The Ancients Ramesses the Great: Death of a Dynasty
22 snips
Mar 1, 2026 
Dr Campbell Price, museum curator and Egyptologist, gives expert commentary on Ramesses II and Ramesside Egypt. He discusses the Kadesh campaign and its myth-making. They cover the shift to frontier fortifications and standing armies. He explains the peace with the Hittites and the turn to colossal temple-building like Abu Simbel. Finally, they trace the dynasty’s rapid unraveling after Ramesses’ long reign.
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Kadesh Shaped Ramesses' Military Obsession
- Ramesses II repeatedly returned to Syria after Kadesh, treating symbolic control as strategically vital rather than purely territorial conquest.
- Campbell Price compares Kadesh's symbolic weight to Stalingrad, explaining Ramesses' persistence despite tactical draws.
Peace Treaty Was A Strategic Compromise
- Around year 20 Ramesses shifts from campaigning to diplomacy, sealing a peace with the Hittites via a royal marriage and dowry negotiation.
- The Egyptian court never sent royal daughters abroad, so incoming princesses and dowries signalled Egyptian advantage.
Per‑Ramesses Functioned As Military Capital
- Ramesses established a new royal centre at Per-Ramesses near the Nile Delta with huge stables and garrisons to act as a forward-launch base.
- This ‘standing army’ and cult of the living king turned the frontier city into both military hub and religious rallying point.