Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History
History
About
Ramses II, often called Ramses the Great, ruled Egypt for 66 years during the 19th Dynasty, a period of unprecedented wealth, monumental construction, and military expansion. From his early campaigns against the Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh—the largest chariot battle in history—to the signing of the first known peace treaty, Ramses shaped the ancient Near East. This podcast explores the man behind the monuments: his 200-plus children, his beloved queen Nefertari, and his colossal building projects from Abu Simbel to the Ramesseum. Lucas and Luna unravel the propaganda of temple inscriptions, the controversies of his reign (did he really win at Kadesh?), and the daily life of Egyptian society under a pharaoh who proclaimed himself a god. They examine the decline that followed his death, the looting of his tomb, and his mummy's journey to a museum in Cairo. Why does Ramses still captivate us? Because his story is one of power, art, and the human drive for immortality—a legacy carved in stone that still speaks across millennia. #RamsesTheGreat #AncientEgypt #Pharaoh #19thDynasty #BattleOfKadesh #Nefertari #AbuSimbel #Hittites #EgyptianHistory #NewKingdom #PeaceTreaty #Ramesseum #Hieroglyphs #Sphinx #Pyramids #History #WorldHistory #FexingoHistory Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ramses-the-great-egypt-s-most-powerful-pharaoh-fexingo-history--6985318/support .
Episodes
- The Libyans: Ramses II's Other War and the Rise of the Meshwesh — Fexingo History
This episode discusses Ramses II's wars against Libyan tribes, including the Meshwesh and Libu, focusing on his campaigns in the Nile Delta and the Battle of Per-Ramesses. It examines his strategy of settling defeated warriors as mercenari…
- Ramses and the Goddess Sekhmet: Plague and Protection — Fexingo History
This episode explores Ramses II's relationship with the goddess Sekhmet, focusing on how Ramses commissioned statues and utilized rituals like the Festival of Drunkenness to appease her. It also discusses Sekhmet's role in royal ideology a…
- Ramses the Great's Nubian Temple at Beit el-Wali — Fexingo History
This episode explores Ramses II's Nubian temple at Beit el-Wali, discussing its architecture, reliefs depicting campaigns, and its significance. It also covers the temple's relocation during the UNESCO salvage campaign.
- Ramses the Great's Daughter Bintanath — Fexingo History
This episode explores the life of Bintanath, daughter and Great Royal Wife of Ramses II. It covers her political role, monuments, diplomatic involvement with the Hittites, and the controversies surrounding royal incest in ancient Egypt.
- Ramses the Great and the Nubian Viceroy Setau — Fexingo History
This episode explores Setau, Ramses the Great's viceroy of Kush. It covers his role as an administrator, high priest, and temple builder, including his efforts in securing resources for Egypt. The discussion also touches upon Nubian loyalt…
- Ramses the Great and the Divine Opet Festival — Fexingo History
Lucas and Luna discuss the Divine Opet Festival, an important religious ceremony during Ramses II's reign. They explore its origins, political significance, rituals, and evolution under Ramses, connecting it to his building program and pow…
- Ramses the Great's Colossal Statue at Abu Simbel — Fexingo History
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…
- Ramses the Great's Royal Wives: Nefertari and the Politics of Love — Fexingo History
This episode explores the lives and political significance of Ramses the Great's chief wives, Nefertari and Isetnofret. It covers their roles in diplomatic marriages, religious ceremonies, and the economic power of their estates.
- The Battle of Kadesh: Ramses the Great's Greatest Gamble — Fexingo History
This episode from Fexingo History details the Battle of Kadesh, a significant chariot battle where Ramses the Great confronted the Hittite Empire. It examines the events, tactical decisions, and the contrasting Egyptian and Hittite account…
- Ramses the Great's Builders: The Workers Who Made the Monuments — Fexingo History
This episode explores the lives of the ordinary builders and artisans who constructed Ramses II's monuments. It discusses their daily lives, tools, payment, the workers' village of Deir el-Medina, and the role of the vizier Paser.
- Ramses the Great's Nubian Gold Mines: Wealth of Egypt — Fexingo History
This episode of "Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh" explores the Nubian gold mines, which were crucial to Egypt's economy. It details the process of gold extraction, its transportation, and its broader geopolitical and enviro…
- Ramses the Great's Diplomacy with the Hatti — Fexingo History
This episode explores Ramses the Great's diplomacy with the Hittite Empire, detailing the peace treaty with Hattusili III, the exchange of a silver tablet, and the role of Queen Puduhepa. It examines the treaty's terms, including mutual de…
- Ramses and the Hittite Peace Treaty — Fexingo History
This episode discusses the peace treaty between Ramses II and Hittite king Hattusili III, exploring diplomatic negotiations, the silver tablet treaty, and a marriage alliance. It covers the treaty's terms and its legacy, as well as the rol…
- The Great Dedicatory Inscription: Ramses II's Divine Contract — Fexingo History
In this episode, Lucas and Luna discuss the Great Dedicatory Inscription at Abu Simbel, its historical context, and how it solidified Ramses II's divine authority. They explore the temple's dedication, the role of the priesthood, and the i…
- The Ramesseum: Ramses the Great's Temple of a Million Years — Fexingo History
This episode discusses the Ramesseum, Ramses II's mortuary temple. It covers its architecture, including the statue that inspired 'Ozymandias,' reliefs of the Battle of Kadesh and the Festival of Opet, and its function as a center for the…
- Ramses the Great's Feasts: Feeding an Empire at Per-Ramesses — Fexingo History
This episode explores the logistics of feeding a city of 300,000 people in ancient Egypt under Ramses the Great. It covers granaries, brewing, bakeries, royal feasts, and the management of food supply.
- The Apis Bull: Egypt's Living God Under Ramses — Fexingo History
Lucas and Luna discuss the sacred Apis bull cult during Ramses the Great's reign, including its veneration in Memphis and mummification in the Serapeum. They also cover the bull's role in reaffirming royal power and its connection to the g…
- The Great Harris Papyrus: Ramses III and the Temple Economy — Fexingo History
Fexingo History examines the Great Harris Papyrus, detailing Ramses III's donations to Egyptian temples and the resulting economic influence of the priesthood. The discussion covers the papyrus's revelations about temple wealth, land owner…
- The Royal Scribes of Ramses: Literacy and Bureaucracy in Ancient Egypt — Fexingo History
This episode examines the role of royal scribes during the reign of Ramses the Great. It covers their training, tools, daily record-keeping, and importance in ancient Egyptian administration and historical preservation.
- Ramses the Great's Priests of Amun and the Theban Power Shift — Fexingo History
Lucas and Luna discuss the significant power of the Amun priesthood in Thebes during the reign of Ramses II, examining how their influence, based at the Karnak temple, sometimes rivaled the pharaoh’s authority. They explore the roles of Hi…
- The Physicians of Ramses: Medicine in the Age of the Pharaohs — Fexingo History
This episode explores medicine during the reign of Ramses II, covering the Edwin Smith and Ebers Papyri, specialized physicians, and ancient surgical techniques. It also discusses Ramses II's health issues and the influence of Egyptian med…
- Ramses the Great's Forgotten Son Merneptah — Fexingo History
This episode explores the reign of Merneptah, son of Ramses II, who became pharaoh. It covers his military campaigns against the Libyans and Sea Peoples, his building projects, and the significance of the Merneptah Stele.
- Ramses the Great's Zoo — Fexingo History
This episode discusses the menagerie of Ramses II, featuring exotic animals like lions and giraffes as symbols of power and diplomatic gifts. Evidence from Abu Simbel and other sites illustrates how the Pharaoh displayed dominion over natu…
- Ramses the Great's Mummy: The Incredible Journey of a Pharaoh's Body — Fexingo History
This episode details the remarkable two-thousand-year journey of Ramses the Great's mummy, covering its hiding by priests, discovery in 1881, conservation in Paris, and modern scientific analysis including CT scans which revealed details a…
- Ramses the Greats Provisioning The Economy of Per-Ramesses — Fexingo History
This episode examines the economic system supporting Ramses II's rule, detailing the provisioning of Per-Ramesses, trade networks, taxation, and logistical planning for his building projects and military endeavors.
- Ramses the Great's Death and the Afterlife of a Pharaoh — Fexingo History
In this episode, Lucas and Luna discuss the final years of Ramses II, including his tomb preparations, funerary texts, and the discovery of his mummy. The hosts also examine debates surrounding his cause of death and his historical legacy…
- Ramses the Great's Chariot Army and the Military Revolution — Fexingo History
This episode of Fexingo History details the military innovations of Ramses II, focusing on his chariot corps, elite maryannu, and horse archery tactics. It examines how these advancements contributed to his success at the Battle of Kadesh…
- Ramses the Great: The Mystery of the Exodus — Fexingo History
Lucas and Luna investigate if Ramses II was the pharaoh of the biblical Exodus, analyzing Egyptian records, archaeological findings, and the historical context of the 19th Dynasty to understand the debate.
- Ramses the Great's Women: Wives, Daughters, and Diplomacy — Fexingo History
This episode of Fexingo History delves into the lives of the women surrounding Ramses II, examining the influence of his wives like Nefertari and Isetnofret, his diplomatic marriage to a Hittite princess, and the roles of his daughters. It…
- Ramses's Forgotten Son Khaemwaset the Magician Priest — Fexingo History
This episode of Fexingo History focuses on Prince Khaemwaset, a son of Ramses the Great. It covers his life as a priest, his work restoring ancient Egyptian monuments, and his enduring reputation in folklore as a magician.
- Ramses's Firstborn Son: Crown Prince Amunherkhepeshef — Fexingo History
This episode details the life of Crown Prince Amunherkhepeshef, Ramses the Great's eldest son. It covers his military and diplomatic roles, his titles, the mystery surrounding his early death, and the family dynamics within the Ramesside c…
- Ramses the Pharaoh of Propaganda The Colossal Statues — Fexingo History
This episode discusses Ramses II's use of propaganda, focusing on colossal statues and monumental art like Abu Simbel and Per-Ramesses. It covers their role in projecting divine power, political control, and shaping his legacy, as well as…
- Ramses the Builder: The Great Temple at Abu Simbel — Fexingo History
This episode details Ramses II's Great Temple at Abu Simbel, carved into a mountainside in Nubia. It covers the temple's religious and political significance, solar alignment, statues, and the 1960s UNESCO-led relocation project to save it…
- The Nubian Gold Rush: Ramses's Fortresses and Empire — Fexingo History
This episode details Ramses II's southern Nubian campaign, highlighting the control of gold mines through a fortress system. It discusses the economic exploitation, brutal suppression tactics, and monument building used to govern Nubia, in…
- The Poet, the Queen, and the Peace Treaty: Ramses's Diplomatic Triumph — Fexingo History
This episode details Ramses the Great's diplomatic achievements following the Battle of Kadesh, including the negotiation of the world's first known peace treaty with the Hittite Empire. It covers his use of propaganda, marriage alliances,…
- Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History
This pilot episode introduces Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, covering his early reign, the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittite Empire, and major construction projects like Abu Simbel. Hosts Lucas and Luna discuss the challenge…