Episode 29 Ramesses the Great: The Later Years

The History of Ancient Egypt

Professor Robert Brier

Film Review

In Year 8 of his reign, Ramesses once again invaded Syria. As with other pharaohs who “conquered” foreign region, he never left behind an occupying army there because any Egyptians who died outside of Egypt were denied access to the afterlife.

Having abandoned his military ambitions,* in year 21 (1259 BC) of his reign (at age 44), he finally signed a peace treaty with the Hittite king who ruled Syria, as well as inscribing it on several temple walls. Brier believes it was the first peace treaty in the history of the world. It committed Egypt and Syria to non-aggression towards each other, mutual support and commitment to trade treaties. It also committed the Hittite king to send Ramesses II a Hittite bride with a massive dowry that included precious and semi-precious stones (the Egyptians had no precious or semi-precious stones of their own),

Ramesses II signed the Hittite peace treaty one year after his chief wife Nefertari’s death and four years after the the death of his oldest son. He would marry a second Hittite bride in year 44 of his reign.

The Hittite king’s son subsequently requested the services of Egypt’s world-renowned physicians (which included specialists such as eye doctors and gynecoogists) to help his sister conceive.**Ramses the Great The Later Years

After making peace with the Hittites, Ramesses II would focus on building the great temple of Abu Sindel South of Aswan. Brier believes the presidential faces carved into Mount Rushmore were modeled on the statues he had carved into the mountain at Abu Sindel.

.As others of his 100 children began dying, Ramesses II began building tombs instead of monument’s. In building his own tomb, He created an entire city to house the crews that worked on it (Deer Op Medina). Studying the messages his workmen left one other, has provided invaluable insights into how the work was organized. For example, all the sculptors had to have their bronze chisels weighed as they entered and left the site to make sure they weren’t shaving bronze filings from their chisels.

*Brier believes Ramesses Ii abandoned his military ambitions in later life due to the death of his beloved wife Nefertari and his eldest son.

**The process of conception was poorly understood until the Middle Ages.

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