Latest / Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History / Ramses II and the Art of Propaganda
Transcript
- Lucas: We’ve spent quite a bit of time with Ramses II lately, from the gold mines of Wadi Allaqi to the medical mysteries of his mummy, but there’s one side of him we haven’t really dissected yet: the brand manager. Luna: Wait, you’re saying he was his own PR firm? Lucas: In many ways, yes. By the time he took the throne, Ramses had inherited a kingdom that was already wealthy and powerful, thanks to his father Seti I, but he needed to cement his own legitimacy. He did this by turning every stone, every temple wall, and every literary text into a testament to his greatness. Luna: So he literally carved his resume into the bedrock. Lucas: Exactly. And the most famous example is, of course, the Battle of Kadesh. We’ve talked about the weapons and the mercenaries before, but the literary output surrounding it is where the real manipulation happened. The official account, known as the Ominous Papyrus, describes a near-disaster that turned into a miraculous victory. Luna: But didn’t Hittite records say they actually won? Lucas: They did, and that discrepancy is fascinating because it shows us two different realities colliding. In the Egyptian version, Ramses single-handedly routed the enemy while his troops were still marching. In reality, it was likely a stalemate or even a tactical Hittite success. But Ramses needed a hero’s narrative to justify his reign to the priesthood of Amun-Re. Luna: It sounds like he was rewriting history in real-time. Lucas: He was. He installed huge obelisks at Karnak and Luxor, often shaving down older inscriptions from previous kings to fit his own titles. His full prenomen, Usermaatre Setepenre, means 'Strong is the Justice of Ra, Chosen of Re,' and he repeated it everywhere. It wasn’t just pride; it was theology. Luna: He was making sure the gods agreed with him. Lucas: Precisely. And this extends beyond war. Look at how he treated the memory of Akhenaten. A century earlier, that pharaoh had tried to erase the traditional pantheon in favor of the Aten sun disk. Ramses didn’t just ignore him; he actively dismantled Akhenaten’s monuments, calling him an 'enemy' whose name must be erased. Luna: That’s a pretty aggressive way to handle a predecessor. Lucas: It was political cleanup. By restoring the cult of Amun-Re and positioning himself as the restorer of Ma’at, the cosmic order, he painted any deviation from tradition as chaos. He wasn’t just building temples; he was rebuilding the national identity around his own image. Luna: Did anyone push back against all this self-praise? Lucas: The priesthood certainly benefited from it, but there are hints of subtle resistance in later texts. Some officials began to worry that his endless building projects were draining the treasury. Yet, for most of his life, the propaganda machine worked so well that dissent was drowned out by the sheer volume of his presence. Luna: It’s impressive how consistent that message was for sixty-six years. Lucas: Consistency is key when you’re trying to convince people your authority is divine. Even his family portraits changed over time. Early reliefs show him as a youthful warrior, but later ones depict him as a wise, elderly ruler leaning on his staff, surrounded by his massive brood of children. Luna: Using his kids as part of the campaign trail. Lucas: Absolutely. He placed statues of his sons in public squares and temples, ensuring that the next generation of leaders grew up seeing their father’s lineage as the backbone of the state. It was a visual dynasty-building strategy that went far beyond just having heirs. Luna: Did his son Merenptah inherit that same skill set? Lucas: That’s the tricky part. Merenptah was a capable military leader who crushed the Libyan invasion, but he lacked Ramses’ flair for the dramatic. He couldn’t match his father’s artistic output, which may have contributed to the instability that followed. The propaganda machine slowed down, and the cracks in the empire started to show. Luna: So the image maintenance was as important as the actual army. Lucas: Without that illusion of invincibility, the vassal states might have rebelled sooner. Ramses understood that perception was reality in the ancient world. If everyone believed he was the greatest pharaoh since Osiris, they would act accordingly, regardless of the geopolitical nuances. Luna: It’s almost modern marketing dressed in linen and gold. Lucas: And that’s why his tomb in the Valley of the Kings, KV7, feels somewhat underwhelming compared to the grandeur of Abu Simbel. The real monument was the city itself and the stories told about him. Luna: Do you think he ever doubted his own myth? Lucas: There are late-period prayers that suggest anxiety about aging and mortality, especially as his health declined. But publicly, the mask never slipped. He maintained the persona of the eternal king until his death at age ninety or ninety-one. Luna: A perfect performance, right up to the end. Lucas: Indeed. He even commissioned his son Khaemwaset to restore old royal tombs, effectively curating his own legacy for future generations. It was a conscious effort to ensure that when people looked back, they saw exactly what he wanted them to see. Luna: He made sure history remembered him as a god. Lucas: For three thousand years, that’s largely what happened. It wasn’t until modern archaeologists started cross-referencing Hittite archives that we got a more balanced view of his reign. Luna: It changes how you look at those statues now. Lucas: It does. You see less of a man and more of an institution. But there’s something undeniably compelling about a ruler who cared so deeply about being remembered. Luna: Maybe that’s the most human part of all. Lucas: Perhaps. We’ll always be drawn to the figures who left such indelible marks on the landscape, whether they were earned through conquest or crafted through careful storytelling. Luna: And Ramses definitely crafted his story. Lucas: He carved it in stone, painted it on walls, and wrote it in papyrus. He didn't just rule Egypt; he authored it. Luna: That’s a powerful way to leave a mark. Lucas: It certainly ensured he wouldn’t be forgotten. Though, as we’ve seen with his mummy passport, even legends eventually need ID papers. Luna: I guess even gods have to travel. Lucas: They do. And speaking of travel and supporting our work, if you’ve been stepping into history with us episode by episode, you know we deliberately don't run ads on these. If you want to support that choice, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: It keeps the focus entirely on the stories. Lucas: Exactly. It allows us to keep these conversations deep and unhurried. Thanks for listening, and let’s get back to the shadows of the Valley. Luna: Where else would we rather be? Lucas: Well, before we vanish into the hieroglyphs, I want to touch on one last thing about Ramses’ domestic policy. We’ve focused heavily on foreign relations and grand monuments, but his management of the Nile’s flood levels was critical to maintaining that myth of stability. Luna: You mean the agricultural side of things. Lucas: Precisely. When the floods were good, he was blessed by Hapi, the god of the inundation. When they failed, his priests worked overtime to explain away the disaster, often blaming local corruption rather than royal incompetence. Luna: A classic deflection tactic. Lucas: It was essential for keeping the grain flowing and the populace loyal. Without food security, no amount of propaganda could save a pharaoh. It’s a reminder that behind all the golden masks, Ramses was still managing a very real, very fragile economy. Luna: So the god-king still had to pay the bills. Lucas: Always. And that tension between divine image and earthly duty is what makes his reign so rich to study. Luna: I’m glad we dug into that layer. Lucas: Me too. Next time, we might look at how his successors tried to emulate his style, or perhaps explore the decline of that same system. But for now, I think we’ve said enough about the man who wrote himself into eternity. Luna: Until next time, stay curious. Lucas: Stay curious, and keep looking closer at the stones.