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

Episode 50 of Ramses the Great dives into the economic engine behind his monuments: the gold mines of Nubia. Lucas and Luna explore the Wadi Hammamat and the Eastern Desert mines, the forced labor of the Madjai and Medjay, the role of gold in temple construction and foreign diplomacy, and the administrative machinery that turned Nubian ore into Egypt's wealth. They discuss the logistics of extract...

Over 5,000 chariots clashed at the Orontes River in 1274 BCE. Ramses II's gamble at Kadesh nearly cost him his empire, but he turned near-defeat into a propaganda triumph. Lucas unpacks the battle's two surviving accounts—the Egyptian Poem and Bulletin versus the Hittite letters from Hattusa—to reveal a far messier truth. He explains how Ramses's elite division Amun was ambushed, how the pharaoh p...

In 1259 BCE, after decades of war including the famous Battle of Kadesh, Pharaoh Ramses II and Hittite King Hattusili III negotiated the world's first surviving international peace treaty. This episode explores the diplomatic maneuvering, the silver tablet text, and how this agreement shaped the ancient Near East. Discover the role of the storm god Teshub, the Sun goddess Arinna, and the god Seth...

Episode 47 of Fexingo History's Ramses the Great series explores the Heb Sed, or royal jubilee festival—a tradition dating back to the earliest dynasties. Ramses II celebrated an unprecedented number of Sed festivals, using them to reaffirm his divine kingship and physical vigor. Lucas and Luna discuss the origins of the Heb Sed in the Old Kingdom, the rituals involved, and how Ramses manipulated...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Ramses II's deep involvement with the ancient Apis bull cult at Memphis. They discuss how Ramses, through his son Khaemwaset, expanded the Serapeum burial complex, the role of the Apis bull as a living god linked to Ptah and Osiris, and the political and religious significance of these rituals. The conversation covers the discovery of the Serapeum by Auguste...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Festival of Drunkenness, a ritual designed to appease the goddess Sekhmet and prevent plague. Set in the ancient Egyptian city of Per-Ramesses, the festival involved drinking red-dyed beer to mimic blood, music, and dancing to calm the lion-headed goddess. Lucas explains the origins in the myth of the Destruction of Mankind, where Ra sent Sekhmet to puni...

In this episode of Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh, Lucas and Luna explore the often-overlooked figure of Isetnofret, Ramses II's second Great Royal Wife after Nefertari. While Nefertari is famous for her tomb and temple at Abu Simbel, Isetnofret was the mother of key sons: Khaemwaset, Ramesses' high priest of Ptah, and Merenptah, his eventual successor. They discuss her titles, he...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the magnificent Opet Festival, one of ancient Egypt's most important religious ceremonies. Ramses II, a master of spectacle, used this annual event to reinforce his divine authority and unite the kingdom. They discuss the festival's route from Karnak to Luxor Temple, the sacred barque shrines of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu, and the role of the God's Wife of Amun....

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the lost city of Per-Ramesses, Ramses II's magnificent capital built in the eastern Delta. We uncover its construction using a massive canal system, its role as a hub for chariotry and bronze workshops, and its eventual decline. Learn about the city's discovery at Qantir, its four precincts dedicated to Amun, Seth, Ptah, and Ra, and the daily life of its inh...

Before the famous Battle of Kadesh, Ramses II faced a very different kind of threat from the sea. In his second year on the throne, a coalition of raiders known as the Sherden—possibly part of the later Sea Peoples—attacked Egypt's Mediterranean coast. Ramses responded swiftly, setting a naval ambush and capturing many of the pirates, whom he then integrated into his personal guard and army. This...

In this episode of Ramses the Great, Lucas and Luna explore the shadowy yet pivotal life of Prince Amunherkhepeshef, Ramses II's firstborn son and heir apparent for over two decades. From his childhood surrounded by siblings at Per-Ramesses to his military role at the Battle of Kadesh, Amunherkhepeshef was groomed to be the next pharaoh. But he died before his father, leaving the succession to his...

From the Valley of the Kings to the afterlife, this episode explores Ramses the Great's own tomb, KV7. Lucas and Luna walk through the challenges of building a royal tomb in a hidden valley, the intricate decoration of the Book of the Dead and Amduat, and the tomb's tragic fate after his death. Learn how Ramses, despite his colossal monuments, suffered from grave robbers and a mummy moved multiple...

In Episode 38 of our Ramses series, we explore the sinew and roar of his military might: the chariot corps. After the famous near-disaster at Kadesh, Ramses overhauled his chariotry, turning it into the most formidable force in the ancient Near East. We trace the origins of the Egyptian chariot from Hyksos technology, through the adoption of the composite bow and scale armor, to the massive hit-an...

Ramses the Great's fourth son, Khaemwaset, was no mere prince. As High Priest of Ptah in Memphis, he oversaw the Serapeum and the burial of Apis bulls, but his true passion was Egypt's past. This episode dives into Khaemwaset's restorations of ancient monuments—like the Step Pyramid of Djoser and the pyramids of Unas and Userkaf—earning him the title 'the first Egyptologist.' We explore his inscri...

Everyone knows about Ramses II's epic clash with the Hittites at Kadesh, but a quieter, more persistent threat emerged from the west: the Libyan tribes, especially the Meshwesh and Libu. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Ramses the Great's campaigns against Libyan incursions in the Nile Delta during his second decade of rule. They examine the evidence from the Battle of Per-Ramesses and the...

In this episode of Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh, Lucas and Luna explore Ramses II's relationship with the fierce lion-headed goddess Sekhmet. Known as the Lady of Plague and the Lady of Life, Sekhmet was both a destroyer and healer. Lucas explains how Ramses commissioned hundreds of statues of Sekhmet to appease her and protect Egypt from epidemics. They delve into the annual Fe...

This episode takes you to Beit el-Wali, Ramses II's rarely-discussed Nubian temple near the Aswan High Dam. We explore its vivid wall reliefs depicting the pharaoh's campaigns against Nubians and Libyans, the temple's role as a symbol of Egyptian dominance, and its rediscovery during the UNESCO salvage campaign. Learn about the temple's unique rock-cut architecture, its dedication to the gods Amun...

Lucas and Luna explore the life and political role of Bintanath, Ramses II's daughter and later his Great Royal Wife. They discuss her titles, her monuments at Abu Simbel and Karnak, her role in diplomacy with the Hittites, and the controversies around royal incest in ancient Egypt. The episode also touches on her tomb and the evidence of her influence at court. #Bintanath #RamsesII #AncientEgypt...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the overlooked but crucial role of Setau, Ramses the Great's viceroy of Kush. Setau was not just an administrator; he was a high priest, temple builder, and the man who secured Nubia's gold and manpower for Egypt. From his rock-cut temple at Gerf Hussein to his inscriptions at Wadi es-Sebua, Setau's career reveals how Ramses managed his so...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Opet Festival, one of the most important religious ceremonies of Ramses II's reign. Held annually in Thebes, the festival involved a ritual journey of the gods Amun, Mut, and Khonsu from Karnak to Luxor Temple. Lucas explains the festival's origins, its political significance in legitimizing pharaonic power, and the massive procession of priests, dancers...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the engineering and symbolism behind the colossal statues of Ramses II at Abu Simbel, focusing on the Great Temple and the Small Temple dedicated to Nefertari. They discuss the logistics of quarrying and transporting 20-meter-tall statues, the astronomical alignment of the temple, and the modern relocation project in the 1960s. The conversation also touches...

This episode explores the lives and political significance of Ramses the Great's chief wives, focusing on the beloved Nefertari and the lesser-known Isetnofret. We visit Nefertari's spectacular tomb in the Valley of the Queens, deciphered from the Book of the Dead passages that adorn its walls. Lucas explains how royal marriages were diplomatic tools, especially Ramses's later Hittite bride Maatho...

In 1274 BCE, Ramses the Great led his army into one of the largest chariot battles in ancient history: the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittite Empire. This episode reconstructs the dramatic day when Ramses, misled by spies and caught in a Hittite ambush, nearly lost everything—then turned disaster into a propaganda triumph. We explore the two main Egyptian accounts, the Poem of Pentaur and the Bu...

In this episode, we explore the lives of the ordinary builders and artisans who constructed Ramses II's great monuments. We discuss the workers' village of Deir el-Medina, the daily lives of scribes and stonemasons, the logistics of quarrying and moving stone, the tools and techniques used, the organization of labor into gangs and crews, the payment in grain and goods, the role of the vizier Paser...

Episode 26 of Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh steps away from the pharaoh's sons, wives, and temples to plunge into the economic engine that made it all possible: Nubian gold. Lucas guides us through the desolate Eastern Desert to the gold mines of Wadi Hammamat, the Wadi Allaqi, and the emerald mines of Sikait. We meet the enslaved Nubians and Egyptian convicts who dug the quartz,...