Problems To The East

Ramses III, the second king of Egypt’s 20th Dynasty, is viewed as Egypt’s last truly great pharaoh.

- Justin D. Lyons

Tested by both domestic problems and external threats, he reigned during a period of great turmoil in the Mediterranean world. Among the most significant of the events at the time were the Trojan War and the fall of powerful empires, including the Mycenaean, that resulted in waves of displaced peoples.

Today, the so-called Harris Papyrus provides a summary of the 31-year reign of Ramses III and describes the many accomplishments that brought peace and stability to Egypt during this time. The 133-foot-long document was commissioned by his son and successor, Ramses IV. Presently housed in the British Museum, it was named for Anthony C. Harris, the British Commissioner of Alexandria in Egypt, who purchased it in 1855.

In the early part of his reign…

Ramses continued the work of his father, Sethnakte (1190–1187 b.c.e.), by bringing unity to Egypt in the wake of disputes over the succession to the throne and the breakdown of centralized political authority. He engaged in an extensive domestic building program, investigated corruption, re-established law and order, and made large land donations to the temples in Thebes, Memphis, and Heliopolis.