RAMESES I., the first King of Dynasty XTX., ruled for a brief period about D.C. 1355. Beyond the fact that he waged war in Nubia, where he left an inscription, and constructed sonic of the buildings at Karnak, little is known of his reign. His mummy was found. in 1851, at Deir-el-Bahri. His son. Seti I. (q.v.), built the Aleinnoninin at Kurnah (q.v.) in honor of his father's ntemory.
RAmEsEs Ii. le. 1340-1273 P.c.), the son of Seti 1. and the grandson of Mimeses 1., fig ures in history as the grand monarque of Egypt. The earlier portion of his reign was spent in war with the Meta or Hit tites who occupied the former possessions of Egypt as far ,tnitth as the northern border of Palestine. In his second year he reconquered Phomicia as far as Berytus, and left a memorial inscription (ni the hank of the In his sixth year be moved against the important city of Kadesh on the Orontes, but, th(aigh he was successful in an engagement with the enemy's chariot force, no decisive result was obtained and the city did not surrender. In the fighting around Kadesh, Rameses, with a detachment of his troops, was cut off from the main body, and was for a time in personal danger. His exploits on this occasion form the theme of the so-called poem of Pentaur (q.v.), in which they are cele brated with gross exaggeration. The war con tinued with varying success for a number of years. but finally a peace was arranged by the
terms of which Egypt retained l'Imenieia as far as Byblus and a strip of territory to the north of Palestine. In his twenty-first year Rameses concluded an offensive and defensive alliance with the King of the Hittites and cemented it by mar rying his daughter. The remainder of Rameses's long reign was peaceful. and is chiefly remark able for the large number of important edifices constructed by the King, who, as a builder, stu• passed all other Pharaohs. Among the many splendid temples erected or added to by him those of Abu Simbel, Karnak, Luxor, Abydos. Nemphis, and Bubastis, and the Ramesseum at Thebes deserve special mention. Rameses also usurped many monuments of his predecessors, cutting away their names and inserting his own name in their stead. By his many wives and eonenbines he had a numerous progeny, 162 of his children being mentioned by name on the monuments. He died after a reign of 07 years. and his mummy, at first buried at Thank, was subsequently concealed from grave robbers in the shaft at Deir-el-Bahri, where it was found in 1881. Rameses 11. was formerly regarded as the Pharaoh of the Oppression, and his son, Mer-en-l'tah, as the Pharaoh of the Exodus; see, however, the section on ancient his tory under EGYPT. See Plate with EGYPTIAN ART.