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

Ramses and the Libyan War: Defending Egypt's Western Frontier

In Episode 143, Lucas and Luna turn to a lesser-known but pivotal conflict of Ramses the Great's reign: the Libyan War. While the Battle of Kadesh often steals the spotlight, the campaigns against the Libyans (the Tjehenu and Tjemehu) were crucial for protecting Egypt's western border and securing its grain supplies. Lucas unpacks the geopolitical pressures of the 19th Dynasty, the archaeological evidence from texts like the Papyrus Harris I and reliefs at Karnak, and the role of Ramses's sons—especially Khaemwaset—in military command. They explore how Ramses handled the threat of nomadic incursions, the use of fortress towns along the western Delta, and the long-term consequences for the region. The episode also touches on the Libyans' eventual integration into Egyptian society, setting the stage for future Libyan rulers like Shoshenq I. A fresh angle on Ramses's military strategy beyond the Hittite peace. #RamsesII #LibyanWar #Tjehenu #Tjemehu #19thDynasty #PapyrusHarrisI #Karnak #Khaemwaset #WesternDelta #LibyanMercenaries #ShoshenqI #BattleOfKadesh #EgyptianMilitary #Fortresses #NorthAfrica #AncientEgypt #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Greats Divine Kingship Rituals at Abu Simbel

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the profound religious and political significance of Ramses II's temples at Abu Simbel, focusing on the biannual solar illumination phenomenon that aligns with his coronation and birthday. They discuss how Ramses used architecture to assert his divine status, aligning himself with Re-Horakhty and Ptah. The conversation delves into the precise engineering of the Great Temple's inner sanctuary, where the sun illuminates statues of Ramses, Amun-Re, and Re-Horakhty twice a year, leaving Ptah in darkness. They also examine the Small Temple dedicated to Nefertari and Hathor, and the broader implications of Ramses's self-deification as a political tool to consolidate power and project eternal rule. The episode provides a fresh angle on Ramses's legacy, focusing on his strategic use of sacred geography and monumental art to craft his own mythology, a practice that influenced subsequent pharaohs and left an enduring mark on Egyptian civilization. #AbuSimbel #RamsesII #SolarAlignment #DivineKingship #Nefertari #Hathor #ReHorakhty #Ptah #AmunRe #Nubia #AncientEgypt #19thDynasty #EgyptianArchitecture #SacredGeography #SelfDeification #History #FexingoHistory #Egyptology Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Abandoned City Per-Ramesses Rise and Fall

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the rise and fall of Per-Ramesses, Ramses the Great's magnificent capital city. Built on the site of Avaris in the eastern Delta, Per-Ramesses was a sprawling metropolis with canals, temples, and palaces that served as the administrative, military, and religious heart of Egypt for over a century. But within two hundred years, it was largely abandoned. Why? Lucas explains the geological and political factors: the shifting of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, which silted up and left the city high and dry; the rise of Tanis as a new power center during the 21st Dynasty; and the systematic dismantling of Per-Ramesses' monuments by later pharaohs who reused its stone. The episode also touches on the city's rediscovery at Qantir and the detective work by Austrian archaeologist Manfred Bietak. A story of ambition, decline, and the relentless flow of the Nile. #PerRamesses #PiRamesses #Qantir #RamsesII #AncientEgypt #19thDynasty #NileDelta #ManfredBietak #Avaris #Tanis #Egyptology #LostCities #BronzeAge #Archaeology #NewKingdom #Userrenputaanehktu #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Battle of Kadesh Propaganda vs Reality

In 1274 BCE, Ramses II led his army against the Hittite coalition at Kadesh, a battle he famously claimed as a personal victory carved into temple walls across Egypt. But what really happened? This episode unpacks the largest chariot battle in ancient history, contrasting Ramses's heroic inscriptions with Hittite accounts and modern archaeology. We explore the strategic blunder of divided forces, the near-capture of the pharaoh, the arrival of the Ne'arin relief troops, and the aftermath that led to the world's first recorded peace treaty. Hosts Lucas and Luna examine how Ramses transformed a tactical draw into a propaganda masterpiece, why the battle mattered for Egyptian-Hittite relations, and what the Poem of Pentaur tells us about pharaonic spin. Along the way, they touch on the commanders involved, the weapons and tactics of chariot warfare, and the fragile geopolitics of the Late Bronze Age. #Kadesh #RamsesII #BattleOfKadesh #Hittites #ChariotWarfare #MuwatalliII #DivinePatronage #AmunRe #EgyptianMilitary #PoemOfPentaur #LateBronzeAge #AncientSyria #OrontesRiver #Nearin #Propaganda #FexingoHistory #AncientHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Food Riots: Hunger and Unrest in Pi-Ramesses

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known crisis of Ramses II's reign: the food riots that broke out in his glittering capital, Per-Ramesses. Despite the pharaoh's grand building projects and military triumphs, grain shortages—exacerbated by low Nile floods and the demands of a vast workforce—sparked protests and even a strike by tomb workers at Deir el-Medina. Lucas walks Luna through the logistics of ancient Egyptian grain storage, the role of the granaries, and the political tightrope Ramses walked between feeding his people and feeding his ambitions. They discuss the Papyrus Salt 124, which records a worker's complaint about stolen rations, and the larger implications of food insecurity in a state that presented itself as divinely ordered. The episode also touches on the limits of pharaonic power and how hunger could shake the throne. #RamsesII #PerRamesses #FoodRiots #DeirElMedina #PiRamesses #AncientEgypt #GrainStorage #PapyrusSalt124 #NileFlood #Strike #TombWorkers #UserrenputAanehktu #Famine #Egyptology #History #FexingoHistory #19thDynasty #Kemet Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]