Ramses the Great's Dazzling Temple at Abu Simbel

Ramses the Great's Colossal Statues: Power in Stone

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Ramses the Great's colossal statues — not just as art, but as tools of power, propaganda, and religious authority. They discuss the famous fallen colossus at the Ramesseum that inspired Shelley's 'Ozymandias', the 66-foot seated statues at Abu Simbel, and the many smaller colossi that lined temples and cities across Egypt. The conversation covers the symbolic meaning of the statues' size and placement, the logistics of carving and transporting gigantic granite blocks from Aswan, and how these monuments were meant to project Ramses's divine rule for eternity. They also touch on the fate of these statues — from ancient destruction to modern tourism — and what they reveal about Ramses's ambitions and the limits of even pharaonic power. Specific names and terms include the Ramesseum, Abu Simbel, Aswan granite, colossus, diorite, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, Ozymandias, and the ruins at Thebes. The episode offers a focused look at one of the most iconic features of Ramses's reign, tying together art history, engineering, and poetry in a single conversation. #RamsesTheGreat #ColossalStatues #Ozymandias #Ramesseum #AbuSimbel #AswanGranite #EgyptianArt #AncientEgypt #Pharaoh #NewKingdom #19thDynasty #Shelley #Colossus #AncientEngineering #Thebes #Memnon #Propaganda #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Nubian Gold Mines: The Riches of Kush

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the vast gold mining operations that fueled Ramses the Great's building boom and military campaigns. They journey to the gold-rich regions of Wawat and Kush in Nubia, where the pharaoh's engineers extracted gold from quartz veins using fire-setting and grinding techniques. The hosts discuss the organization of labor, with prisoners of war and conscripted Egyptians working under the watchful eye of the Medjay police. They also touch on the geopolitical importance of controlling Nubian gold, which allowed Ramses to finance his temples, pay for the Hittite peace treaty, and maintain a standing army. The episode references the Turin Papyrus Map, the oldest surviving topographical map, which details the gold mines of the Eastern Desert. Lucas and Luna also consider the human cost, including harsh conditions and the symbolic significance of gold as 'the flesh of the gods' in Egyptian culture. #RamsesTheGreat #NubianGold #Kush #Wawat #GoldMining #FireSetting #TurinPapyrusMap #Medjay #NewKingdom #19thDynasty #AncientEgypt #MiningTechnology #PrisonersOfWar #EasternDesert #FexingoHistory #History #AncientEconomy #GoldTrade Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's War Chariot: Speed, Power, and Propaganda

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the role of the war chariot in Ramses II's military campaigns, particularly the Battle of Kadesh. They discuss the engineering of Egyptian chariots, the training of horse teams, and how chariot forces were used tactically. Lucas explains the differences between Egyptian and Hittite chariot designs, and how Ramses used chariot imagery in temple reliefs to project power. The conversation also touches on the logistics of maintaining chariot divisions and the social status of charioteers. A brief donation segment highlights listener support for the ad-free show. The episode ends with a reflection on how chariot warfare shaped the New Kingdom's military dominance. #RamsesII #EgyptianChariot #BattleOfKadesh #Hittites #NewKingdom #AncientWarfare #ChariotTactics #HorseTraining #Kemet #Pharaoh #MilitaryHistory #AncientEgypt #LIGHTCHARIOT #WarReliefs #SpokedWheels #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAfrica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Battle of Kadesh: The Truth Behind the Propaganda

In Episode 73, Lucas and Luna peel back the layers of propaganda to examine the Battle of Kadesh, Ramses II's most famous military engagement. They explore what actually happened in 1274 BCE when Ramses led his army against the Hittite king Muwatalli II near the Orontes River. Lucas explains how Ramses turned a near-disaster into a propaganda victory, using inscriptions and reliefs at temples like the Ramesseum and Abu Simbel to broadcast a triumphant narrative that often contradicts archaeological and Hittite records. The conversation covers the two main Egyptian sources—the Bulletin and the Poem of Pentaur—and what they reveal and conceal. They also discuss the Hittite perspective from the archives at Hattusa, including a cuneiform letter that provides a different account. Lucas and Luna consider the tactical failures, the role of the elite regiment called the Ne'arin, and how the battle led to the world's first known peace treaty. This episode offers a nuanced look at a pivotal clash that shaped the geopolitics of the ancient Near East. #RamsesII #BattleOfKadesh #Hittites #MuwatalliII #Kadesh #AncientEgypt #Propaganda #OrontesRiver #Ramesseum #AbuSimbel #PoemOfPentaur #Ne'arin #PeaceTreaty #NewKingdom #19thDynasty #Hattusa #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses and the Hittite Peace Treaty

In Episode 72, Lucas and Luna explore the world's first recorded peace treaty—the agreement between Ramses II of Egypt and Hattusili III of the Hittite Empire, signed around 1259 BCE. They discuss the events leading up to the treaty after the Battle of Kadesh, the diplomatic negotiations involving messengers traveling between Per-Ramesses and Hattusa, and the treaty's terms of mutual defense and extradition. Lucas highlights the silver tablet on which the treaty was inscribed, the role of the storm god Teshub as a witness, and how copies were found at both Karnak and Hattusa. They also touch on the treaty's legacy, including a modern replica displayed at the United Nations. The episode includes a brief, organic donation segment supporting ad-free history content. #RamsesII #HittitePeaceTreaty #Kadesh #HattusiliIII #EgyptianHistory #HittiteEmpire #Treaty #BronzeAge #Diplomacy #PerRamesses #Hattusa #Teshub #Karnak #Puduhepa #AncientHistory #NorthAfrica #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]