Ramesses II

Early Life

Ramesses II was born around 1303 BCE in ancient Egypt. His father, Seti I, was also a pharaoh, so Ramesses grew up in a royal family. From a young age, he learned how to be a leader, how to ride horses, and how to command an army.

As a teenager, Ramesses helped his father on important missions. This early training prepared him to become a strong ruler. When his father died, Ramesses became pharaoh while he was still very young.

Becoming Pharaoh

Ramesses II became pharaoh around the age of 25. A pharaoh was both a king and a religious leader, so this was a very important job. People believed the pharaoh was chosen by the gods to protect Egypt.

Ramesses ruled Egypt for about 66 years, which is one of the longest reigns in history. Because he ruled for so long, many people lived their whole lives knowing only him as their pharaoh.

Great Achievements

Ramesses II is often called “Ramesses the Great” because of everything he accomplished. He led Egypt during a time of strength and wealth. He worked to protect Egypt’s borders and make peace with neighboring lands.

One of his biggest achievements was signing one of the first known peace treaties in history. This showed that Ramesses believed talking could be better than fighting.

Amazing Buildings

Ramesses II loved building monuments. He built more temples and statues than almost any other pharaoh. Many of these buildings still stand today.

The most famous are the giant rock temples at Abu Simbel. These temples have huge statues of Ramesses carved into a mountainside. They were designed to impress everyone who saw them.

Legacy

Ramesses II lived to be about 90 years old, which was very old for ancient times. After he died, he was remembered as a powerful and wise ruler.

Today, people all around the world still study Ramesses II. His statues, temples, and stories help us learn about ancient Egypt and its amazing history.