In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the role of the war chariot in Ramses II's military campaigns, particularly the Battle of Kadesh. They discuss the engineering of Egyptian chariots, the training of horse teams, and how chariot forces were used tactically. Lucas explains the differences between Egyptian and Hittite chariot designs, and how Ramses used chariot imagery in temple reliefs to project power. The conversation also touches on the logistics of maintaining chariot divisions and the social status of charioteers. A brief donation segment highlights listener support for the ad-free show. The episode ends with a reflection on how chariot warfare shaped the New Kingdom's military dominance.

#RamsesII #EgyptianChariot #BattleOfKadesh #Hittites #NewKingdom #AncientWarfare #ChariotTactics #HorseTraining #Kemet #Pharaoh #MilitaryHistory #AncientEgypt #LIGHTCHARIOT #WarReliefs #SpokedWheels #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAfrica

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In Episode 73, Lucas and Luna peel back the layers of propaganda to examine the Battle of Kadesh, Ramses II's most famous military engagement. They explore what actually happened in 1274 BCE when Ramses led his army against the Hittite king Muwatalli II near the Orontes River. Lucas explains how Ramses turned a near-disaster into a propaganda victory, using inscriptions and reliefs at temples like the Ramesseum and Abu Simbel to broadcast a triumphant narrative that often contradicts archaeological and Hittite records. The conversation covers the two main Egyptian sources—the Bulletin and the Poem of Pentaur—and what they reveal and conceal. They also discuss the Hittite perspective from the archives at Hattusa, including a cuneiform letter that provides a different account. Lucas and Luna consider the tactical failures, the role of the elite regiment called the Ne'arin, and how the battle led to the world's first known peace treaty. This episode offers a nuanced look at a pivotal clash that shaped the geopolitics of the ancient Near East.

#RamsesII #BattleOfKadesh #Hittites #MuwatalliII #Kadesh #AncientEgypt #Propaganda #OrontesRiver #Ramesseum #AbuSimbel #PoemOfPentaur #Ne'arin #PeaceTreaty #NewKingdom #19thDynasty #Hattusa #History #FexingoHistory

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In Episode 72, Lucas and Luna explore the world's first recorded peace treaty—the agreement between Ramses II of Egypt and Hattusili III of the Hittite Empire, signed around 1259 BCE. They discuss the events leading up to the treaty after the Battle of Kadesh, the diplomatic negotiations involving messengers traveling between Per-Ramesses and Hattusa, and the treaty's terms of mutual defense and extradition. Lucas highlights the silver tablet on which the treaty was inscribed, the role of the storm god Teshub as a witness, and how copies were found at both Karnak and Hattusa. They also touch on the treaty's legacy, including a modern replica displayed at the United Nations. The episode includes a brief, organic donation segment supporting ad-free history content.

#RamsesII #HittitePeaceTreaty #Kadesh #HattusiliIII #EgyptianHistory #HittiteEmpire #Treaty #BronzeAge #Diplomacy #PerRamesses #Hattusa #Teshub #Karnak #Puduhepa #AncientHistory #NorthAfrica #FexingoHistory #History

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In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable diplomatic marriage between Ramses the Great and the Hittite princess Maathorneferure, which sealed the peace treaty after the Battle of Kadesh. They discuss the political context of the Hittite-Egyptian rivalry, the journey of the princess to Pi-Ramesses, the inscription on the Marriage Stela at Abu Simbel, and how this union reshaped power in the ancient Near East. The episode also touches on the role of Queen Puduhepa in the negotiations and the cultural blending that followed, including the adoption of foreign gods like Teshub and Arinna alongside Egyptian deities.

#RamsesTheGreat #HittitePrincess #Maathorneferure #DiplomaticMarriage #HattusiliIII #Puduhepa #MarriageStela #AbuSimbel #PiRamesses #Kemet #Hittites #AncientDiplomacy #PeaceTreaty #Teshub #Arinna #19thDynasty #History #FexingoHistory

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In Episode 70 of our Ramses the Great series, we dive into one of the most dramatic yet often overlooked events of his reign: the Naval Battle of the Delta. While the land battle at Kadesh gets all the attention, Ramses also fought a massive riverine engagement against the Sea Peoples in the Nile Delta around 1175 BCE. We explore the tactics, the ships, the weapons, and the aftermath, drawing on the reliefs at Medinet Habu and the records of the Sea Peoples' confederation. Lucas and Luna discuss how Ramses adapted Egypt's military to fight on the water, the role of the Sherden mercenaries who once were enemies, and what this battle meant for Egypt's survival. This episode brings to light a decisive moment that kept the Sea Peoples from conquering Egypt as they did the Hittites and others.

#RamsesII #SeaPeoples #NavalBattle #NileDelta #MedinetHabu #Sherden #AncientEgypt #MilitaryHistory #NavalWarfare #BronzeAge #19thDynasty #Kemet #Pharaoh #BattleOfTheDelta #EgyptianNavy #Lukka #Peleset #FexingoHistory

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Explore the remarkable 67-year rule of Ramses II, Egypt's longest-reigning pharaoh. This episode examines how Ramses outlived his heirs, managed a succession crisis, and used monumental building projects and diplomacy to cement his legacy. We discuss his coronation, the Heb Sed festival, the role of his son Khaemwaset as high priest, and the transition to Merenptah. Discover the political strategies and personal tragedies that shaped one of history's most enduring monarchies.

#RamsesII #AncientEgypt #Pharaoh #LongestReign #Khaemwaset #Merenptah #HebSed #19thDynasty #NewKingdom #Kemet #PerRamesses #SuccessionCrisis #Egyptology #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAfrica #AncientHistory #Podcast

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Prince Khaemwaset, the fourth son of Ramses II, was not a general or a king but a high priest of Ptah in Memphis. He oversaw the burial of sacred Apis bulls, restored crumbling monuments of Old Kingdom pharaohs, and is sometimes called the world's first Egyptologist. Lucas and Luna explore his life, his restoration of the Step Pyramid complex, the Serapeum at Saqqara, his role as a scribe, and his rivalry with his brother Merenptah for succession. They also discuss the 'Setna Khaemwaset' stories from Ptolemaic times that turned him into a legendary magician.

#Khaemwaset #RamsesII #Ptah #Memphis #Serapeum #ApisBull #Saqqara #StepPyramid #Djoser #Egyptology #19thDynasty #NewKingdom #AncientEgypt #Pharaoh #SetnaKhaemwaset #Priest #History #FexingoHistory

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After reigning for 67 years, Ramses II outlived most of his children, leaving a tangled succession crisis that nearly tore Egypt apart. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the complicated story of Ramses' many sons and heirs, focusing on the prince who was supposed to be king but never got the chance: Khaemwaset. A high priest of Ptah and a pioneering archaeologist, Khaemwaset restored ancient monuments and earned the title 'the first Egyptologist'. But when he died before his father, the throne passed to Merenptah, the thirteenth son — a frail old man forced to defend Egypt against the Sea Peoples. We also discuss the mysterious fate of Queen Nefertari's children, the political marriages that bridged rival families, and how Ramses' unprecedented longevity created a dynastic bottleneck that his successors — including Ramses III — could never fully resolve.

#RamsesII #Khaemwaset #Merenptah #SuccessionCrisis #19thDynasty #NewKingdom #HighPriestofPtah #FirstEgyptologist #Nefertari #SeaPeoples #EgyptianSuccession #PharaohsSons #DynasticCrisis #Kemet #AncientEgypt #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAfrica

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In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Ramses the Great's massive building program across Egypt and Nubia. They discuss how Ramses used architecture as propaganda, constructing temples like the Ramesseum, Abu Simbel, and the additions to Karnak and Luxor to cement his legacy. The conversation covers the logistics of quarrying stone at Aswan and Gebel el-Silsila, the use of stelae for royal messaging, and the role of the god Ptah in Memphis. They also touch on the architectural innovations of the Ramesside period, including the use of the pylon and the hypostyle hall. The episode includes a brief reflection on the cost of such projects for the Egyptian economy and labor force, drawing on evidence from Deir el-Medina and other sources.

#RamsesTheGreat #BuildingBoom #Ramesseum #AbuSimbel #Karnak #Luxor #Ptah #GebelElSilsila #Aswan #DeirElMedina #AncientEgypt #EgyptianArchitecture #PharaonicPropaganda #NewKingdom #19thDynasty #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAfrica

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In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore daily life in Per-Ramesses, the magnificent delta capital built by Ramses II. They discuss the city's layout, its multicultural population, the role of the god Seth, the discovery of chariot stables and bronze workshops, and how the city was lost and later identified by archaeologists Manfred Bietak and Edgar Pusch. Along the way, they touch on trade, religion, and the city's decline after Ramses' death.

#RamsesII #PerRamesses #Qantir #ManfredBietak #EdgarPusch #AncientEgypt #DeltaCapital #Seth #ChariotStables #BronzeWorkshop #PelusiacBranch #Tanis #Bubastis #NewKingdom #Archaeology #DailyLife #History #FexingoHistory

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