Ramesses III

Demigod son of Amun (doctrinal) by Queen Tiy-Merenese; historical son of Setnakhte. Second pharaoh and de-facto-greatest king of the 20th Dynasty (r. 1186-1155 BCE) — considered the last pharaoh of the New Kingdom to wield substantial power. His Year 8 (c. 1178 BCE) double-victory over the Sea Peoples — at the Battle of Djahy on land and the Battle of the Delta on water (the first known Egyptian naval battle) — is the climactic Egyptian event of the Bronze Age Collapse era; he was the only major Bronze Age power to successfully resist the Sea Peoples. The Medinet Habu mortuary temple is the iconographic monument of his reign. Died of wounds inflicted in the harem conspiracy of 1155 BCE — the only confirmed pharaonic assassination in Egyptian history. Alive at c. 1172 BCE and the dominant Egyptian-political figure of the era.

Parentage

• paternal doctrinal: Amun
• mother: Tiy-MereneseJE 20395 stela (primary)

Children

• Duatentopet
• Khaemwaset C
• Pentaweret
• Ramesses IV
• Ramesses VI
• Ramesses VIII

Powers

• Repelling the Sea Peoples by land and sea
• Smites the enemies of Egypt before the gods, upholding Maat

Epithets

• 𓄤𓇳𓁛𓄤𓏠𓈖 egyptian-hieroglyphic · Wsr-mꜣꜥt-Rꜥ mrj-Jmnthrone-name Usermaatre Meryamun 'Powerful is the Justice of Re, Beloved of Amun'Medinet Habu temple inscriptions (primary)
• wsr-mꜣꜥt-rꜥ mry-jmn Egyptian · Usermaatre Meryamun · titlePowerful is the Maat of Re, Beloved of AmunRoyal titulary of Ramesses III (Medinet Habu) (primary)

Relations

• father: SetnakhteJE 20395 stela (primary)
• mother: Tiy-MereneseJE 20395 stela (primary)
• spouse: Iset Ta-HemdjertKV47 tomb of Iset Ta-Hemdjert (primary)
• spouse: TytiQV52 tomb of Tyti (primary)
• spouse: Tiye (minor wife; mother of Pentaweret; orchestrator of the fatal harem conspiracy) · EgyptianJudicial Papyrus of Turin (primary)
• father of: Ramesses IVKV2 tomb of Ramesses IV (primary)
• father of: Ramesses VIKV9 tomb of Ramesses VI (primary)
• father of: Ramesses VIII · Egyptian
• father of: PentaweretJudicial Papyrus of Turin (primary)
• father of: Khaemwaset CQV44 tomb (primary)
• spouse: Tiye of the harem conspiracyHis secondary (harem) wife Tiye, mother of Pentaweret and orchestrator of the 1155 BCE conspiracy.Judicial Papyrus of Turin (primary)
• enemy: Tiye of the harem conspiracyShe orchestrated the harem conspiracy that mortally wounded him.Judicial Papyrus of Turin (primary)

Sources

• existence: Medinet Habu mortuary temple complex; KV11 tomb in the Valley of the Kings; Papyrus Harris I (composed under Ramesses IV); Judicial Papyrus of Turin; Egyptian king lists (primary)
• parentage: JE 20395 stela from Abydos (primary)
• sea-peoples-victory: Medinet Habu Sea Peoples reliefs; Papyrus Harris I (primary)
• assassination: Judicial Papyrus of Turin; CT scan analysis of his mummy 2012 (primary)