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The four statues are Ramses II and one of them has been damaged |
some media reported that a suspected statue of Ramses II had been dug up in a pond in the slum of the Egyptian capital Cairo. The Minister of Cultural Heritage of Egypt said that if more fragments are recovered in the future, it is confirmed that it is indeed a statue of Ramses II. , It will be restored and placed in the Great Egyptian Museum, which opened in 2018. The Egyptians respect Ramses II so much because he is the most famous pharaoh in the history of ancient Egypt, leaving behind a lot of stories.
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| Ramses II lived to be more than 90 years old and had 12 sons with inheritance rights who died before him |
He was the pharaoh of the 19th dynasty of Egypt. At the same time, China was in the Yin and Shang era. During the 67 years of Ramses II's reign, it was the most glorious and final prosperous period of ancient Egypt.
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| Seth (left) and Horus (right) bless Ramses II |
Ramses II’s grandfather, Ramses I, was a military officer. Because of his outstanding ability, he was selected as the heir by the last pharaoh of the 18th dynasty and became the first pharaoh of the 19th dynasty. The militant blood inherited from his grandfather flows in the veins of Ramses II. Ramses II went out to fight with his father Seti I in his youth and accumulated a lot of military experience. In the second year of his succession to the throne as Pharaoh, Ramses II personally led his troops to the battlefield, and swept ashore the Sheldon pirates who had been harassing the Egyptian coast for a long time. Not only that, Ramses II also conquered these captured Selden pirates, and since then became his subordinates, following him in wars.
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| The territory of the Kingdom of Egypt is green, and the territory of the Kingdom of Xitai is red |
After lifting the danger at sea, Ramses II began to use Syria. The beginning of the war went smoothly, and he even captured a Canaanite prince (an ancient area composed of Israel or its part between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea) on the battlefield. But soon after, Ramses II encountered a powerful enemy-the Xitai people. The Xitai Kingdom emerged in Asia Minor and is composed of many tribes. Xitai people are based on the military, can conquer and fight well, and have developed smelting technology. They are considered to be the earliest people capable of smelting iron. The Battle of Kadeite and the Peace Bar In 1274 BC, Ramses II launched the second war to conquer Syria, hoping to restore the territory of Egypt to the time of his father Seti I. The Egyptians made a lot of preparations before the war. They produced 1,000 weapons in a week, 250 tanks in two weeks, and 1,000 shields in a week and a half. More than 3000 years ago, this production efficiency was amazing. Through this round of emergency army expansion, Ramses II’s army expanded to four legions with a total of more than 20,000 men and more than 2,000 chariots. Ramses II was full of ambition and led the army to camp 11 kilometers away from Kadeshi after a long journey, but he didn't know that he had hit the trap carefully arranged by the Xitai people.
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| Ramses shoots arrows on a two-wheeled chariot during the Battle of Kadeshi |
The West Taiwanese had long been informed about the Egyptians’ dispatch of troops, so they were fully prepared for the military. The Xitai people's army is almost 20,000 people, but the number of chariots exceeds that of the Egyptians. Moreover, the Xitai people use a three-man tank, which has an advantage in close combat compared to the two-man tank in Egypt. In order to deceive Ramses II, the West Taiwanese asked two Bedouin nomads to tell Ramses II that the West Taiwanese were very afraid of going to war with the Egyptians. At this time, the West Taiwanese army was 200 kilometers away. Aleppo region. But in fact, the Xitai army has quietly surrounded the camp of the Egyptian army.
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| Mural depicting the battle of Kadeite |
Fortunately, the Egyptians captured two Xitai scouts. They were taken in front of Ramses II. Ramses II asked them, who are you? The two soldiers replied, we are from Xitai, come to spy on you. Ramses II asked them again, I heard that your army is in Aleppo, why did you two show up here? The soldiers of Xitai replied that the King of Xitai had already arrived here, and many countries that supported Xitai would fight with the King of Xitai. The people of Xitai had many weapons and chariots, and the army of Xitai had as much sand on the beach.
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| The blue is the Egyptian army, and the red is the Xitai people. The West Taiwanese circled and attacked from behind the Egyptians |
At this time, there was only one legion around Ramses II, and the other three legions were still on the march. Ramses II, who discovered that the situation was not good, sent someone to notify the other three legions to quickly move closer to him. But it was too late, and the offensive of the Xitai people began.
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| The painting depicting the battle of Kadeshi, you can see the crisis of the battle at that time, Ramses II had to let his pet lion also fight |
The West Taiwanese used more than 2,000 chariots to attack Ramses II’s camp. The Egyptians’ shield line was instantly broken. The entire camp fell into chaos, and the Egyptians, who were scattered and inferior in number, fell into bitter fighting. Ramses II later described the chaos at the time and said: "There were no officers following me, no chariots, no soldiers, and no shields to guard..."
Fortunately, the people of Xitai thought that they had already won the battle, so they began to snatch the property in the camp and lost the best chance of chasing and destroying the Egyptians. Ramses II also ran back into his army, fortunately. Fortunately, another legion that received the order of Ramses II finally arrived and appeared behind the Xitai people. This new force that had just arrived on the battlefield organized 6 assaults. Although the Egyptians were still weak, the Xitai people who were looting property were already in chaos and could not effectively resist. The defeat was reversed by the Egyptians. In the final stage of the Kadeite War, the West Taiwanese began to retreat The Xitai people in the chaos began to retreat. The Egyptian two-man chariot was weaker than the Xitai three-man chariot in a frontal charge, but the load was lighter and the speed was faster. countless. After the war, Ramses II declared himself the victor of the Kadeite War Seeing that Egypt was unable to capture Kadeite, it had to retreat. The unwilling King Ramses II launched several wars with the Xitai people for Syria in the next few years, and once won the upper hand, but the Xitai people were also at the peak of the two powerful kingdoms. No one can help the opponent. After a long tug of war, the two sides began to feel exhausted. More importantly, the Assyrians began to rise at this time, and they have become a confidant of the Kingdom of Xitai, so the King of Xitai took the initiative to propose a truce to Ramses II.
In 1258 BC, Ramses II and the West Taiwanese King Hattusili III formally signed a peace treaty, which is the earliest known peace treaty. In this treaty, Egypt and West Taiwan not only agreed on a truce but also formed a military alliance, stipulating that if a party is attacked by a third party, allies are obliged to send troops to help. Darling of the sun In addition to fighting, Ramses II’s other great hobby was building temples, statues, and monuments to boast of his achievements. The battle is portrayed as his great victory. Ramses II was able to become the most famous pharaoh mainly because he left a lot of paintings and written records. Modern people can know so much about Ramses II more than 3000 years ago. It is the pharaoh who stayed there. Many temples, statues, and stone carvings that boast of themselves were laid down.
Among the temples left by Ramses II, the most famous is the temple of Abu Simbel. This temple is located in the Aswan area in the southernmost part of Egypt. However, in 1968, in order to repair the dam, the Abu Simbel Temple was relocated as a whole.
There are 4 statues of Ramses II outside the temple of Abu Simbel, about 20 meters high. The depth of the cave in the temple is 60 meters. The magical place lies in the birthday of Ramses II (February 21) and the enthronement day (October 21) every year. The sun will shine through the temple gate, through the 60-meter long corridor, and shine on Ramses. The statue of King II. Therefore, some people call Ramses II "the darling of the sun."
There is also a smaller temple near the Abu Simbel Temple. The statue inside is the most important wife of Ramses II, Nefertari.
Ramses II had 8 queens and dozens of concubines in his life. According to archaeologists, these dozens of wives and concubines even included his 1 sister and 3 daughters. The huge harem left more than 150 children for Ramses II, but most of his children did not have their own longevity.
Although there are many wives, for Ramses II, the most important wife is undoubtedly Nefertari. Based on the study of the frescoes of Nefertari’s tomb, some archaeologists speculate that she may be the granddaughter of the pharaoh Ay of the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt. The Ramses family of the 19th Dynasty came from military officers, so Ramses II and Nefertari were probably a political marriage to consolidate their status. Even in a political marriage, Ramses II's love for Nefertari is beyond doubt. From the remaining murals and stone carvings, Nefertari has countless titles: the most beloved, the owner of sweetness and love, the favored one, the wife of the great king, the lover of the great king, the one between the two places. Women, women of all lands, mistresses of upper and lower Egypt, women of the sun... Nefertari's name means "beautiful woman", and appears in beautiful and elegant forms in film and television literature.
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| Ramses II’s army counterattacks |
Fortunately, the people of Xitai thought that they had already won the battle, so they began to snatch the property in the camp and lost the best chance of chasing and destroying the Egyptians. Ramses II also ran back into his army, fortunately. Fortunately, another legion that received the order of Ramses II finally arrived and appeared behind the Xitai people. This new force that had just arrived on the battlefield organized 6 assaults. Although the Egyptians were still weak, the Xitai people who were looting property were already in chaos and could not effectively resist. The defeat was reversed by the Egyptians. In the final stage of the Kadeite War, the West Taiwanese began to retreat The Xitai people in the chaos began to retreat. The Egyptian two-man chariot was weaker than the Xitai three-man chariot in a frontal charge, but the load was lighter and the speed was faster. countless. After the war, Ramses II declared himself the victor of the Kadeite War Seeing that Egypt was unable to capture Kadeite, it had to retreat. The unwilling King Ramses II launched several wars with the Xitai people for Syria in the next few years, and once won the upper hand, but the Xitai people were also at the peak of the two powerful kingdoms. No one can help the opponent. After a long tug of war, the two sides began to feel exhausted. More importantly, the Assyrians began to rise at this time, and they have become a confidant of the Kingdom of Xitai, so the King of Xitai took the initiative to propose a truce to Ramses II.
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| Ramses II attacked the fortress of the West Taiwanese |
In 1258 BC, Ramses II and the West Taiwanese King Hattusili III formally signed a peace treaty, which is the earliest known peace treaty. In this treaty, Egypt and West Taiwan not only agreed on a truce but also formed a military alliance, stipulating that if a party is attacked by a third party, allies are obliged to send troops to help. Darling of the sun In addition to fighting, Ramses II’s other great hobby was building temples, statues, and monuments to boast of his achievements. The battle is portrayed as his great victory. Ramses II was able to become the most famous pharaoh mainly because he left a lot of paintings and written records. Modern people can know so much about Ramses II more than 3000 years ago. It is the pharaoh who stayed there. Many temples, statues, and stone carvings that boast of themselves were laid down.
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| Abu Simbel Temple |
Among the temples left by Ramses II, the most famous is the temple of Abu Simbel. This temple is located in the Aswan area in the southernmost part of Egypt. However, in 1968, in order to repair the dam, the Abu Simbel Temple was relocated as a whole.
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| Abu Simbel Temple at the time of relocation in 1968 |
There are 4 statues of Ramses II outside the temple of Abu Simbel, about 20 meters high. The depth of the cave in the temple is 60 meters. The magical place lies in the birthday of Ramses II (February 21) and the enthronement day (October 21) every year. The sun will shine through the temple gate, through the 60-meter long corridor, and shine on Ramses. The statue of King II. Therefore, some people call Ramses II "the darling of the sun."
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| Interior of Abu Simbel Temple |
There is also a smaller temple near the Abu Simbel Temple. The statue inside is the most important wife of Ramses II, Nefertari.
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| Nefertari on the mural |
Ramses II had 8 queens and dozens of concubines in his life. According to archaeologists, these dozens of wives and concubines even included his 1 sister and 3 daughters. The huge harem left more than 150 children for Ramses II, but most of his children did not have their own longevity.
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| Goddess Antor bestows Nefertari Ankh (an ancient Egyptian symbol that symbolizes life) |
Although there are many wives, for Ramses II, the most important wife is undoubtedly Nefertari. Based on the study of the frescoes of Nefertari’s tomb, some archaeologists speculate that she may be the granddaughter of the pharaoh Ay of the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt. The Ramses family of the 19th Dynasty came from military officers, so Ramses II and Nefertari were probably a political marriage to consolidate their status. Even in a political marriage, Ramses II's love for Nefertari is beyond doubt. From the remaining murals and stone carvings, Nefertari has countless titles: the most beloved, the owner of sweetness and love, the favored one, the wife of the great king, the lover of the great king, the one between the two places. Women, women of all lands, mistresses of upper and lower Egypt, women of the sun... Nefertari's name means "beautiful woman", and appears in beautiful and elegant forms in film and television literature.
