In any list of the world's great monarchs, Ramesses II, who reigned
over Egypt between 1279-13BC, must come in the top half-dozen. A
captain in the army at ten (and with his own household and harem)
he was a stylish king. But for his people, it was his achievements
as a war leader that were most important: the battle of Kedesh was
famous in song and story - it is a fascinating and inspiring story,
which is told well, if somewhat dryly in this book. Ramesses
achievements as a builder were also astounding: the great hypostyle
hall at Karnak was built by him as were the temple of Abydos, the
funerary temple at Luxor, and the Ramesseum. Tyldesley does her
best to personalize Ramesses - but little is known of him as a
husband and father. His bestknown wife was the handsome Nefertari,
with whom he seems genuinely to have been in love, which his other
wives and concubines are misty figures - as are his over 100
children. He was a master of publicity and his mummy gazes sternly
at us from his coffin in Cairo, authoritative and compelling even
after 3000 years. He was surely a model of what a king should be,
and this study of him is a worthy successor - and perhaps companion
- to K A Kitchen's Pharoah Triumphant. (Kirkus UK)
Warrior. Husband. King. Statesman. Father. God
Ramesses II ruled over Ancient Egypt for six decades. As a general he fought campaigns against the Hittites, Syrians and the Sherden pirates; as king he built extravagantly and his monuments were to be found in every corner of the Egyptian empire; he was husband to beautiful Nefertari and father to scores of children. He presided over an era of peace and prosperity the like of which was enjoyed by no other Egyptian king. Subsequent pharaohs even took his name, hoping to emulate his achievements.
Yet Ramesses eventually became a victim of that very success. With his death his reputation and fame spread farther and grew in stature until the real Ramesses was buried beneath a mountain of exaggeration, misattribution and confusion as the facts of his life became embroiled in the myths and tales which surround the Ancient Egyptians.
Archaeologist Joyce Tyldesley delves deeply into the past to recover the true story behind Egypt's greatest pharaoh. Combining archaeological evidence with historical fact, she explores the life and times of Ramesses, delicately sifting the truth from the myths. What emerges is a vivid portrait of a time, a place and a remarkable man.
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