Latest / Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History / Ramses the Great's Diplomacy: Marriages and Alliances
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Ramses the Great as a warrior – Kadesh, the chariots, the navy – but there's another side to him that's just as important for Egypt's power, and it's the side that doesn't get as much attention. I'm talking about his diplomacy, and more specifically, the way he used marriage as a political tool. Luna: Marriage as a political tool – you mean like marrying foreign princesses to seal alliances? Lucas: Exactly. And Ramses was a master at it. He had a whole harem of wives, but it was his foreign marriages that really mattered on the international stage. The most famous is his marriage to the Hittite princess, Maathorneferure, which came after the peace treaty with Hattusili III. But that wasn't the only one. Lucas: There's also evidence that he married a daughter of the king of Babylon, and another from the land of Arzawa – that's in western Anatolia. These weren't just romantic gestures; they were strategic bonds that tied powerful families together. Luna: So it's like the ancient version of a royal summit, but with wedding vows. Lucas: Ha, exactly. And the Egyptians took it seriously. The Marriage Stela, which was carved at Abu Simbel and Karnak, tells the story of how Ramses married the Hittite princess. It's a piece of propaganda, sure, but it also gives us a glimpse into the diplomatic negotiations. Lucas: The stela describes how the Hittite king sent his daughter to Egypt with a huge dowry, and how Ramses welcomed her with great ceremony. But what's interesting is that the text frames it as if Ramses is doing the Hittites a favor, like he's accepting their submission. In reality, it was a marriage of equals, meant to cement the peace. Luna: So it's like the ancient version of a PR campaign – spin it as a victory even when it's a compromise. Lucas: Right. And that's the thing about Ramses – he was a master of image. But the diplomacy was real. After the Treaty of Kadesh, the two empires needed to repair relations, and marriage was the way to do it. Maathorneferure took an Egyptian name, which was a way of integrating her into the Egyptian royal family and making her acceptable. Lucas: And it wasn't just the big names. Ramses also had a daughter named Bintanath, who became his Great Royal Wife later – that was a bit unusual, but it was also a way to keep the royal bloodline pure. Luna: So he married his own daughter? That seems… complicated. Lucas: It might seem that way to us, but in ancient Egypt, it was a way to consolidate power and prevent other families from getting too influential. But let's focus on the international side, because that's where the real strategy was. Lucas: Remember, Egypt wasn't alone in the world. The Hittites, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Mitanni – they were all major powers. And Ramses had to navigate that web of alliances and rivalries. He wrote letters to other kings, and we have some of those – the Amarna letters, from his father's time, show how the great kings addressed each other as 'brothers' and exchanged gifts and brides. Lucas: Ramses followed that tradition, but he also added his own twist. He made sure that his daughters, or at least the ones he could spare, were married off to foreign kings as well, to create reciprocal ties. Luna: So it was a two-way street – he sent brides out and brought them in. Lucas: Exactly. And we know of at least one instance where he sent a daughter to marry the king of Babylon, and another to the king of the Hittites – though that might have been a bit later. The point is, these marriages were a form of diplomacy that maintained the balance of power. Lucas: And let's not forget the role of the queen. Nefertari, his first Great Royal Wife, was more than just a consort. She had her own diplomatic correspondence with the Hittite queen, Puduhepa, and they exchanged letters that show a mutual respect and friendship. Luna: It's like the queens were doing their own bit of diplomacy behind the scenes. Lucas: Exactly. Nefertari's letters were found in the Hittite archives, and they're a testament to her influence. She even asked for a healer from the Hittites when she was ill – and they sent one. So these marriages weren't just empty ceremonies; they created real connections. Lucas: But let's go back to the Marriage Stela for a moment. It's a remarkable piece of propaganda because it portrays the Hittite king as begging for peace, which wasn't exactly true. The stela says that Ramses was so mighty that the Hittite king feared him and sent his daughter to appease him. But we know from the treaty that it was a negotiated peace, not a surrender. Luna: So it's like the ancient equivalent of spinning a defeat into a victory. Lucas: Right. And that's a pattern we see throughout Ramses' reign. He was a master at crafting his own image, but the actual diplomacy was more nuanced. The treaty with the Hittites was a genuine peace, and it lasted for decades – which is remarkable when you think about the constant warfare that had gone on before. Lucas: And the marriage to Maathorneferure was the final seal on that peace. She arrived in Egypt and became a Great Royal Wife, and her name was even carved into the temple at Abu Simbel, right next to Nefertari's. That's a huge honor. Luna: So she was fully integrated into the royal family, not just a foreign princess on the side. Lucas: Yes, and that's what made these marriages so powerful. The children of these unions would be both Egyptian and Hittite, and that created a blood tie that made it harder to go to war with each other. Lucas: Now, I want to mention something else about this diplomatic network – it extended beyond the Hittites. Ramses also had dealings with the Mitanni, who had once been rivals but were now falling under Hittite control. And he corresponded with the king of Babylon, exchanging gifts and even discussing the possibility of marriage. Luna: So he was playing the great game of international politics, but with weddings instead of wars. Lucas: Exactly. And it worked. By the end of his reign, Egypt was the dominant power in the Near East, and he had secured his borders through a mix of force and diplomacy. The Hittites, the Babylonians, they all respected him. Lucas: There's even a letter from a Babylonian king to Ramses, complaining that he hadn't sent a bride quickly enough – so you can see that these marriages were in high demand, and they were a sign of prestige for the foreign king as well. Luna: It's like a royal dating service, but with geopolitical consequences. Lucas: Ha, exactly. But remember, it wasn't all smooth sailing. Ramses had to be careful not to alienate his own people. Marrying foreigners was fine, but he had to make sure that the chief queen was always an Egyptian – and he did, by promoting his own daughters to that role when needed. Lucas: Now, before we wrap up, I want to mention something else – and this is a bit of a behind the scenes thing. You know, this podcast is a labor of love, and we're able to keep it going because a small group of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's what funds the research and the time we put into these episodes. Luna: Yeah, it's a huge help, and it keeps the show ad-free, which we love. Lucas: So if you're one of those folks, thank you – you're part of the reason we can dig into these stories. And if you're curious, the link is easy. But let's get back to Ramses – because there's one more diplomatic achievement I want to talk about. Lucas: Beyond the Hittites, Ramses also managed to maintain good relations with the smaller states along the Levant – places like Byblos and Tyre – which were crucial for Egypt's access to cedar wood and other resources. He didn't just rely on military garrisons; he sent envoys and gifts, and he married off some of his daughters to local rulers to secure their loyalty. Luna: So he had a network of alliances that stretched from the Nile to the Euphrates. Lucas: Exactly. And that network held together until the late Bronze Age collapse, when everything fell apart. But during Ramses' lifetime, it worked. He was a pharaoh who understood that sometimes the pen – or the marriage contract – is mightier than the sword. Luna: I love that. It gives me a whole new respect for him. Lucas: It's a reminder that the great leaders of history are often more complex than the simple warrior-king image we get. Ramses was a warrior, yes, but he was also a diplomat, a strategist, and a family man – in the most political sense of the term.