third king of Egypt’s Nineteenth Dynasty. His name is also spelled as “Ramses” and “Rameses.” His grandfather, Ramesses I, had been adopted as heir by Horemheb, last king of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Ramesses II, born before his family became royal, was the son of Ramesses’s son Seti I and his consort, Mut-Tuya. At approximately ten years of age he was given the rank of “first king’s son.” Later he was installed as coregent to assist Seti in his rule. After no more than four years of coregency, Seti I died and Ramesses inherited his throne. He was to rule Egypt for sixty-six years.
As crown prince Ramesses had successfully defended northern Egypt against the Sherden seaborne invaders and pirates who hailed from Ionia modern southwest Turkey Following his victory with many of the Sherden now recruited as mercenaries in the Egyptian army he established a defensive line of forts along ...
