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

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the vast gold mining operations that fueled Ramses the Great's building boom and military campaigns. They journey to the gold-rich regions of Wawat and Kush in Nubia, where the pharaoh's engineers extracted gold from quartz veins using fire-setting and grinding techniques. The hosts discuss the organization of labor, with prisoners of war and conscripted Egy...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the role of the war chariot in Ramses II's military campaigns, particularly the Battle of Kadesh. They discuss the engineering of Egyptian chariots, the training of horse teams, and how chariot forces were used tactically. Lucas explains the differences between Egyptian and Hittite chariot designs, and how Ramses used chariot imagery in temple reliefs to pro...

In Episode 73, Lucas and Luna peel back the layers of propaganda to examine the Battle of Kadesh, Ramses II's most famous military engagement. They explore what actually happened in 1274 BCE when Ramses led his army against the Hittite king Muwatalli II near the Orontes River. Lucas explains how Ramses turned a near-disaster into a propaganda victory, using inscriptions and reliefs at temples like...

In Episode 72, Lucas and Luna explore the world's first recorded peace treaty—the agreement between Ramses II of Egypt and Hattusili III of the Hittite Empire, signed around 1259 BCE. They discuss the events leading up to the treaty after the Battle of Kadesh, the diplomatic negotiations involving messengers traveling between Per-Ramesses and Hattusa, and the treaty's terms of mutual defense and e...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable diplomatic marriage between Ramses the Great and the Hittite princess Maathorneferure, which sealed the peace treaty after the Battle of Kadesh. They discuss the political context of the Hittite-Egyptian rivalry, the journey of the princess to Pi-Ramesses, the inscription on the Marriage Stela at Abu Simbel, and how this union reshaped power i...

In Episode 70 of our Ramses the Great series, we dive into one of the most dramatic yet often overlooked events of his reign: the Naval Battle of the Delta. While the land battle at Kadesh gets all the attention, Ramses also fought a massive riverine engagement against the Sea Peoples in the Nile Delta around 1175 BCE. We explore the tactics, the ships, the weapons, and the aftermath, drawing on t...

Explore the remarkable 67-year rule of Ramses II, Egypt's longest-reigning pharaoh. This episode examines how Ramses outlived his heirs, managed a succession crisis, and used monumental building projects and diplomacy to cement his legacy. We discuss his coronation, the Heb Sed festival, the role of his son Khaemwaset as high priest, and the transition to Merenptah. Discover the political strategi...

Prince Khaemwaset, the fourth son of Ramses II, was not a general or a king but a high priest of Ptah in Memphis. He oversaw the burial of sacred Apis bulls, restored crumbling monuments of Old Kingdom pharaohs, and is sometimes called the world's first Egyptologist. Lucas and Luna explore his life, his restoration of the Step Pyramid complex, the Serapeum at Saqqara, his role as a scribe, and his...

After reigning for 67 years, Ramses II outlived most of his children, leaving a tangled succession crisis that nearly tore Egypt apart. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the complicated story of Ramses' many sons and heirs, focusing on the prince who was supposed to be king but never got the chance: Khaemwaset. A high priest of Ptah and a pioneering archaeologist, Khaemwaset restored ancient...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Ramses the Great's massive building program across Egypt and Nubia. They discuss how Ramses used architecture as propaganda, constructing temples like the Ramesseum, Abu Simbel, and the additions to Karnak and Luxor to cement his legacy. The conversation covers the logistics of quarrying stone at Aswan and Gebel el-Silsila, the use of stelae for royal messag...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore daily life in Per-Ramesses, the magnificent delta capital built by Ramses II. They discuss the city's layout, its multicultural population, the role of the god Seth, the discovery of chariot stables and bronze workshops, and how the city was lost and later identified by archaeologists Manfred Bietak and Edgar Pusch. Along the way, they touch on trade, religi...

Before Ramses II built his colossal temples and monuments, he first needed a capital worthy of his ambitions. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the rise and fall of Pi-Ramesses, the dazzling city Ramses constructed in the Nile Delta as the administrative and military heart of his empire. They walk through its layout, its canals, its temples to Seth, Amun, and Ptah, and its role as a hub for...

In 1881, a mummy hidden in a cache at Deir el-Bahri stunned the world. It was Ramses the Great, his body perfectly preserved for over three millennia. This episode follows the discovery by Emile Brugsch and the Egyptian Antiquities Service, the race to protect royal mummies from looters, and what the mummy reveals about the pharaoh's health, diet, and cause of death. We explore the controversial u...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the smaller but equally magnificent temple at Abu Simbel that Ramses II built for his Great Royal Wife, Nefertari. Dedicated to the goddess Hathor and to Nefertari herself, the temple is a unique monument to a queen's divine status. They discuss the temple's facade with its six colossal statues, the inner chambers where Nefertari appears as a priestess befor...

In 1200 BCE, Pharaoh Ramses II launched a massive quarrying expedition into the Eastern Desert of Egypt, targeting the graywacke stone of Wadi Hammamat. This episode follows the logistics of that journey: over 8,000 men, including soldiers, scribes, and stonecutters, marching through a barren landscape with donkeys carrying water. We explore the stela left behind by Ramses's overseer, which record...

In episode 60 of our Fexingo History series on Ramses the Great, we dive into the breathtaking rock-cut temple of Abu Simbel, carved into the cliffs of southern Egypt in the 13th century BC. Lucas and Luna explore the temple's colossal statues of Ramses and his queen Nefertari, the intricate alignment with the sun twice a year, and the hidden chambers dedicated to gods like Ptah, Amun-Re, Ra-Harak...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the magnificent rock-cut temple of Abu Simbel, built by Ramses the Great in Nubia. They discuss the temple's dramatic relocation in the 1960s to save it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser, the colossal statues of Ramses, and the smaller temple dedicated to his queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor. The conversation covers the temple's...

When Ramses II carved his victories into temple walls, he wasn't just recording history — he was projecting divine power. In Episode 58, Lucas and Luna explore the iconic 'smiting scenes' that appear on nearly every Ramessid monument, from Abu Simbel to Karnak to the Ramesseum. Why did Ramses have himself depicted gripping enemies by the hair, raising a mace to strike them down, over and over agai...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the crucial role of scribes in Ramses II's Egypt, focusing on the powerful royal scribe Paser. They discuss how scribes were educated, their rise to high office, and their influence in running the empire—from managing grain supplies to drafting treaties. Lucas explains the scribal school at Per-Ramesses, the tools of the trade, and how literacy opened doors...

In Episode 56 of our Ramses the Great series, Lucas and Luna journey to the ancient city of Letopolis, the cult center of the falcon god Khenty-irty. While Ramses II is famous for his colossal monuments at Per-Ramesses, Abu Simbel, and Thebes, he also invested in lesser-known religious sites to secure his divine legacy. This episode explores the remains of Letopolis' temple, its role in the Egypti...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable career of Setau, Ramses II's viceroy of Nubia. Setau was a commoner who rose to become the king's right hand in the gold-rich land of Kush, overseeing grand building projects at sites like Wadi es-Sebua and Abu Simbel. They discuss Setau's unusual epitaph and the evidence from his tomb at El-Kab, which reveals his humble origins and unwavering...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the political marriages of Ramses the Great, focusing on his wedding to a Hittite princess in the 34th year of his reign. They discuss how the Hittite king Hattusili III offered his daughter to cement the peace treaty after Kadesh, the dowry and bride price negotiations, the princess's journey from Anatolia to Per-Ramesses, and her integration into the Egypt...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the life and role of Meritamen, one of Ramses the Great's most prominent daughters. Born to Queen Nefertari, Meritamen held the powerful title of High Priestess of Amun at Thebes, a position that combined religious authority with political influence. They discuss her depiction at Abu Simbel, her role in the Opet Festival, and how she manag...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Ramses II's confrontation with the Sea Peoples, a confederation of mysterious invaders who threatened Egypt's delta in the early 12th century BCE. We dive into the identity of these groups—the Sherden, Shekelesh, Lukka, Tjekker, Peleset, Denyen, and Weshesh—and their origins, possibly from the Aegean or western Anatolia. Lucas explains how Ramses first encou...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a lesser-known chapter of Ramses II's reign: his military campaigns in Nubia beyond the well-known temples. They focus on the fortress of Buhen, a massive Egyptian stronghold built centuries before Ramses but restored and reinforced under his rule. Lucas explains how Buhen was part of a chain of fortresses controlling the Nile flows and gold routes, and how...