RAMSES II, Ramses(actually Ramessu - ancient Egyptian. “Ra gave birth to him”), Egyptian pharaoh c. 1290-1224 BC e., from the 19th dynasty.
Beginning of the reign
In 1303-1290 BC. e. - co-ruler of his father Seti I. Having ascended the throne in 1290 BC. e., completely subjugated the priests of Thebes, placing his protege at their head. In the first years of his sole rule, he won victories over the Libyans and Sherdans (one of the so-called “peoples of the sea”), who became a serious threat to Egypt at the end of the 13th century. BC e.). The central event of the reign of Ramesses II was the struggle between Egypt and the Hittite kingdom for dominance in the Middle East.
Wars with the Hittites, Battle of Kadesh
Around 1286 BC e. Ramses II makes a trip to Phenicia and around 1285 BC. e. begins a war with the aim of capturing the city of Kadesh in the valley of the river. Orontes and adjacent areas of Central Syria. The retreat of the Hittite king Muwatallis, whose main forces were concentrated directly near Kadesh, to Aleppo (modern Aleppo) misled the Egyptians - on the approaches to the city, the troops of Ramesses II were struck by a sudden attack from the Hittite chariots. In the two-day battle, the Egyptians were saved from destruction only by the personal courage of the pharaoh and the reinforcements that arrived; Thus, Kadesh was not taken, and as a result the powers concluded a truce, after which Ramesses II retreated to Egypt. In fact, the campaign of 1285 BC. e. ended in the defeat of the Egyptians, since none of its tasks were solved.
In 1283 BC. e. the war resumes: Ramses II manages to take the city of Dapur in southern Syria and a number of Palestinian cities. In 1280 BC. e. Pharaoh fights in Phenicia and Northern Syria; in 1279-70 BC e. strengthens Egypt's power over Palestine and the territory beyond the Jordan (biblical regions of Edom and Moab). Around 1272 BC e. Ramesses II fights in Northern Palestine, where he builds a powerful fortress near the city of Bet Shean. The wars of Ramses II were fought with varying success, Egypt either returned territories under its rule, or lost them again. Ramses II was unable to defeat the Hittite state, which was the inspiration for the struggle of the small states of Syria-Palestine against Egypt.
Peace with the Hittites
Around 1269 BC e. On the initiative of the Hittite king Hattusili III, Egypt and the Hittites made peace. Egypt's rights to Palestine were recognized most Phenicia and less - Southern Syria; all territories north of them were considered the Hittite sphere of influence. The parties agreed on non-aggression, a military alliance, and the mutual extradition of criminals and defectors. The treaty, known in Egyptian and cuneiform (Akkadian) versions, is the oldest known peace treaty, dating back to 1256 BC. e. it was secured by the marriage of the already middle-aged Ramesses II and the Hittite princess. By this time, the Hittites themselves were striving to resolve relations with Egypt, fearing the threat from Assyria in the east and the migrating peoples of the Caucasus and Asia Minor in the north and west.
Transfer of capital
Under Ramses II, peaceful ties with the Middle East developed, the center of which became the newly built new capital in the east of the Nile Delta - the city of Tanis, called Per-Ramses (ancient Egyptian "House of Ramses"), with Asian quarters and temples of the gods. Ramesses II continues the policy begun by Akhenaten of opposing the north of the country to Thebes with its influential priesthood: the political and economic center of Egypt under him is the Nile Delta, but Memphis, the capital of his predecessors, also plays a significant role.
Under Ramesses II, construction is underway on the temples of Amun in Thebes and Osiris in Abydos; the grandiose mortuary complex Ramesseum is being built on west bank Nile opposite Thebes. In Nubia, which under Ramesses II was firmly subordinated to Egypt, temples were built in his honor. The most famous among them is the rock temple at Abu Simbel.
Ramesses II reigned for over 66 years and died at the age of 87. 7 of his main wives are known, 3 of whom were his daughters (most likely, these were only ritual marriages), at least 45 sons and 40 daughters (according to other estimates, 111 and 67). The reign of Ramesses II was reflected in the works of many ancient historians (for example, Herodotus, who called him Rampsinitis) and in the Bible.
Not a single Egyptian pharaoh was so firmly imprinted in the minds of his contemporaries and the memory of his descendants as Ramses II. He lived for 90 years and during the 60 years of his reign he went down in history as a pharaoh-builder, leaving behind buildings that immortalized his name.
Fpharaoh Ramses II
Having ascended the throne after his father Seti I, Ramses II soon ordered the names of the former pharaohs to be chipped off and painted over on all monuments. The Egyptians were supposed to know and remember only him. Even at Karnak, the magnificent temple structure dedicated to the god Amun, the ambitious pharaoh ordered all traces left by his crowned predecessors to be erased and replaced by his own name. At the coronation ceremony, he was simultaneously proclaimed pharaoh and high priest of all Egypt.
At first, power over the religious consciousness of his subjects was more important to Ramses than anything else, and he made sure that the oracle at the solemn procession in honor of the festival of the god Amun “prompted” him to appoint his favorite Nebvenenef as the chief priest of Karnak.
At the very beginning of his reign, Ramses II, who did not yet have any merits, ordered to be called the Benefactor of the country, the Chosen One of Amun and the Invincible Hero. In the fourth year of his reign, Ramesses II wanted to gain the glory of a commander. Over the course of several generations of Egyptian pharaohs, their main enemies were considered Hittites. Ramesses II managed to win the first battle with the Hittites. Inspired by success, he decided to end the war a year later with the final defeat of the enemy. At the head of an army of twenty thousand, Pharaoh moved from Memphis to the city of Kadesh. He wanted to capture main city king of the Hittites and annex all his possessions to his kingdom. Near the city of Kadesh, in the territory of modern Syria, two armies clashed in a fierce battle. The Battle of Kadesh is described in detail in the ancient chronicles of the peoples who fought each other. This is the first battle in world history, about which numerous documentary information has been preserved.
Cunning enemy spies discovered the advance of the Egyptian troops, and during the battle the Hittites managed to lure Ramesses II into a trap with a small detachment of personal guards. Egyptian soldiers who happened to be nearby barely had time to rescue their “invincible” commander from shameful captivity.
The battle was stubborn and long. The Egyptians finally retreated and went home, which is why in the Hittite chronicles the battle of Kadesh is called a great victory for the Hittites.
And Ramesses II sent a report to his capital: “I defeated them all. I am alone because my infantry and war chariots have abandoned me to my fate.” By his order, the inglorious defeat was declared an outstanding victory, and the pharaoh ordered himself to be honored as greatest commander and the winner.
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In the 1st year of his reign, Ramses II installed his faithful Nebunenef, who had previously held the post of the first priest of the Tini god Onuris, in the vacant place of the first priest of Amon. In the 3rd year of the reign of Ramesses II, at a depth of only 6 meters, it was finally possible to find water in the gold mines in Wadi Alaki, which significantly increased gold production there.
The change of pharaohs could, as in previous times, arouse hopes among the oppressed peoples for successful uprisings. Approximately in the 2nd year of his reign, Ramesses II defeated the Sherdans - representatives of one of the “peoples of the sea”. It is believed that they subsequently settled the island of Sardinia. Egyptian inscriptions speak of enemy ships and their defeat during sleep. The captured Sherdans were apparently included in the ranks of the Egyptian army, since later images show them fighting in Syria and Palestine in the front ranks of the warriors of Ramesses II.
Presumably, in the 4th year of his reign, Ramesses II undertook his first campaign in Western Asia, aimed at subjugating the sea coast of Palestine and Phenicia. During this campaign, Ramesses II took the city of Berith and reached the Eleutheros River (El Kebira), where he erected his memorial stele. This event became the reason for the declaration of war between Ramesses II and the Hittite king Muwatalli.
In the spring of the 5th year of his reign, Ramesses II, having gathered an army of more than 20 thousand, set out from the border fortress of Chilu on a second campaign. After 29 days, four Egyptian military formations, named after Amon, Ra, Ptah and Set, set up camp one march from Kadesh. One of the formations, called “well done” in Canaanite, and composed by the pharaoh, apparently from the most selected warriors, had even earlier been sent along the sea coast for subsequent reunification with the main forces at Kadesh. In the morning next day The Egyptian army began crossing the Orontes at Shabtun. Misled by Hittite spies sent to the Egyptian camp, who assured that the Hittites had retreated far to the north, to Aleppo, Ramesses II, with one detachment of “Amun” that had already crossed, without waiting for the rest of the army to cross, moved to Kadesh.
In the plain across the river, to the northeast of the fortress, hidden by the city, the entire army of the Hittite kingdom and its allies stood in full combat readiness. According to Egyptian sources, the Hittite army consisted of 3,500 chariots with three warriors each and 17,000 infantry. Total there were approximately 28 thousand warriors. In addition to the Hittite warriors, almost all the Anatolian and Syrian kingdoms were represented in it: Arzawa, Lucca, Kizzuwatna, Aravanna, Euphrates Syria, Karchemish, Halab, Ugarit, Nukhashshe, Kadesh, nomadic tribes and so on. Each of these diverse allies came under the command of their rulers and, therefore, it was extremely difficult for Muwatalli to control this entire crowd.
Having crossed the Orontes, the “Ra” formation did not wait for the “Ptah” and “Set” units, which had not yet even approached the ford, and went north to meet the pharaoh. Meanwhile, south of Kadesh, out of sight of the Egyptians, the bulk of the enemy's charioteer army was concentrated. The crossing of his chariots across the Orontes was obviously carried out in advance and went unnoticed by the Egyptians. The "Ra" formation in marching order, not ready for battle, was attacked by enemy chariots and was scattered with lightning speed, and the chariots fell on the "Amon" formation, which was engaged in setting up the camp. Some of the Egyptian soldiers fled, and some, along with the pharaoh, were surrounded. The Egyptians suffered huge losses. Ramesses II managed to rally his guard around himself and take up a perimeter defense. Ramesses II was saved from inevitable defeat only by the fact that the Hittite infantry was unable to cross rough waters Oronte did not come to the aid of her chariots. A happy accident - the unexpected appearance on the battlefield of another detachment of Egyptians, the same one that was walking along the seashore, somewhat straightened the situation, and the Egyptians were able to hold out until the evening, when the "Bird" detachment approached Kadesh. The Hittites were forced to retreat beyond the Orontes, receiving, in turn, damage while crossing the river. In this battle, two brothers of the Hittite king Muwatalli, several military leaders and many other noble Hittites and their allies died. The next day, in the morning, Ramesses II again attacked the Hittite army, but it was not possible to break the enemy in this battle either. In any case, not a single source says that the pharaoh took possession of Kadesh. The bloodless opponents were clearly unable to defeat each other. The Hittite king Muwatalli offered the pharaoh a truce, which gave Ramesses the opportunity to retreat with honor and return safely to Egypt.
The Battle of Kadesh greatly impressed Ramesses II, who ordered the story of this event and grandiose panoramic “illustrations” of it to be reproduced on the walls of many temple complexes, including Abydos, Karnak, Luxor, Ramesseum and Abu Simbel.
In the 8th year of his reign, Ramesses II again invaded Western Asia. The result of this campaign was the capture of Dapur. With the assistance of his sons, Ramesses II besieged and took this strategically important fortress. Ramesses II considered the capture of Dapur, depicted on the walls of the Ramesseum, to be one of his most glorious deeds.
By the time of Ramses II, the military art of the Egyptians had stepped far ahead compared to the time of slow tactics, who preferred to starve out fortified cities and often, having failed to achieve their goal, devastated the surrounding gardens and fields in impotent anger. The wars of Ramses II turned into a continuous capture of large and small fortresses by assault. A list of cities he captured in Asia is preserved on the wall of the Ramesseum.
With the death of Muwatalli, which occurred approximately in the 10th year of the reign of Ramesses II, the climate of relations between Egypt and Hatti warmed noticeably. Muwatalli's son, Urhi-Teshub, inherited the throne under the name Mursili III, but was soon deposed by his uncle Hattusili III, who made peace with Egypt. Perhaps the reconciliation of the rivals was gradually facilitated by the formation of a strong Assyrian power and the associated fears.
At the beginning of the winter of the 21st year of the reign of Ramesses II, the ambassador of Hattusili III, accompanied by an Egyptian translator, arrived in the capital of the pharaoh Per-Ramesses and presented the Egyptian king, on behalf of his master, with a silver tablet with the cuneiform text of the treaty, certified by seals depicting the king and queen of Hatti in the embrace of their deities . The treaty was translated into Egyptian and subsequently immortalized on the walls of Karnak and the Ramesseum. The text of the treaty that the pharaoh sent to Hattusili in exchange for his tablet was also cuneiform, compiled in the then international Akkadian language. Fragments of it are preserved in the Boğazköy archive. Basically, the treaty was aimed at ensuring the mutual inviolability of possessions and providing assistance, infantry and chariots, in the event of an attack on one of the contracting parties or an uprising of subjects. Both sides committed to handing over the defectors. This was the first diplomatically formalized agreement in world history that has survived to this day.
The period of active military campaigns of Ramesses II came to an end. The time of active diplomatic correspondence between the two countries began. Messages from Ramses II, his family and the vizier Paser, addressed to King Hattusili III and his wife Puduhepa, were discovered in the Boghazkey archive. Egyptian doctors were often sent to the Hittite court. In the 34th year of his reign, Ramesses II married the eldest daughter of Hattusili, who took the Egyptian name Maathornefrura. The princess became not one of the king’s minor wives, as usually happened with foreigners at the Egyptian court, but the “great” wife of the pharaoh. The meeting of the future queen was arranged very solemnly. The princess was accompanied by her father's warriors. In front of her were carried a lot of silver, gold and copper, slaves and horses stretched “endlessly”, whole herds of bulls, goats and sheep moved. From the Egyptian side, the princess was accompanied by the “royal son of Kush.” The daughter of the king of Hatti "was brought to his majesty, and his majesty liked her." On the reliefs of the stele at Abu Simbel, which tells about this event, Hattusili III is depicted accompanying his daughter to Egypt. Indeed, a letter from Ramesses II was discovered in the Boghazkoy archive inviting his father-in-law to visit Egypt, but whether such a trip was carried out is not known for certain. The second daughter of Hattusilis III also became the wife of Ramesses. The exact date of this marriage is unknown, but it happened shortly before the death of the Hittite king, approximately in the 42nd year of the reign of Ramesses II.
Ramses II was characterized by extremely extensive construction activities. The war with the Hittites prompted him to move his residence to the northeastern part of the Delta. Perhaps, on the site of Avaris, the city of Per-Ramesses, later Tanis, was built, which turned into a large and flourishing city with a magnificent temple. Above the huge pylons of this temple towered the monolithic colossus of Ramesses made of granite, more than 27 m high and weighing 900 tons. This colossus was visible for many kilometers from the flat plain surrounding the Delta.
However, during construction, Ramesses II often destroyed the country's ancient monuments. Thus, the buildings of the VI dynasty pharaoh Teti served as material for his temple in Memphis. He plundered the pyramid of Senwosret II at El Lahun, destroyed the paved square around it and smashed to pieces the magnificent structures that stood in this square, with the aim of obtaining material for his own temple at Heracleopolis. To obtain the necessary space for the expansion of the Luxor Temple, Ramesses II tore down the exquisite granite prayer house of Thutmose III and used the materials obtained in this way.
Ramesses II died in the 67th year of his reign and was survived by twelve of his sons, among whom two: the military leader Amenherkhepeshef and Khaemuas, the high priest of the god Ptah in Memphis, carried the title of heir to the throne for a particularly long time. The Egyptian throne was inherited by the thirteenth son of King Merneptah, the son of Queen Isitnofret I, who was a middle-aged man when he came to power. He was the first of several heirs of Ramesses II, short reigns which ended the 19th Dynasty.
Most recently (No. 2/98) in the essay “Life and Death in the Valley of the Kings,” our correspondent V. Lebedev spoke about visiting the tomb of the wife of Pharaoh Ramses II Nefertari, discovered in 1995. Today we have the opportunity to talk about the discovery of the tomb of Ramses II by American archaeologists.
A nondescript crypt in the Valley of the Kings hid a sensation: American archaeologist Kent Weeks discovered the family mausoleum of Pharaoh Ramses II. In a huge tomb, the ancient Egyptians apparently buried 52 sons of Ramses, heirs to the throne, many of whom were survived by their own father.
“This was the tenth, last and most terrible execution Egyptian, which the God of the people of Israel sent; all the firstborn in Egypt must die, and every firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the bondwoman who is at the millstones” (Exodus 11.5).
The wrath of a foreign god apparently befell Egypt just when the powerful Ramses ruled it. The son for whom he had to mourn was probably called Amonherkhopeshef. This name, engraved on the wall of the tomb, was read by the American archaeologist, whose discovery was called by his colleagues the find of the century.
Unlike the pharaohs of the Old Kingdom, who found peace in tombs near the pyramids, the rulers of the New Kingdom built their necropolis on the slope of Mount Kurn, carved into the rocks, with well-hidden entrances and false passages inside.
In the darkness, behind an imperceptible stone threshold, thousand-year-old tombs with luxurious ornaments, statues, sarcophagi and treasures of Tutankhamun were waiting for their explorer. And when Howard Carter opened the tomb of the young pharaoh Tutankhamun in 1922, archaeologists decided that the last secret The Valley of the Kings has been revealed. Indeed, until recent years, researchers no longer came across sensations.
Kent Weeks thought so too when, without much hope, he began exploring Crypt K5. Before that, he was lucky enough to find traces trial, which was held over the tomb raider 3145 years ago. A papyrus scroll, which is kept today in Turin, states that the accused plundered the tomb of Ramses II and ... “the tomb opposite.”
This message surprised Weeks. What tomb was meant? Maybe the long-forgotten Crypt K5, in which back in 1820 an English traveler found nothing but two empty, unremarkable-looking chambers? What did the ancient Egyptian thief hope to find there?
At first the search did not promise success. There are no inscriptions at the entrance, no ornament: only clay, rubble and sand, which was blown by the wind through the low entrance to the tomb. However, after four weeks, another entrance was discovered, lower, which led to a still unknown burial chamber.
“Then we started going deeper,” recalls Ibrahim Sadiq, Weeks’ employee. And then it became clear to everyone: K5 is no longer an unknown, unremarkable crypt, but the largest tomb of the ancient Egyptians ever found.
While in all others royal tombs a long shaft leads directly to the burial chamber; in Crypt K5, Weeks discovered a whole labyrinth. T-shaped passages branched off from the main gallery in both directions to niches for sarcophagi and to huge halls with an area of 400 square meters. m.
The enormous dimensions of the network of tunnels have yet to be fully determined. “If you compare Tutankhamun's tomb to a matchbox,” says Weeks, “the largest tomb here would be a telephone directory. Open for now! “The catacomb system seems like a whole desk.”
Weeks has already opened 67 halls. But, according to his assumption, there could be more than a hundred of them: stairs and a descending corridor led to a more spacious and deeper burial place.
Excavations at the new site and deciphering the inscriptions will take many more years. But Weeks had already managed to identify the names of the four sons of Ramses from the hieroglyphs on the limestone wall. And he is convinced that somewhere in the tomb the names of all his other sons are listed. Here, apparently, all the offspring of the pharaoh, who during their lifetime suffered from their powerful, imperious and tenacious father and all the time quarreled with each other over his inheritance, were finally united in death.
Of all the heroic deeds of Ramses II, the most famous is the Battle of Kadesh, when he stopped the invasion of the Hittites, who created their own power, equal in strength to the Egyptian one. The warlike pharaoh also went down in history as a great peacemaker.
When he was tired of skirmishes on the border with the Hittites, he concluded the first peace treaty known in the history of mankind: by an alliance with another power, he established peace for 50 years.
Researchers hope that deciphered hieroglyphic inscriptions in a recently discovered family tomb will reveal new information O family life great rulers, in which much still remains unclear. It is clear, however, that Ramses, despite his many royal duties, found time for his wives. And there were at least six main ones and a dozen just spouses and concubines, who brought him about a hundred children.
As a teenager, Ramses received a whole harem as a gift from his father. Pharaoh himself remembers this with gratitude. “He made sure my harem was as beautiful as his own.”
And my father’s choice turned out to be good. Obviously, of these first consorts, one turned out to be special - for 25 years Nefertari remained the embodiment of charm, friendliness and love and, as the pharaoh himself swore, his most trusted person. She participated along with him in sacred processions around the country and was nearby during government hardships. And it was she who gave birth to the first son of Amonherkhopeshef, whose hot blood appeared at the age of five, during a military campaign.
But in addition, Nefertari had to share her husband with her rivals, to whom the pharaoh often bestowed his favor while fulfilling his diplomatic duty. One account details the caravan that arrived in 1257 BC. e. from the country of the Hittites: the cargo consisted of precious stones, gold, silver and fine fabrics, as well as horses, sheep and cows.
And all this, as well as a detachment of selected slaves, was the dowry of Princess Maat-Hor-Neferure, the new wife of Ramses, who a little later was left to quietly vegetate in the remote harem of Mi-Ver.
The loving Ramses shared his bed with his closest relatives. At least one of his sisters and two daughters were legally married to him. And the daughter Meritamun, apparently, after the death of her mother Nefertari, took her place as the Great Queen.
Ramses II was probably over 90 when he died in the 67th year of his reign. X-rays the mummies convincingly say that his body was affected by arthritis and that the elderly pharaoh lived for a long time in severe insanity.
The absence of indications in the documents about the end of his reign may mean that long before his death he left the political arena. But he still didn’t want to die.
Ramses outlived twelve heirs. The thirteenth son, Merenptah, was already 60 years old at the time of his father's death, the eldest, but still living son. As the new pharaoh, Merenptah led a procession that headed to the tomb that had long been prepared for his father in the Valley of the Kings...
Based on materials from Spigel magazine, prepared by Nikolay Nikolaev
Among kings and rulers ancient world Several of the greatest figures stand out, surpassing human boundaries in their scale and being considered demigods in dignity. One of the most famous rulers who demonstrated divine power in himself was Ramses II or Great.
Ramesses II was worshiped as a god. And he, in fact, immortalized himself in hundreds of grandiose monuments created during the years of his reign.
Ramses II was one of the greatest pharaohs of Ancient Egypt who ruled during the 19th Dynasty. He was hailed as "Ramses the Great" for his successful and long reign over the state. His reign spanned a period of more than 90 years. His achievements surpassed in scale all the results of previous generations and those who inherited power.
Ramses II. Beginning of the reign
In 1303-1290 BC. e. - co-ruler of his father Seti I. Having ascended the throne in 1290 BC. e., completely subjugated the priests of Thebes, placing his protege at their head. In the first years of his sole rule, he won victories over the Libyans and Sherdans (one of the so-called “peoples of the sea”), who became a serious threat to Egypt at the end of the 13th century. BC e.). The central event of the reign of Ramesses II was the struggle between Egypt and the Hittite kingdom for dominance in the Middle East.
Divine origin of the pharaoh
Ramesses II understood that he could count on the strength of the dynasty only if he himself gave it divine greatness. “I trace my descent from Pa,” reads his speech to the high priests and courtiers, which he had carved into stone in his father’s tomb. “The Almighty Himself gave me life and greatness.” It was he who handed me the circle of the earth when I was still in my mother’s womb.”
Pharaoh Seti ordered a funeral temple to be built for himself in Abydos. When Ramses visited Abydos after the funeral, he discovered that the temple was never completed and had already begun to collapse somewhere. The impression this spectacle made on him can be judged by the inscription, which, among other things, contains a whole program of construction and public policy:
“Shouldn’t the son who succeeds his father renew the monuments erected to him? - the inscription asks. “I erected a new monument made of gold for my father. I ordered the restoration of his temple. Lift up your face, turn your gaze to the Sun God, O my father Seti, you who are now one of the gods. Look, I fell in love your name, I protect you, for I appeared to the nations in the form of the Sun God.”
Thus, Ramesses used the temple of Seti I to promote his divine essence. He equally purposefully sought the deification of other members of his family.
At one time, Seti, caring for the future of the dynasty, personally chose three wives and several concubines for his son. Ramesses' most beloved wife was Nefertari. No other queen is glorified so often in inscriptions. When Ramesses gave an audience or appeared to the people from the balcony of the palace, Nefertari was almost invariably next to him.
Drawings and reliefs depict her as a slender beauty. She is “the favorite of the goddess Mut,” “the great wife of the king,” “the mother of God”; In addition to these official names, there are others - more personal and tender. Ramses calls her “lovely lady,” “beautiful face,” his “sweet love.”
Wars with the Hittites, Battle of Kadesh
Around 1286 BC e. Ramses II makes a trip to Phenicia and around 1285 BC. e. begins a war with the aim of capturing the city of Kadesh in the valley of the river. Orontes and adjacent areas of Central Syria. The retreat of the Hittite king Muwatallis, whose main forces were concentrated directly near Kadesh, to Aleppo (modern Aleppo) misled the Egyptians - on the approaches to the city, the troops of Ramesses II were struck by a sudden attack from the Hittite chariots. In the two-day battle, the Egyptians were saved from destruction only by the personal courage of the pharaoh and the reinforcements that arrived; Thus, Kadesh was not taken, and as a result the powers concluded a truce, after which Ramesses II retreated to Egypt. In fact, the campaign of 1285 BC. e. ended in the defeat of the Egyptians, since none of its tasks were solved.
In 1283 BC. e. the war resumes: Ramses II manages to take the city of Dapur in southern Syria and a number of Palestinian cities. In 1280 BC. e. Pharaoh fights in Phenicia and Northern Syria; in 1279-70 BC e. strengthens Egypt's power over Palestine and the territory beyond the Jordan (biblical regions of Edom and Moab). Around 1272 BC e. Ramesses II fights in Northern Palestine, where he builds a powerful fortress near the city of Bet Shean. The wars of Ramses II were fought with varying success, Egypt either returned territories under its rule, or lost them again. Ramses II was unable to defeat the Hittite state, which was the inspiration for the struggle of the small states of Syria-Palestine against Egypt.
Peace with the Hittites
Around 1269 BC e. On the initiative of the Hittite king Hattusili III, Egypt and the Hittites made peace. Egypt was recognized as having rights to Palestine, most of Phenicia and a smaller part of Southern Syria; all territories north of them were considered the Hittite sphere of influence. The parties agreed on non-aggression, a military alliance, and the mutual extradition of criminals and defectors. The treaty, known in Egyptian and cuneiform (Akkadian) versions, is the oldest known peace treaty, dating back to 1256 BC. e. it was secured by the marriage of the already middle-aged Ramesses II and the Hittite princess. By this time, the Hittites themselves were striving to resolve relations with Egypt, fearing the threat from Assyria in the east and the migrating peoples of the Caucasus and Asia Minor in the north and west.
Transfer of capital
Under Ramesses II, peaceful ties with the Middle East developed, the center of which became the newly built new capital in the east of the Nile Delta - the city of Tanis, called Per-Ramses (ancient Egyptian "House of Ramesses"), with Asian quarters and temples of the gods. Ramses II continues the policy begun by Akhenaten of opposing the north of the country to Thebes with its influential priesthood: the political and economic center of Egypt under him is the Nile Delta, but Memphis, the capital of his predecessors, also plays a significant role.
Under Ramesses II, construction is underway on the temples of Amun in Thebes and Osiris in Abydos; A grandiose mortuary complex, the Ramesseum, is being built on the west bank of the Nile opposite Thebes. In Nubia, which under Ramesses II was firmly subordinated to Egypt, temples were built in his honor. The most famous among them is the rock temple at Abu Simbel.
The name Ramses was borne by many pharaohs of the 19th and 20th dynasties; it means “Ra gave birth to him” (Ra-Messu). Ramses II was the grandson of the founder of the dynasty, Ramses I, and the son of Seti I. Having ascended the royal throne in 1279 BC, he proclaimed himself “the son of the sun god Ra, a god incarnate in man.” It is interesting that, having become the son of Amun-Ra, he did not cease to be the son of Seti. Ramses II reigned for about 67 years and died a very old man, leaving behind more than 90 sons and daughters.
https://youtu.be/v8QCtnUvd7Y
http://www.ice-nut.ru/egypt/egypt024.htm
http://www.piplz.ru/page.php?id=530
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