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

Ramses the Great's Mortuary Temple Medinet Habu Legacy

6 min · 1. juli 2026
episode Ramses the Great's Mortuary Temple Medinet Habu Legacy cover

Description

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Ramses the Great's grandest architectural statement—his mortuary temple, Medinet Habu. Though often overshadowed by Abu Simbel, Medinet Habu was a sprawling complex on the west bank of Thebes that served as both a temple to Amun-Re and a fortified administrative center. Lucas walks Luna through the temple's unique design, including its massive pylons, the 'Window of Appearances' where the pharaoh addressed the people, and the vivid reliefs depicting Ramses' battles against the Sea Peoples. They discuss the temple's role in the Beautiful Feast of the Valley, when the god Amun-Re would visit from Karnak, and how the complex housed Ramses' mortuary cult long after his death. Lucas also touches on the controversy over whether Ramses truly built Medinet Habu or simply usurped an earlier structure, and how the temple later became a Coptic settlement. The episode ends with a reflection on how monuments outlive their builders, carrying stories across millennia. #MedinetHabu #RamsesII #MortuaryTemple #AncientEgypt #Kemet #Thebes #AmunRe #SeaPeoples #BeautifulFeastOfTheValley #WindowOfAppearances #Coptic #Pharaoh #19thDynasty #Luxor #Egyptology #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAfrica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

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154 episodes

episode Ramses the Great's Scarab Beetle Propaganda Machine artwork

Ramses the Great's Scarab Beetle Propaganda Machine

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore one of the most ingenious propaganda tools of Ramses the Great's reign: the commemorative scarab beetle. These small stone amulets, inscribed with royal announcements, were mass-produced and distributed across the empire and beyond — from the marshes of the Nile Delta to the palaces of Ugarit. We trace the evolution of the scarab from a simple seal to a sophisticated medium of state messaging, focusing on the famous series from Year 1 and 2 of Ramses's reign that celebrated his first Nubian campaign and the arrival of a rare wild bull. We examine the craftsmanship of the scarab cutters, the hieroglyphic texts that blend historical fact with divine propaganda, and the archaeological detective work that revealed these objects were manufactured in official workshops at Per-Ramesses. Along the way, we touch on the political context of Ramses's early years, the role of the god Khepri, and how these tiny artifacts shaped perceptions of the pharaoh's power for centuries. #RamsesTheGreat #AncientEgypt #ScarabBeetle #Khepri #PerRamesses #Nubia #Propaganda #Hieroglyphs #Amulets #NewKingdom #EgyptianArtifacts #FexingoHistory #LucasAndLuna #Ugarit #Kemet #Userrenputaanehktu #Archaeology #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

13. juli 20269 min
episode Ramses the Great's Nubian Gold Mines: Wealth of Kemet artwork

Ramses the Great's Nubian Gold Mines: Wealth of Kemet

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the vast gold mines of Nubia that fueled Ramses the Great's building projects and military campaigns. They discuss the logistical challenges of mining in the Eastern Desert, the use of forced labor and prisoners of war, the role of the Viceroy of Kush and scribes like Amenemope in managing the gold supply, and the religious significance of gold as the flesh of the gods. The conversation touches on specific sites like Gebel el-Silsila and the Wadi Hammamat, the process of extracting and refining gold, and the economic impact of Nubian gold on Egypt's prosperity. They also consider the human cost and the legacy of these mines in later periods. #RamsesTheGreat #NubianGold #AncientEgypt #GoldMines #Kush #ViceroyOfKush #Setau #Amenemope #GebelElSilsila #WadiHammamat #EgyptianEconomy #ForcedLabor #GoldRefining #NewKingdom #NorthAfrica #Egyptology #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Yesterday6 min
episode Ramses the Greats War Chariots Engineering and Tactics artwork

Ramses the Greats War Chariots Engineering and Tactics

In Episode 152, Lucas and Luna dive into the military innovation that defined Ramses the Great's reign: the Egyptian war chariot. They explore the engineering behind these lightweight, two-man vehicles, from their spoke wheels and composite bows to the tactical reforms Ramses introduced after Kadesh. The conversation covers the role of the chariotry as a shock weapon, the training of horse teams, and how Egypt's chariot corps evolved under Ramses to become a mobile strike force that secured his empire. Along the way, they touch on the logistical support system, the use of Nubian and Libyan auxiliaries, and the legacy of Ramses's chariotry in later Near Eastern warfare. This episode is a focused look at a specific military technology and its impact on ancient warfare, ideal for listeners who want concrete details about how Ramses fought and won. #RamsesII #EgyptianChariotry #AncientWarfare #Kadesh #MilitaryHistory #BronzeAge #ChariotTactics #Pharaoh #Egyptology #NewKingdom #NorthAfrica #FexingoHistory #WarChariot #CompositeBow #Horses #Cavalry #AncientEgypt #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Yesterday8 min
episode Ramses the Great's Naval Battle at the Nile Delta artwork

Ramses the Great's Naval Battle at the Nile Delta

In the eighth year of his reign, Ramses II faced a threat not from the Hittites but from the sea — a coalition of the enigmatic Sea Peoples. This episode dives into the Battle of the Nile Delta, a naval clash that saved Egypt from invasion. We explore the identity of the Sea Peoples, the Egyptian navy's tactics with ships and archers, the role of the Egyptian army onshore, and how Ramses turned a near-disaster into a propaganda victory carved on temple walls at Medinet Habu and Karnak. What can the inscriptions tell us about the battle's reality versus the pharaoh's spin? And what happened to the captured pirates? Join us for a deep look at one of Ramses' lesser-known but crucial military campaigns — a fight that foreshadowed greater turmoil for later dynasties. #RamsesII #SeaPeoples #NileDelta #Kemet #AncientEgypt #NavalBattle #MedinetHabu #Karnak #EgyptianNavy #Sherden #Pharaoh #MilitaryHistory #BronzeAge #Mediterranean #NorthAfrica #FexingoHistory #History #AncientWarfare Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

11. juli 20265 min
episode Ramses the Greats Stonemasons The Men Who Built the Temples artwork

Ramses the Greats Stonemasons The Men Who Built the Temples

We know the grand temples of Ramses II — Abu Simbel, the Ramesseum, Medinet Habu — but who actually carved the stone? This episode goes to the quarries at Gebel el-Silsila and Aswan, where thousands of stonemasons, draughtsmen, and labourers worked under the scribe Penre. Lucas and Luna discuss the chains of command, the tools (copper chisels, dolerite pounders, wooden levers), the working conditions, and the pay — beer, bread, and sometimes a bonus of oil. They also touch on the strike at Deir el-Medina under Ramses III, and a rare surviving letter from a mason named Bekenkhons. No kings, no gods — just the hands that made the monuments. #RamsesII #GebelElSilsila #AncientEgypt #Stonemasons #EgyptianQuarries #Penre #Bekenkhons #DeirElMedina #AbuSimbel #Ramesseum #MedinetHabu #CopperChisels #DoleritePounders #Kemet #Pharaoh #NorthAfrica #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

11. juli 20266 min