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

Ramses the Great's Smiting Scenes: The Art of Pharaoh as Warrior

9 min · 26 de may de 2026
Portada del episodio Ramses the Great's Smiting Scenes: The Art of Pharaoh as Warrior

Descripción

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 again? These images were not mere propaganda; they were ritual statements of ma'at — cosmic order — triumphing over chaos. The episode examines the artistic conventions of the smiting pose (tracing it back to the Narmer Palette 1,500 years earlier), the specific enemies depicted (Libyans, Nubians, Hittites, and the mysterious Sea Peoples), and the hieroglyphic labels that sometimes name individuals like the Libyan chief Mesher or the Hittite prince. Lucas unpacks how these scenes functioned as 'execration texts' — magical acts that ensured the pharaoh's dominance in the afterlife. The conversation also touches on the controversial 'Battle of Kadesh' reliefs at the Ramesseum, where Ramses rewrote a near-defeat as a personal victory gifted by Amun. Finally, they consider what the smiting scenes reveal about Ramses's personality: a king who needed the world to see him as the invincible guardian of Egypt's borders, even when the reality was messier. A tight, visual dive into one of pharaonic art's most enduring motifs. #RamsesII #SmitingScenes #AbuSimbel #Karnak #Ramesseum #NarmerPalette #Ma'at #AncientEgypt #PharaonicArt #Kadesh #Libyans #Nubians #SeaPeoples #Hieroglyphs #ExecrationTexts #Propaganda #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

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114 episodios

Portada del episodio Ramses the Great's Desert Patrols Policing the Eastern Frontier

Ramses the Great's Desert Patrols Policing the Eastern Frontier

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the often-overlooked role of desert patrols in Ramses II's Egypt. They delve into the Shasu bedouin, the fortress of Tjaru, and the Ways of Horus military road. Discover how the Medjay police force and local commanders maintained order along the eastern frontier, protecting trade routes and border security. Learn about the strategic importance of the Sinai and the challenges of policing a vast desert landscape. #RamsesII #DesertPatrols #EasternFrontier #Shasu #Tjaru #WaysOfHorus #Medjay #Sinai #Kemet #AncientEgypt #19thDynasty #NewKingdom #BorderSecurity #TradeRoutes #MilitaryHistory #EgyptianArmy #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

23 de jun de 20265 min
Portada del episodio Ramses the Great's Forgotten City: The Cult Center of Per-Banebdjedet

Ramses the Great's Forgotten City: The Cult Center of Per-Banebdjedet

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the lost city of Per-Banebdjedet, the cult center of the ram-headed god Banebdjedet in the Nile Delta. Ramses the Great erected massive granite monoliths there, including a colossal statue of himself as the god. The city was a key administrative hub for the 19th Dynasty, linking the Delta to the Mediterranean trade routes. Lucas explains how the site, now called Tell el-Ruba, was excavated in the 1990s, revealing Ramses's grand temple and a mysterious sphinx avenue that may have connected it to the nearby city of Mendes. The episode also touches on Ramses's religious strategy—using local cults to consolidate power—and the eventual decline of the city after the Third Intermediate Period. Listeners will learn about the god Banebdjedet, the role of the Delta cults in Ramses's reign, and the archaeological challenges of preserving mudbrick structures in the damp Delta soil. #RamsesII #PerBanebdjedet #Banebdjedet #TellElRuba #Mendes #NileDelta #19thDynasty #NewKingdom #EgyptianReligion #RamessidePeriod #AncientEgypt #Archaeology #CultCenter #ColossalStatue #SphinxAvenue #DeltaCults #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ayer6 min
Portada del episodio Ramses the Great's Temple Builders: The Workforce Behind Abu Simbel

Ramses the Great's Temple Builders: The Workforce Behind Abu Simbel

Episode 112 of Ramses the Great dives into the lives of the engineers, quarrymen, artists, and laborers who built the colossal monuments of Egypt's most prolific pharaoh. Lucas and Luna explore the workforce behind Abu Simbel, the Ramesseum, and Pi-Ramesses — not slaves but skilled artisans, conscripted farmers during the inundation, and state-organized crews working in rotating shifts. They discuss the role of the Vizier in overseeing projects, the use of copper chisels and stone hammers, the logistics of feeding thousands of workers, and the evidence from Deir el-Medina and papyri like Papyrus Anastasi IV. The episode also touches on the social status of builders, the religious ceremonies that sanctified construction, and the legacy of Ramses's building program in cementing his divine kingship. The conversation ends with a reflection on how these structures still shape our image of ancient Egypt. #RamsesII #AbuSimbel #Ramesseum #PiRamesses #AncientEgypt #19thDynasty #NewKingdom #DeirElMedina #PapyrusAnastasiIV #Vizier #StoneQuarry #CopperTools #MonumentBuilding #AncientEngineering #NorthAfrica #History #FexingoHistory #Workforce Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ayer6 min
Portada del episodio Ramses the Great's Royal Wives: Nefertari and Beyond

Ramses the Great's Royal Wives: Nefertari and Beyond

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the often-overlooked women in Ramses the Great's life — not just the famous Nefertari, but also Queen Tuya, Isetnofret, Maathorneferure, and the harem conspiracy. They discuss Nefertari's political influence, her temple at Abu Simbel, and her letters to the Hittite queen Puduhepa. They also examine Isetnofret's role as mother of the crown prince, the diplomatic marriage to a Hittite princess, and the little-known harem plot that threatened Ramses' succession. Along the way, they touch on how royal women wielded power through religion, diplomacy, and family ties in 19th Dynasty Egypt. This episode offers a fresh angle on Ramses' reign by focusing on the women who shaped it. #RamsesII #Nefertari #Isetnofret #Maathorneferure #QueenTuya #Puduhepa #AbuSimbel #HaremConspiracy #19thDynasty #NewKingdom #Kemet #PerRamesses #EgyptianQueens #AncientEgypt #History #FexingoHistory #WomenInHistory #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

21 de jun de 20266 min
Portada del episodio Ramses the Great's Chariotry: The Shock Weapon of Kadesh

Ramses the Great's Chariotry: The Shock Weapon of Kadesh

In episode 110, Lucas and Luna explore Ramses the Great's chariot corps — the elite weapon that turned the Battle of Kadesh from a near-disaster into a propaganda triumph. They discuss the two-man crew: the charioteer who steered the horse team and the archer who loosed composite arrows at full gallop. Lucas explains how Egyptian chariots were lighter and faster than Hittite models, built from wood, leather, and rawhide, with six-spoked wheels that held up on rough terrain. They also cover the training regimen at Per-Ramesses, the logistics of deploying thousands of chariots across the Orontes River, and the archers' tactic of shooting from the right side of the moving vehicle. The episode touches on Ramses's personal chariot — named 'Victory in Thebes' — and how he used his vehicle as a mobile command post. Luna asks about the role of the Sherden mercenaries who crewed some chariots, and Lucas explains how captured Hittite chariot designs influenced later Egyptian upgrades. The conversation ends by reflecting on how the chariot, as a symbol of pharaonic power, appears in temple reliefs and even in Ramses's own tomb KV7. A natural donation midpoint connects the value of careful craftsmanship — just as chariot builders relied on skilled hands, the show relies on listener support to keep ad-free. #RamsesII #Kadesh #EgyptianChariotry #ChariotArcher #NewKingdom #19thDynasty #Hittites #OrontesRiver #Sherden #PerRamesses #CompositeBow #VictoryInThebes #LateBronzeAge #ChariotWarfare #KV7 #AncientEgypt #MilitaryHistory #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

21 de jun de 20266 min