Ramesses

Ramesses is the name of several ancient Egyptian pharaohs, primarily of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasties during the New Kingdom. The name, Ramesses or Ramses, is the Greek rendering of the Egyptian name Ramesses, used by officials and scribes in various forms across centuries.

The most famous Ramesses is Ramesses II, known as Ramesses the Great, who ruled roughly 1279–1213 BCE. His long reign produced extensive building programs, military campaigns, and a lasting cult of his memory. Notable monuments include the temple complex at Abu Simbel and the Ramesseum in Thebes. He is traditionally associated with the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittites, and a peace treaty with the Hittites is often cited as one of the earliest known international agreements.

Other rulers named Ramesses include Ramesses I, founder of the Nineteenth Dynasty, and several later Ramesside monarchs in the Twentieth Dynasty (Ramesses III through Ramesses XI). The Ramesside period is characterized by centralized administration, ambitious building projects, and a prolific program of inscriptions.

Today, Ramesses II remains the best-known figure among the Ramesses, widely studied in Egyptology and popular culture. The name Ramesses continues to identify a dynasty-era sequence of rulers and a significant portion of ancient Egyptian monumental architecture.