Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt: Encyclopedia II - Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt - Nineteenth dynasty timeline

Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt - Nineteenth dynasty timeline

New Kingdom Egypt reached the zenith of its power under Seti I and Ramesses II, who campaigned vigorously against the Libyans and the Hittites. The famous city of Kadesh was first captured by Seti I before this king decided to concede it to Muwatalli of Hatti in an informal peace treaty between Egypt and Hatti. Ramesses II later attempted unsuccessfully to alter this situation in his 5th Regnal Year by launching an attack on Kadesh in his Second Syrian campaign in 1274 BC, which nearly ended with his death on the battlefield. While Ramesses II later profited from the Hittites internal difficulties in his Year 8 and Year 9 Syrian campaigns against the Hittites, who were experiencing domestic difficulties after the death of Muwatalli II and the troubled succession of Urhi-Teshub, by capturing Kadesh, Southern Syria, and advancing as far north as Tunip where no Egyptian soldier had been seen for 120 years. He ultimately accepted that a campaign against the Hittites was a huge drain on Egypt's Treasury and Army (see N. Grimal's 'A History of Ancient Egypt' (1992), pp. 256-257). In his 21st Regnal Year, he signed the first recorded peace treaty with Urhi-Teshub's successor, Hattusili III and, henceforth, Egypt-Hittite relations improved significantly. Ramesses II even married two Hittite princesses, the first after his second Sed Festival. At least as early as Josephus, it was believed that Moses lived during the reign of Ramesses II (though the time of the Eighteenth Dynasty has also been suggested).

This dynasty came to an end due to internal fighting between the heirs of Merneptah for the throne. Amenmesse appears to have usurped the throne from Merneptah's son and successor, Seti II, but he ruled Egypt for only 4 years. After his death, Seti II acceded to power and deliberately destroyed most of Amenmesse's monuments. Seti II was served at Court by Chancellor Bay, who was originally just a 'royal scribe'. Chancellor Bay quickly became one of the most powerful men in Egypt and gained the unprecedented privelege of constructing his own tomb in the Valley of the Kings (KV17). Both Bay and Twosret reportedly had a sinister reputation in Ancient Egyptian folklore (Grimal, op. cit., p. 270). After Siptah's death, Seti II's chief wife, Twosret, ruled Egypt for 2 more Years, but she proved unable to consolidate her hold on power amid the conspiracies and powerplays being hatched at the royal court. She was likely ousted in a revolt led by Setnakhte, founder of the Twentieth Dynasty.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Nineteenth dynasty timeline", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki