Ramses the Great's Colossal Statues: Power in Stone

Ramses the Great's Royal Wives Beyond Nefertari

While Nefertari is the most famous, Ramses II had many other royal wives who played crucial diplomatic and political roles. This episode explores his marriage to the Hittite princess Maathorneferure, which sealed the peace treaty of Year 21. We also discuss his lesser-known Egyptian wives, such as Isetnofret, mother of Merenptah, and the daughters he married. Learn how Ramses used marriage as a tool of statecraft, forging alliances within Egypt and with foreign powers. We examine the daily life of royal women at Per-Ramesses, their religious duties, and their influence on succession. Discover the story of the Hittite princess's journey to Egypt, the tensions surrounding her arrival, and how she was integrated into the Egyptian court. This episode sheds light on the complex web of relationships that supported Ramses's long reign and the women who helped shape the 19th Dynasty. #RamsesII #Maathorneferure #Isetnofret #AncientEgypt #Kemet #19thDynasty #PerRamesses #HittitePeace #RoyalWives #HattusiliIII #Diplomacy #Pharaoh #WomenInHistory #AncientMarriage #NorthAfrica #History #FexingoHistory #Egyptology Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Divine Birth: Propaganda at Luxor Temple

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into one of the most audacious propaganda campaigns of the ancient world: Ramses II's claim of divine birth, inscribed on the walls of Luxor Temple. They explore how the king co-opted the ancient 'divine birth' narrative used by Hatshepsut and Amenhotep III, rewriting it to legitimize his rule and connect himself directly to the god Amun-Re. Lucas explains the scene-by-scene reliefs at Luxor: the god Amun taking the form of Ramses's father, Seti I, the divine conception by Queen Tuya, the birth of the infant king flanked by goddesses, and the presentation of the royal child to the gods. They discuss the political context — Ramses was not the crown prince; his elder brother Nebwenenef had died young, making the claim of divine election a powerful tool. Luna asks about the audience for these carvings, and Lucas reveals that the innermost sanctuary of Luxor Temple was restricted to priests and royalty — so the message was aimed at the elite, not the masses. The episode also touches on the architectural innovation of the 'Birth Colonnade' and how Ramses used the Festival of Opet to parade his divine status through Thebes. The conversation ends with a reflection on the enduring power of myth in statecraft. This episode breaks new ground by focusing on a specific religious-political monument rather than battles or treaties. #RamsesII #DivineBirth #LuxorTemple #AmunRe #AncientEgypt #Propaganda #Pharaoh #QueenTuya #SetiI #Hatshepsut #FestivalOfOpet #EgyptianMythology #Kemet #Thebes #NorthAfrica #History #FexingoHistory #19thDynasty Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Arctic Monkeys: The Gebel Barkal Stela

In episode 131 of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna journey south of Kemet's border to Gebel Barkal — a sacred mountain in Nubia that the Egyptians called the 'Throne of the Two Lands.' Ramses the Great carved a monumental stela there, a 26-foot granite proclamation boasting of his conquests and divine favor. But this wasn't just propaganda — it was a deliberate act of cultural integration, equating the Nubian god Amun of Napata with the Egyptian Amun-Re. The stela also records Ramses's campaign against the 'wretched Kush,' a phrase that masks a more complex relationship of tribute, intermarriage, and military occupation. We explore the stela's text, its location at the mysterious Gebel Barkal — a flat-topped mesa that the Egyptians believed was the birthplace of Amun — and its role in anchoring Egyptian control over Nubia's gold routes. Along the way, we touch on the viceroy Setau, the temple of Amun at Napata, and the later Kushite pharaohs who would reverse the dynamic. A story of empire, stone, and the enduring power of sacred geography. #RamsesII #GebelBarkal #Nubia #Kush #AmunRe #Napata #Setau #EgyptianPropaganda #AncientEgypt #19thDynasty #Kemet #Hieroglyphs #Stela #GoldRoutes #SacredMountain #Colonialism #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Mortuary Temple Medinet Habu Legacy

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]

Ramses the Greats Sea Peoples Invasion The Great Collapse

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna examine the Sea Peoples invasion during the reign of Ramses II, a pivotal threat that nearly toppled Egypt's New Kingdom. They explore the identity of these mysterious raiders—including the Sherden, Lukka, Peleset, Tjekker, Shekelesh, Denyen, Teresh, and Weshesh—using evidence from the Medinet Habu reliefs and the Papyrus Harris I. The conversation covers Ramses' defensive strategy, the Battle of the Delta in year 8 of his reign, and the geopolitical chaos of the Late Bronze Age Collapse. They also discuss the economic and social strains that Ramses faced, the role of his navy and chariot forces, and the long-term consequences for Egypt, including the eventual decline into the Third Intermediate Period. This episode offers a fresh perspective on a civilization under siege and the forces that reshaped the ancient world. #SeaPeoples #RamsesII #EgyptianHistory #LateBronzeAgeCollapse #MedinetHabu #Sherden #Peleset #Lukka #Tjekker #Shekelesh #Denyen #Teresh #Weshesh #BattleOfTheDelta #PapyrusHarrisI #NewKingdom #NorthAfrica #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]