Latest / Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History / Ramses the Great's Royal Wives: Nefertari and Beyond
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Ramses the Great — his battles, his monuments, his mummy — but one thing we haven't really focused on is the women in his life. And I think that's a real gap, because they were far more than just decorative figures. Luna: You mean like Nefertari? Everyone knows her from Abu Simbel, but I bet there's more. Lucas: Exactly. Nefertari is the most famous, and rightly so. She was his Great Royal Wife, and she had a temple at Abu Simbel dedicated to her — that's almost unprecedented. Usually, queens got a smaller chapel within the pharaoh's temple, but Ramses built her a whole separate temple with statues of her as the goddess Hathor. Luna: That's huge. So she must have been incredibly influential. Lucas: She was. We have letters she wrote to the Hittite queen Puduhepa, discussing the peace treaty between Egypt and Hatti. That's not just ceremonial — she was actively involved in diplomacy. And her tomb in the Valley of the Queens is one of the most beautiful, with vivid paintings of her journey through the underworld. Luna: But she wasn't the only wife, right? There was also Isetnofret. Lucas: Right. Isetnofret was another Great Royal Wife, and she was the mother of Ramses' eventual successor, Merenptah. She's a bit more shadowy — we don't have as many monuments — but she was clearly important. She appears in scenes at the Serapeum in Memphis, where her son Khaemwaset was involved in the burial of the Apis bulls. Luna: And she also had a son who died young, Crown Prince Ramses, didn't she? Lucas: Yes, that's right. She had at least two sons: Prince Ramses, who was the crown prince for a long time but predeceased his father, and Merenptah, who eventually became pharaoh. So her influence on the succession was immense. But there's also the diplomatic marriage to a Hittite princess, Maathorneferure. Luna: We covered that in episode 93. But what was her actual role? Was she just a political pawn? Lucas: She was definitely a political tool — she was the daughter of Hattusili III, sent to Egypt to seal the peace treaty. But she was also given the title Great Royal Wife, which was a big deal. She would have had her own household, her own staff, and she probably acted as a living symbol of the alliance. We even have a scarab commemorating her arrival. Luna: So she wasn't just hidden away in a harem. Lucas: Not at all. And speaking of harems — there's a darker side to Ramses' family life. There was a harem conspiracy later in his reign, where a lesser wife named Queen Tuya — not his mother, another one — tried to put her son on the throne. We have records from the judicial papyri that detail the trial. Luna: Wait, a conspiracy? I haven't heard about this. Lucas: It's sometimes called the 'Harem Conspiracy' or the 'Queen Tuya Plot'. It happened around Year 40 of Ramses' reign. A group of harem women and officials plotted to assassinate the pharaoh and install one of her sons. The plot was discovered, and the conspirators were put on trial. Some were executed, others were forced to commit suicide. Luna: That's astonishing. And it shows that even the great Ramses wasn't immune to palace intrigue. Lucas: Absolutely. It's a reminder that royal women could be powerful allies or dangerous enemies. Ramses had at least eight wives that we know of, and many concubines. The harem was a political arena. Nefertari and Isetnofret played it well, but others saw an opportunity and failed. Luna: So what happened to the son who was supposed to be put on the throne? Lucas: He was probably executed along with his mother. The records are fragmentary, but the judicial documents list the names of the accused and their punishments. It ended with Ramses firmly in control, and Merenptah eventually succeeded him without incident. Luna: It's interesting how we often think of pharaohs as these untouchable god-kings, but their family lives were messy, just like any royal dynasty. Lucas: Exactly. And that's what makes this history feel real. These were people with ambitions, fears, and rivalries. Nefertari, Isetnofret, Maathorneferure — they each played a part in shaping Ramses' reign and the legacy he left behind. Luna: You know, it's funny — we cover all these topics in depth, and we do it without any ads. That's something I'm really proud of. Lucas: Yeah, it's a choice we made. We want the history to speak for itself. And if listeners want to support that approach, they can head over to buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, just an option. Luna: Exactly. And now, speaking of legacies — what about the temples and monuments that Nefertari and the others left behind? We've only scratched the surface. Lucas: Right. Nefertari's temple at Abu Simbel is the most obvious, but she also had a tomb that's an artistic masterpiece. And Isetnofret was depicted in several family scenes at the Ramesseum. The women were very visible in official art, which tells us they had a public role, not just a private one. Luna: It's almost like they were co-rulers in some ways. Lucas: Not quite co-rulers, but they were definitely partners. Ramses even took the unusual step of depicting Nefertari offering to the gods on her own, without him. That's a big deal. She was acting as a priestess in her own right. Luna: So in the end, these women were key to his image as a great pharaoh. Lucas: Absolutely. A pharaoh's legitimacy came from his family, his ancestors, and his wives. Ramses understood that presenting a strong, united family reinforced his divine status. And the women themselves — they were smart, capable, and they left their own mark on history.