Ramses the Great's Pi-Ramesses: The Lost Capital of Egypt's Golden Age

Ramses the Great's Pi-Ramesses: The Lost Capital of Egypt's Golden Age

When Ramses II became pharaoh, he built a new capital from scratch on the Nile Delta: Per-Ramesses, the 'House of Ramses.' For centuries it was the glittering heart of Egyptian power, filled with temples, palaces, and workshops. Then it vanished. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the rise and fall of this lost city — from its foundation on the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, to its role as a military and industrial hub, to the geological shift that doomed it. They explore the 2013 discovery of the colossal statue of Ramses II at Tell el-Dab'a, the city's connection to the biblical story of the Exodus, and how the shifting Nile turned a bustling metropolis into farmland. Along the way, they discuss the city's cosmopolitan population — including Canaanites, Hittites, and Sherden mercenaries — and the newly discovered military barracks that housed foreign troops. This episode offers a fresh angle on Ramses' reign through the lens of urban planning, archaeology, and environmental change. #PerRamesses #RamsesII #AncientEgypt #LostCity #BiblicalArchaeology #TellElDaba #NileDelta #NewKingdom #19thDynasty #EgyptianArchaeology #AncientCapital #Qantir #Exodus #Sherden #MilitaryHistory #UrbanPlanning #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Divine Kingship and the Sed Festival

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Ramses the Great's use of the Sed festival (heb-sed) to reinforce his divine kingship and extend his 67-year reign. They discuss how Ramses built jubilee chapels at Per-Ramesses and elsewhere, performed ritual runs to demonstrate vitality, and co-opted the festival's ancient origins from earlier pharaohs like Djoser and Sneferu. The conversation touches on the symbolism of the dual throne, the role of the goddess Weret Hekau, and how Ramses used the Sed festival to legitimize his rule in the face of the Hittite threat and internal challenges. The episode also examines the archaeological evidence for these celebrations, including inscriptions at the Ramesseum and Abu Simbel. Finally, a brief sidebar connects the Sed festival's emphasis on renewal to listener support that keeps the show ad-free. #RamsesII #SedFestival #HebSed #AncientEgypt #Pharaoh #DivineKingship #PerRamesses #Ramesseum #AbuSimbel #NewKingdom #19thDynasty #Kemet #Djoser #Sneferu #WeretHekau #JubileeChapel #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Desert Patrols: Policing the Eastern Frontier

Long before Ramses II became the legendary builder and warrior pharaoh, he served as a young prince leading desert patrols along Egypt's eastern frontier. This episode traces his early military career, from skirmishing with Shasu bedouin near the Ways of Horus to commanding garrisons at Tjaru and the fortified wells along the Sinai route. Lucas and Luna explore the daily reality of frontier policing: camel caravans, water stops, signal fires, and the tension between local tribes and Egyptian authority. We also unpack the evidence from reliefs at Beit el-Wali and the Karnak annals, which hint at Ramses' hands-on role before he ever fought at Kadesh. Plus, a look at how these patrols shaped his later diplomatic strategy with the Hittites — knowing the desert made him cautious about supply lines. If you think Ramses only sat on a throne or charged in a chariot, this episode will change your mind. #RamsesII #AncientEgypt #DesertPatrols #WaysOfHorus #Tjaru #Shasu #Sinai #BeitelWali #Karnak #NewKingdom #19thDynasty #Frontier #MilitaryHistory #Chariotry #SupplyLines #Bedouin #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Abandoned Monuments: The Mysteries of His Unfinished Works

Why would the most prolific builder pharaoh leave projects unfinished? This episode explores Ramses II's incomplete monuments: the abandoned second court at the Ramesseum, the unfinished colossi at Tanis, and the mysterious 'unfinished obelisk' at Aswan. We discuss how even Ramses's vast resources had limits—logistical failures, shifting priorities, and the practical realities of New Kingdom construction. Learn about the workers who walked away mid-carving, the quarry marks that reveal hasty changes, and what these remnants tell us about the cracks in Ramses's divine image. A rare look at failure in an age of triumph. #RamsesII #UnfinishedMonuments #Ramesseum #Tanis #UnfinishedObelisk #AswanQuarry #NewKingdom #EgyptianArchitecture #Kemet #Pharaoh #ConstructionFailures #QuarryMarks #Colossi #Seth #PerRamesses #AncientEgypt #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's 67-Year Reign What Made It Last

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the extraordinary length of Ramses II's 67-year reign, the second longest in Egyptian history. They examine the key factors that sustained his rule for so long: a combination of military victories, monumental building projects, diplomatic marriages, and careful management of the economy and succession. The conversation covers his early co-regency with Seti I, the propaganda value of the Battle of Kadesh, the Hittite peace treaty, and the roles of his many children, especially Khaemwaset and Merenptah. They also discuss how Ramses leveraged the annual Nile flood (Hapi) through agricultural policies and used his vast network of temples, including the Ramesseum and Per-Ramesses, to project power. The episode touches on the practical realities of governing an empire for over six decades, including the challenges of maintaining health, securing loyalty, and managing the transition to a new pharaoh. Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of how one pharaoh managed to hold power longer than almost any other ruler in history. #RamsesII #AncientEgypt #19thDynasty #NewKingdom #Pharaoh #67YearReign #Kemet #PerRamesses #Hapi #Kadesh #HittiteTreaty #Khaemwaset #Merenptah #SetiI #Ramesseum #EgyptianHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]