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Ramses II Timeline
(1279 BC – 1213 BC)Ramses II, also known as Ramesses the Great, was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. He reigned for 66 years (1279–1213 BC), one of the longest reigns in Egyptian history. Renowned for his military campaigns, especially the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittites, he is equally famous for his extensive building program, which included Abu Simbel, Pi-Ramesses, and additions to Karnak and Luxor. More Less
Reign and Military Campaigns
Birth of Ramesses II
1303 BC
Ramesses II was born around 1303 BC. He would go on to become commonly known as Ramesses the Great, the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt.
Image source: Ramesses II
Accession to the throne
May 31, 1279 BC
Ramesses's date of accession to the throne is recorded as III Shemu (11th month), day 27, which most Egyptologists believe to be 31 May 1279 BC. He became the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt.
Arrival at Kadesh
May 1, 1274 BC
After advancing through Canaan for exactly a month, according to the Egyptian sources, Ramesses arrived at Kadesh on 1 May 1274 BC, leading to the famous Battle of Kadesh against the Hittites.
Return to Syria in seventh year
Apr 1272 BC - May 1272 BC
Late in the seventh year of his reign (April/May 1272 BC), Ramesses II returned to Syria again to continue his military campaigns in the region.
Back in Egypt at Heliopolis
Nov 1272 BC
By November 1272 BC, Ramesses was back in Egypt, at Heliopolis, after his Syrian campaign late in his seventh year of reign.
Stele at Dog River near Beirut
1269 BC
A mostly illegible stele at the Dog River near Beirut, Lebanon, which appears to be dated to the king's second year, was probably set up there in his tenth year (1269 BC).
Stele erected at Beth Shean
Jan 19, 1261 BC
In year eighteen of his reign, Ramesses erected a stele at Beth Shean on 19 January 1261 BC, marking Egyptian presence in the region.
Peace treaty with the Hittites concluded
1259 BC
Eventually, in the twenty-first year of his reign (1259 BC), Ramesses concluded an agreement at Kadesh to end the conflict with the Hittites, one of the earliest known international peace treaties.
Receipt of Hittite peace treaty tablets
Nov 10, 1259 BC
The Egyptian account records Ramesses II's receipt of the Hittite peace treaty tablets on I Peret 21 of Year 21, corresponding to 10 November 1259 BC, according to the standard 'Low Chronology' used by Egyptologists.
Inauguration of Abu Simbel temple
1255 BC
In 1255 BC, Ramesses and his queen Nefertari traveled into Nubia to inaugurate a new temple, Abu Simbel, one of the most magnificent monuments of ancient Egypt.
Image source: Abu Simbel
Key Facts
- Ramses II reigned for approximately 66 years, from 1279 to 1213 BC, making him one of the longest-reigning pharaohs in Egyptian history.
- He fought the famous Battle of Kadesh around 1274 BC against the Hittites, later signing one of the world's first recorded peace treaties with them.
- Ramses II was a prolific builder, constructing monuments such as the temples of Abu Simbel, the Ramesseum, and the new capital city of Pi-Ramesses.
- He lived to be about 90 years old and reportedly fathered over 100 children during his lifetime.
- His mummy was discovered in 1881 in the Deir el-Bahari cache and is now displayed in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo.
Source
This Ramses II timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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