The Last Great Pharaoh Ramesses II 8/9 Video

Ramesses II is the most famous of the Pharaohs, and there is no doubt that he intended this to be so.

Ramesses II fought the Hittites and signed the world's first official peace treaty. He undertook an unparalleled building programme, had over one hundred children and reigned for 67 years.

By the time of his death, Ramesses was suffering from severe dental problems and was plagued by arthritis and hardening of the arteries. When he finally died, he was about 90 years old. He had outlived many of his wives and children and left great memorials all over Egypt, especially to his beloved first queen Nefertari. Nine more pharaohs would take the name Ramesses in his honour, but few ever equalled his greatness. Nearly all of his subjects had been born during his reign and thought the world would end without him. Ramesses II did become the legendary figure he so desperately wanted to be, but this was not enough to protect Egypt. New enemies were attacking the empire which also suffered internal problems and it could not last. Less than 150 years after Ramesses died, the Egyptian empire fell, his descendants lost their power and the New Kingdom came to an end.