Ramesses II c. 1279–1213 BC
Ramesses the Great reigned for 66 years, fought the Hittites at Kadesh, then signed the first peace treaty we know of. He built Abu Simbel and had over a hundred children.
Throne name: Usermaatre
wsr-mꜣꜥt-rꜥ: “The justice of Ra is strong”
Sign by sign
- Sun N5rꜥ The sun, the sun god Ra; day.
- Head and neck of a canine F12wsr Strong, powerful.
- Goddess Maat C10mꜣꜥt The goddess Maat: truth and cosmic order.
Birth name: Ramesses
rꜥ-ms-sw: “Ra has fashioned him”
Sign by sign
- Sun N5rꜥ The sun, the sun god Ra; day.
- Three fox skins F31ms To be born (as in Ramesses, Thutmose).
- Folded cloth S29s The sound s.
- Sedge M23sw King of Upper Egypt; also 'he, him'.
Names of gods (Ra, Amun, Ptah) are written first out of respect, even when they are read later. Dates are approximate; we follow Ian Shaw (ed.), The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000).