NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Rameses II, he was the third of his line in the Nineteenth Dynasty, son of Seti I, and grandson of Rameses I. He ruled for nearly seventy years in the middle of a Period known, as the New Kingdom when Egypt was at its most powerful. During His reign 1279 - 1213, Egypt enjoyed an era of prosperity and stability, not only internally, but externally as well. He is responsible for the building of more Monuments and famous structures than any other pharaoh, having many Structures and statues renamed as if he commissioned them himself. By the end of his unusually long sixty-six-year long reign, he was famous throughout the then known ancient world. Ramses I was chosen as heir to King Horemheb, the last king of the Eighteenth Dynasty after serving as general, vizier, Commander of the Army of the Ruler of Two Lands, High Priest of all the Gods and Hereditary Prince of the Entire Land.
King Horemheb chose Ramses as his successor as he had no children of his own, he too was chosen by the previous pharaoh. Ramses I not only had a son, Seti, a soldier who was married to Tuya, also from a military family, but a grandson, also called Rameses as well. A strong military background was important and all of these factors probably helped in Horemheb's decision. Having sons and grandsons ensured Rameses of having heirs to carry on the new dynasty. In 1295, BCE, Horemheb died, Rameses I first royal act, the overseeing of his secret burial rites in the Valley of the Kings. Rameses I took this time to pick out his own burial tomb and began preparations to be buried next to his friend Horemheb.
Rameses I and his son Seti planned fabulous buildings, and had existing buildings and monuments redone with pictures, rituals and the names of Rameses I and Seti. After this work was started Seti was sent back to train the military and even led a small army expedition into Canaan. During the Eighteenth Dynasty many of Egypt's territories had been lost. It was Seti's main goal to restore Egypt's Syrian empire. After serving as king for little more than a year, Rameses became sick and appointed Seti as co-regent. Only sixteen months after being made heir to the throne by Horemheb, Rameses I died, leaving Seti to rule over Egypt.
The mummification and secret burial of Rameses I now fell on Seti I. The tomb Rameses I had begun had to be finished in a hurry. Seti I and his son Rameses went with Rameses Is mummified body to its secret burial place. Seti I used this time to pick out his own burial spot and construction began immediately. On their return to Memphis, Seti I with Rameses stopped in Abydos, the cult center of Osiris, the God of the Afterlife.
Here he ordered the building of temple for his father Rameses I and a slightly larger one for his son Rameses. Now in power Seti I set about his wish to restore Egypt's control over Canaan and Syria by beating all of the local chieftains and princes who had gained control during the Eighteenth Dynasty. Seti I began the first of many campaigns known as the Northern Wars. This was all begun in year one of his reign (the calendar started over with each new ruler). Seti I had the Egyptian Army march from the northeast Delta across the desert to Gaza in the area of Canaan (modern Israel). An enormous battle took place; the royal scribes wrote His majesty seized upon them like a terrifying lion, turning them into corpses throughout their valleys, wallowing in their blood as if they had never existed, wrote it.
The Egyptian armies continued on as far as Beth Shan on the Jordan River where a stone tablet or stela was set up to commemorate another victory. The next two years were spent going in and out of Canaan and Syria to finish the job of making peace and to strengthen their hold over the area; the ports of Tyre, Sidon, Byblos and Sierra were taken too. In 1291 (year four) Seti I fought a short time with the ruler of the Hittite Empire who ruled over areas Seti I felt were to close to cities and ports under Egyptian rule. This battle was the beginning of ongoing problems that would last for years to come.
Safely at home in Memphis during his fathers campaigns, Rameses, while Crown Prince and Commander in Chief of the Army lived most of the year with his mother Tuya, and his sisters where his education began. Rameses spent his days in school with other boys learning mathematics, reading and writing. One of his instructors, a man named Tia, later married Tuya, one of Rameses sisters. The couple was eventually buried in a joint tomb recently discovered in Saqqara. Rameses enjoyed the outdoors spending time around the lake and in the marshes hunting fish and birds.
Summers were often spent at their palace in Avaris in the northeast Delta on the Mediterranean Coast. Another important part of his education included sports. Rameses learned how to use the bow and arrow, and how to shoot targets from a moving chariot. He built up his strength learning to ride horses and wrestling with other boys his age.
As the Commander in Chief of the Army's Rameses received training in special camps where soldiers learned military tactics and how to many different weapons. At the age of thirteen Rameses went with the Egyptian Army for the first time when he joined his father Seti I to go to war with Libyan raiding parties who had crossed into the western Delta. While it is we know Rameses probably watched the battle from a distance, he is seen for the first time standing next to his father in battle shown in scenes carved in stone in the temples in Karnak. The very next year Seti I returned to the Syrian Region to do battle once again with the Hittites bringing Rameses along. The armies fought over an important coastal city known as Kadesh, Seti I gained control of the city and erected a stone tablet to commemorate the victory. The Hittite King, Muwatallis, fought back and it was finally decided by the two kings that a truce would be best for both sides.
The Egyptians were to be allowed to continue to control over all coastal cities previously taken in the battle, but Kadesh would go to the Hittites. This battle had a big effect on young Rameses and he never forgot that Kadesh once belonged to Egypt rule and he was going to make sure that one day it did again. Prince Rameses also joined his father many times traveling throughout Egypt on royal tours, inspecting buildings and overseeing new construction. Rameses was taught to run the administration of the government as well as the civil service.
It was during year seven, 1289 BC, that Seti I announced that Rameses would one day become the heir to the throne of Egypt. With the Rameses family still being very new, he wanted there to be no questions in the minds of the armies or the government who they should serve and obey in case he was to die. With this decision being made an important ceremony was arranged that would make Rameses Prince Regent or co-ruler. The royal titles of the pharaohs were made up of five great names which were given on the date of the coronation. The first three names showed the interests of the king selected, the last two, known as the phenomena and nomen, were enclosed in an oval or decorative oblong frames known as cartouches. The phenomena was the king or pharaohs formal name, was used on important documents, statements and when dealing with foreign affairs.
The nomen was the pharaohs personal name used by friends and loved ones. It was up to Rameses to choose what his first three names (phenomena) would be, and his choices were: The Horus, Mighty Bull, Beloved of Maat, He of Two Ladies, Conqueror of Foreign Lands, and Horus of Gold, Rich in Years, Great in Victories. These names showed just how much importance Rameses placed on his militaries strength and power. He picked his last two (nomen) names after the names his father had used, Usermaatre, Strong is the Maat of Ra, and Rameses-Meryamen, Rameses, Beloved of Ra.
Life as Rameses had known it now changed, when he was at sixteen he moved into his own household complete with wives, concubines and servants, many of the servants were his childhood friends, one of his best friends, Ameneminet was his personal companion, and another, Media, was his shield bearer, or body guard. His wives were chosen from the families of high ranking educated families, who were loyal to Seti I, these girls were picked because his father thought they would be suitable companions and partners for a future king. Rameses I and Seti I, were not from royal bloodlines and did not marry their own sisters and would have probably thought this odd, but Rameses II did marry at least four of his own daughters. His two main wives, Nefartari and Is Nofret, both bore him sons and daughters, but not much else is known about them. Other lesser wives also bore him children and eventually he had close to one hundred children. While Rameses had been named joint ruler with his father, Seti I, it was still Seti I who was known to rule the kingdom.
Over the next few years domestic affairs were a priority, this Seti I did from Memphis, spending holidays in palaces in Luxor, Avaris, Karnak and Gun. Rameses spent his time traveling throughout the Egypt keeping an eye on the building projects commissioned by his father. He also spent time, as part of his training leading royal missions on his own. At eighteen he lead a mission to granite quarries in Aswan in search for a special black granite to be used to make statutes and obelisks to decorate palaces and temples. At the age of twenty-two, 1283 BC, it was thought Rameses was ready to command his own army. He took along two of his sons Amenhirwonmef (aged five) and Khaemwaset (aged four) to an uprising of locals in northern Nubia.
Stone cravings commissioned by Rameses in a small temple depicted himself as well as his two sons, each in their own chariot charging against the enemy, who are shown running away. A scribe writing as if cried by Nubian women we have never known such a raging of a ruler, he is like Seth in the sky. The next few years passed with little interest, some unrest and incidents of piracy in the Mediterranean all of which were dealt with quickly. Rameses continued to learn from his father the duties of being the ruler of Egypt. In 1279, Seti I, while on vacation in his summer palace in Avaris with Tuya died suddenly, making Rameses II first royal act the overseeing the mummification and secret burial of his father Seti I. Rameses II was now King, a position he had been being prepared for all his life.
Rameses official supporters, those who held rank in the government, were family or without question loyal to the royal family. Some were chosen after his fathers death, but some had been with him all along. Two of these men Amenemipet, the high priest of Amun Bakenkhons and the viceroy of Seti the loyal royal messenger to all foreign lands and Ashahebsed, the head of all construction...
Free research essays on topics related to: heir to the throne, egyptian army, gained control, commander in chief, high priest
Research essay sample on Commander In Chief Heir To The Throne
