Throughout its very long history, ancient Egypt’s fate has always been decided by the great ruling dynasties. A powerful state and empire needs an equally powerful ruler, and ever since the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt and the establishment of the First Dynasty around 3000 BC, this ancient empire usually had a steady guiding hand at its helm. When it did not, it descended into chaos and vulnerability. This practice of powerful ruling lineages continued for thousands of years. One of the most powerful dynasties that stands out in Egypt’s history is the Nineteenth Dynasty, also known as the Ramessid Dynasty. Who were the greatest pharaohs of this age? And what made them so special?
The Ramessid Dynasty: Born from a Divided Ancient Egypt
“Depiction of Pharaoh Narmer, of the First Dynasty of Egypt (Heagy1 / CC BY SA 3.0 )”
In total, it is generally agreed that there were thirty four such dynasties in Egypt’s timeline, until it finally lapsed out of existence at the hands of the Roman Empire and later conquerors. Some were good, others were great, and yet others were simply bad. And each dynasty produced some truly legendary pharaohs. One dynasty that particularly found its spot in Egypt’s history was the Eighteenth Dynasty.
During the Eighteenth Dynasty, Egypt reached the zenith of its power and dominance in the region. It kept its enemies at bay and greatly expanded its influence. The rule of this dynasty began around 1550 BC and ended in 1292 BC. But why did such a powerful period come to an end? Well, it is often said that good and abundant ages produce increasingly worse rulers. The truth of that came around the time of the rise of Pharaoh Akhenaten , a powerful but eccentric leader who sought to entirely reform the age-old religion of his nation. Akhenaten introduced the worship of the sun, much to the anger of the people. Egypt became divided, restless, and weakened. The people were not ready for such major changes.
“The Aten depicted in art as a sun disc, from the throne of Tutankhamun, perhaps originally made for Akhenaten. (Djehouty / CC BY SA 4.0 )”
When Akhenaten died, his heir and successor, Tutankhamun, tried his best to revert the radical changes of his father and put Egypt back into order. He was, however, a child weakened and deformed by generations of inbreeding, and his reign was relatively short. With no children to continue his lineage, Tutankhamun was succeeded by his close advisor – Kheperkheperure Ay . This man was the true power behind the crown, and he had great plans in continuing the ill-fated Eighteenth Dynasty. However, death cut his plans short, as he perished after only four years of rule.
Ay performing the Opening of the Mouth ceremony at Tutankhamun. Wall painting from Tutankhamun’s tomb ( Public Domain )
In his place came a man of common birth, with no relation at all to the preceding royal dynasty. His name was Horemheb. Horemheb claimed the crown through marriage – his wife was one of Ay’s daughters. Although of common birth, this pharaoh excelled in his role. He brought together a divided state, stabilized it, and began a campaign of erasing the traces of his predecessors. He crushed the temples and statues of Akhenaten, repurposed the monuments of Ay and Tutankhamun, and slowly erased the memory of their religious reforms. He showed great power of judgment and the distinct ability to hold together a fragmented realm. Horemheb reigned for fourteen years, and everyone thought that the Eighteenth Dynasty would continue after him. But it was not so. The pharaoh had no surviving sons: in his stead, he appointed his close ally and vizier, Paramesse.
“Wall friezes from the Tomb of Horemheb, final pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. King Horemheb with the Gods. On the left, Osiris, seated, Anubis at the head of a jackal and Horus, son of Isis at the head of a falcon. (Jean-Pierre Dalbera / CC BY 2.0 )”
Like his close friend and ally Horemheb, Paramesse was also not of royal birth. His family, however, was quite noble and prominent, and paved the way for his ascension to the post of vizier. And from vizier, he became pharaoh. Upon his arrival to the throne, he adopted a regnal name: Menpehtyre Ramesses I, better known as Ramses I . And with that began the famed Nineteenth Dynasty of the Ramessids.
The Ramessid Dynasty: A Lineage of Great Pharoahs
With Ramses I, a new period of ancient Egyptian history began. It was the Ramesside Period, the reign of the powerful Nineteenth Dynasty, which arose from the terrible downfall of its predecessor. It was clear that Horemheb, having no heirs, chose his close ally Ramses with the fate of Egypt in mind. Ramses already had both a son and grandson, and that meant that the line of succession was secured with him, and the realm would not suffer. And that was true: Ramses was already in his old age when he became pharaoh, and had a son and grandson behind him. Because of this, his reign was brief; it lasted only one or two years, before death claimed him.
“Reliefs from the Abydos chapel of Ramesses I which was built by Seti I, this king’s son and successor to honor his father’s memory. The finely cut chapel reliefs were presented by JP Morgan in 1911 to the Metropolitan Museum of New York where they are now on display. (John Campana / CC BY SA 2.0 )”
But there was no worry in the realm; his heir and successor had already been appointed. It was his son, Seti, who rose to the rank of pharaoh and took up the name Menmaatre Seti I. He too, even after some time had passed, had to remedy the ill effects of Akhenaten’s controversial reign. But he did it successfully, and reigned for roughly fifteen years as a powerful and dominant king. He consolidated the empire, and quickly began tackling the weakening dominance of Egypt in the region. He focused on reaffirming his power over Syria and Canaan, two historical regions that were now affected by the constant pressure from the neighboring Hittite Empire, one of the traditional enemies of Egypt. Due to this, Seti I conducted several strong military campaigns against the Hittites in the north, with good success. Most, if not all, of his campaigns ended as victories, or in favor of Egypt, but even so, he did not manage to break the power of the vast Hittite Empire . Still, he reconquered most of the territories that were affected, and reasserted Egypt’s domination to a large extent.
Pharaoh Seti I of the Ramessid Dynasty. Detail of a wall painting from the Tomb of Seti I, KV17, at the Valley of the Kings (Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP / CC BY SA 4.0 )
source:taxo.info
