubia extended far beyond the famous temples at Abu Simbel. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the pharaoh's lesser-known Nubian monuments: the rock-cut temple at Beit el-Wali, the fortress-temple at Gerf Hussein, and the spectacular sanctuary of Wadi es-Sebua, built over an earlier shrine of Amenhotep III. They discuss how these temples served both as r...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Ramses the Great's colossal statues — not just as art, but as tools of power, propaganda, and religious authority. They discuss the famous fallen colossus at the Ramesseum that inspired Shelley's 'Ozymandias', the 66-foot seated statues at Abu Simbel, and the many smaller colossi that lined temples and cities across Egypt. The conversation covers the symboli...