Ramses the Great's Hittite Peace Treaty: The World's First

Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History · Jul 21, 2026 · 5m · transcript

In Episode 170, Lucas and Luna explore the diplomatic masterpiece that ended decades of war between Egypt and the Hittite Empire: the Treaty of Kadesh, often called the world's first surviving peace treaty. They walk through the crumbling political landscape after the famous battle—neither side had won decisively, and both empires were exhausted. Lucas unpacks the years of back-channel negotiations, the exchange of letters in Akkadian cuneiform, and the key players: Hattusili III, who seized the Hittite throne, and Ramses, who saw a chance for stability. They discuss the treaty's…