336 Ramesses II CyclePublishing, 2000; Kitchen, K. A. Ramesside Inscriptions:
Ramesses II, His Contemporaries. London: Blackwell,
2000; Menu. Bernadette. Ramesses II: Great of the Pharaoh
New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1999; Montet, Pierre. Every-
day Life in the Days of Ramesses the Great.Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania, 1998; Tyldesley, Joyce A.
Ramesses: Egypt’s Greatest Pharaoh.New York: Penguin,
2001.
Ramesses II Cycle This was a text found on a STELA
in the temple of KHONS(1) at THEBES. The text is an
account of “Princess Bekhen,” a fanciful tale prompted by
the marriage of RAMESSES II(r. 1290–1224 B.C.E.) to the
daughter of the HITTITEruler HATTUSILIS IIIin 1257 B.C.E.
The tale involves demons and the god KHONSand was
popular for several centuries in Egypt.
See also BENTRESH STELA.
Ramesses II’s Colossal Statue This is a figure found
in the ruins of ancient MEMPHIS, now in an enclosed shel-
ter there. Originally more than 12.8 meters high, the
statue was carved out of limestone. Beautifully fashioned,
the statue depicts Ramesses II in his royal regalia. The
figure is damaged and is displayed in a prone position
rather than standing erect.
Ramesses III (Userma’atre’meryamun)(d. 1163 B.C.E.)
Second ruler of the Twentieth Dynasty
He reigned from 1194 B.C.E. until his untimely death.
RAMESSES IIIwas the last great pharaoh of Egypt’s New
Kingdom and the last true warrior king. The son of SETH-
NAKHTE, the founder of the royal line, and Queen TIYE-
MERENISET, Ramesses III served as coruler and then
inherited the throne.
He was militarily active from the start of his reign, as
he was of a mature age when crowned and faced unrest in
the land. In his fifth regnal year, Ramesses III faced a con-
federacy of Libyans, led by the MESHWESH, the most pow-
erful tribe of that area. Ramesses III used mercenary
troops to defeat the enemy, and the campaign lasted
seven years as the Libyans plundered Delta territories.
Ramesses III is recorded as slaying 12,535 of the enemy
forces, with collected heads, hands, or phalli used as
markers for the count.
In his eighth regnal year, Ramesses III conducted a
northern war against the SEA PEOPLES, including the SHER-
DEN PIRATES. These Asia Minor nomads had destroyed the
HITTITEholdings and other city-states. Entire families
instead of units of enemy warriors faced the Egyptians in
southern Palestine and in the Delta. An Egyptian war
fleet was sent to the coastal regions south of Arvad,
where the Sea Peoples were defeated. Two groups, how-
ever, survived and were sent to Palestine. One of the
groups, the Peleset, reportedly became the Philistines.
The Second Libyan War followed in Ramesses III’s
11th regnal year. The Meshwesh invaded the Nile Valley,
reaching the outskirts of HELIOPOLIS. The Libyans entered
a canal there, called the WATERS OF RÉ, and found the
Egyptians waiting. The Libyan king, KEPER, and his son,
Meshesher, died in the battle, and 2,175 Libyans perished
as well. Ramesses III chased the enemy 11 miles into
the desert and captured 2,052, including women and
children.
Soon after, Ramesses III invaded Syrian cities that
had been decimated by the Sea Peoples. He led his troops
against five such settlements and then captured two Hit-
tite fortresses. He also conducted a Nubian campaign,
listing 124 sites in the records of his battles on MEDINET
HABU. While he was campaigning, Ramesses III was
supervising the building of MEDINET HABUat Thebes. The
structure was started in his sixth regnal year and com-
pleted in the 12th. This lavish complex contained archi-
tectural and artistic innovations, as well as Asiatic and
Nubian metals and displays. The dedication of Medinet
Habu signaled as well the end of Ramesses III’s wars, as
Egypt had entered a period of peace.
He thus turned his attention to the nation, reopening
the granite QUARRIESat ASWANand the mines of the SINAI.
He also sent an expedition to PUNT. Temples across Egypt
were repaired and refurbished. PER-RAMESSES also re-
opened, and a new royal residence was added. He built in
ABYDOS, ASSIUT, ATHRIBIS, ELKAB, HELIOPOLIS, HERMOPOLIS,
MEMPHIS, Per-Ramesses, THINIS, and Thebes.
His Great Wife was ISET(2) Takemdjert, recorded as
being the daughter of a foreign ruler. Other consorts were
TITIand TIY. His sons included KHA’EMWESET II, AMEN-
HIRKHOPSHEF, Preherwenemef, Sethirkhopshef, Merya-
mun, Meryatum, MONTUHIRKHOPSHEF, RAMESSES IV, VI, and
VIII. The ranking daughter of Ramesses III was Titi.
In the 32nd year of Ramesses III’s reign, Queen TIYE
(2), who wanted to place her son, PENTAWERET, on the
throne, plotted the death of the pharaoh. Ramesses III
was attacked at Medinet Habu. All of the conspirators
and later accomplices were apprehended and con-
demned. The attack appears to have been successful, as
Ramesses III died soon after. He was buried in the
VALLEY OF THE KINGSin a tomb now called “the Tomb of
the Harpers.” This gravesite has 10 chambers and three
passages.
Buried in a carapace, Ramesses III was moved to DEIR
EL-BAHRIin later eras and was discovered in the mummy
cache in 1881. His mummy was packed in resins and
placed in a sarcophagus of pink granite. A well room and
magazines are part of the design. A pillared hall is deco-
rated with the text of the Book of the Gates,a mortuary
document. Other mortuary texts were used as well in the
burial chamber, including The Book of the Earth.
Ramesses III was buried with a collection of bronze
SHABTIS.