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# Ramesses II

## Overview
Ramesses II (~1303–1213 BCE), also known as Ramesses the Great, was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt and one of the most powerful and celebrated rulers of ancient Egypt. His Egyptian regnal name was Usermaatre Setepenre; in ancient Greek sources he is called Ozymandias, derived from the first part of that name. [^3]

## Key Facts
- Born: ~1303 BCE
- Reign: ~1279–1213 BCE (66 years, one of the longest in Egyptian history)
- Dynasty: 19th Dynasty, New Kingdom
- Capital: Pi-Ramesses (Nile Delta)
- Died: ~1213 BCE, age ~90
- Principal wife: Nefertari (Nefertari Meritmut)
- Tomb: KV7, Valley of the Kings

## Major Events
- Battle of Kadesh (~1274 BCE): Fought the Hittites under Muwatalli II; indecisive but claimed as victory [^1]
- Treaty of Kadesh (~1259 BCE): Signed peace with Hittite king Hattusili III; sealed by a diplomatic marriage to a Hittite princess
- Led at least 15 military campaigns in the Levant, reasserting Egyptian control over Canaan and Phoenicia [^3]
- Led multiple campaigns into Nubia, commemorated in inscriptions at Beit el-Wali and Gerf Hussein [^3]
- Built Abu Simbel temples in Nubia
- Built the Ramesseum (mortuary temple) at Thebes
- Expanded Karnak and Luxor temples
- Completed the hypostyle hall at Karnak

## Legacy
- Fathered over 100 children
- His mummy was discovered in the Deir el-Bahari cache (1881) [^2]; analysis reveals severe arthritis, arteriosclerosis, and dental abscesses consistent with advanced age [^3]
- Often identified (controversially) with the pharaoh of the Exodus narrative
- Nine subsequent pharaohs took the name Ramesses; he was referred to as the "Great Ancestor" by successor pharaohs [^3]
- His original sarcophagus was identified at KV7 by researchers from Sorbonne University [^4]

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[^1]: Kitchen, K.A. *Pharaoh Triumphant: The Life and Times of Ramesses II* (1982)
[^2]: Tyldesley, J. *Ramesses: Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh* (2000)
[^3]: Wikipedia contributors. "Ramesses II." *Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia*. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramesses_II
[^4]: "Ramesses II — Original Sarcophagus Identified Within the Valley of Kings." *Ancient Origins* (2025). https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/ramesses-ii-original-sarcophagus-identified-within-valley-kings-0020845