Ramesside pharaohs

Ramesside pharaohs

 

 

Ramesside pharaohs

Ancient Societies: Egyptian society in New Kingdom Egypt during the Ramesside period, Dynasties XIX – XX

Explain and asses the importance of prominent queens and diplomatic marriages for New Kingdom Egypt in the Ramesside Period, Dynasties nineteen and twenty.

As in previous eras, the royal family of Ramesside pharaohs comprised not only the pharaoh and his heirs, but also an extensive network of queens. The queens of the nineteenth and twentieth dynasties were as Tyldesley puts it, ‘far less conspicuous’ than their eighteenth dynasty predecessors and during this period, diplomatic marriage with neighboring powers surfaced as a key method of securing alliance. Several types of queen had developed by this point: the queen regnant who ruled in her own right, the Great Royal Wife or chief consort of the king, the king’s mother and other minor wives. The change in the roles of queens and prominent women in the royal family is an indicator of the changes in power of the pharaoh and Egypt’s wider position.
Evidence suggests that the queens of the Ramesside era played an active role in diplomatic matters. Ramesses II’s mother Queen Tuya, and her daughter in law Nefertari wrote to the Hittite king and queen in regards to a peace treaty “To thee my sister be peace, to thy land be peace” . Such exchanges not only resulted in a marriage to a Hittite princess, Ramesses II also married daughters of other foreign rulers wishing to maintain friendly relations or ensure loyalty to Egypt.  In G Robins women of Ancient Egypt, a source discusses the diplomatic role played by the Hittite princess: “…with my oldest daughter in front of them, let us carry peace offerings to the Good god (King of Egypt) that he might give us peace, that we might live… ” The Pharaoh never sent any of his own daughters away as brides for foreign rulers, hence maintaining at least Egypt’s symbolic superiority over its neighbors and assured the continuation of Egyptian power in Syria-Palestine throughout the nineteenth dynasty.

One of the most prominent queens of the Ramesside Period was Ramesses II’s chief wife Nefertari. Nefertari is an example of both continuity and change during the Ramesside era. Featured on his temple at Abu Simbel, she is depicted as a miniature version in comparison to the Pharaoh, a continuation of traditional modes of depiction. But in contrast, Nefertari is the only queen ever to have been elevated to be depicted on the same physical scale as the pharaoh. On both statues on the façade of the temple to her and Hathor (again at Abu Simbel) as well as a statue at Cairo Museum, Nefertari appears ‘life-size’ rather than miniature.
Her tomb in the Valley of the Queens is also considered one of the most beautiful and provides further evidence for the change in status of queens. Nefertari is depicted embarking upon the journey into the underworld, including several scenes from the book of the dead . The quality and beauty of the artwork within her tomb meant that archaeologist Ernesto Schiaperelli, deemed it as “one of the most important monuments in the Theban Necropolis” . Only a select number of queens ever rose to the religious importance of that of Nefertari. Similar to the pharaoh they possessed links to the gods (especially the Great Royal Wife and Kings Mother) often performing in ritual roles alongside the pharaoh and wearing regalia such as the vulture headdress worn by the goddess Nekhbet, the Ureaus or cobra associated with the cobra goddess Wadjet and the double shuty feather, which were later combined with cow horns and the sun disk, which was associated with Hathor.
The wives of the pharaoh typically resided in the royal harem which was financed by royal taxes, land and cattle. The archaeological site of Medinet el-Ghurab, near the village of Kahun, is the best surviving example of a harem palace. The Wilbour Papyrus confirms its importance as a financial institution .The harem was certainly at its largest with Ramesses II. In addition to the unusual situation regarding the two Great Royal Wives, Nefertari and Lady Istnofret, there were the foreign princesses such as Hittite Maatneferure. Nefertari and Istnofret’s positions were succeeded by their daughters Meryt Amen and Bint-Anath, both who married their father, Bint-Anath even giving birth to at least one of his daughters. Uniquely for a foreigner, Maatneferure at one stage assumed the title of Great Royal Wife. Ramesses is thought to have at least 100 children.
Another very prominent queen was Twosret, the final queen known to have taken the throne of Egypt and ruled in her own right. Twosret is an example of how change in domestic situation can result in a shift of power structures. Possibly not even of royal blood, Twosret took full advantage of the period of civil unrest at the end of the Nineteenth dynasty. Very little is known about her rule as a result of this period of disruption. Wife of pharaoh Sety II, she ruled as her step-son Siptah’s regent upon his father’s death. Gradually taking over role of consort and joint ruler, it is unclear whether Twosret actually married her stepson in order to increase her power. Tyldesly states: “Twosret obviously preferred to be associated with the memory of her prestigious first husband rather than her less impressive stepson.” The queen reinforced her claim to the throne by adopting full titulary of a male King of Upper and Lower Egypt, but she is still depicted in many monuments as obviously feminine . Her tomb in the Valley of the Kings provides further evidence for her power.  Twosret is an example of how the decline of a dynasty allowed for increasing power and recognition of other influential individuals, including queens. 
The decrease in pharaonic power in Dynasty 20 is revealed during the reign of one of the last great pharaohs of the era Ramesses III. One of Ramesses III’s lesser wives Tiy, who scheming to secure the throne for her own son, plotted an assassination. Twenty eight men were involved including a palace official Paibekkamen, an army commander and a captain stationed in Nubia as well as the kings butlers and other women of the harem. When at first wax figures and magic didn’t work, the conspirators – with the help of relatives of the harem women – sought to bring about a rebellion. Those involved (as well as those who had known about the plot but not said anything) were caught arrested and tried. It is suggested by the trial account that the most guilty were made to commit suicide “…they have put themselves in their place. They have died themselves.” Or as suggested by Maspero “deliberately suffocated and buried alive” . Others involved were reprimanded or lost hands and ears. It is unknown whether the assassination attempts succeed and although the women involved are not mentioned in the trial account it can be assumed that they too met with harsh punishments.
The period following the death of Ramesses II provides little or no evidence concerning the prominence and status of queens. Domestic problems meant that there was a series of kings in rapid succession, ruling for very short periods of time. The pharaoh’s position as supreme ruler of Egypt was in serious jeopardy as the priests of the cult of Amun grew in power, reflected in the status of the Queens.  By the time of mid-Dynasty twenty even the concept of King's Great Wife had fallen into disuse, and had “become little more than the title of the queen” .
Therefore, when examining the queens of the nineteenth and twentieth dynasties, it becomes apparent that there was a decrease in power and influence of the pharaoh. The prominence of Queen Nefertari and her involvement in diplomatic affairs shows a greater influence from females close to the king, and the emergence of female ruler Twosret corresponds to the internal crisis which Egypt was subject to at the time. The very notion of an assassination attempt meant that the pharaoh was increasingly viewed in a less than immortal way. Although Egypt attempted to maintain dominance and supremacy over its neighbours with the consistent stream of diplomatic marriages, domestic problems and external threats resulted by the end of the Twentieth Dynasty in the pharaoh and his queens being relegated to a lower level than at the beginning of the Ramesside period. .  

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Callender, G                The Eye of Horus: A History of Ancient Egypt, Addison Wesley Longman, Australia, 1993

Donadoni, S (ed.)        The Egyptians, The University of Chicago Press, USA, 1997

Gardiner, A,                “The Treaty of Alliance between Hattusili, King of
Langdon, S                  the Hittites and the Pharaoh Ramesses II of Egypt.” Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol VI, 1920 (from Studies in Ancient Egypt)

Hennessy, D (ed.)       Studies in Ancient Egypt, Nelson ITP Publishers, Australia, 1993

Montet, P                    Everyday Life in Ancient Egypt in the days of Ramesses the Great, University of Pennsylvania Press, USA, 1981

Nsar, M and                The Tomb of Nefertari, Casa Editrice Bonechi, Italy, 2001
Tosi, M

Robins, G                    Women in Ancient Egypt, British Museum Press, London, 1993

Tyldesley, J                 Tyldesley, J Daughters of Isis: Women of Ancient Egypt, Penguin Books, London, 1994

Watterson, Barbara     Women in Ancient Egypt, St Martins Press, New York, 1991

 

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Ramesside pharaohs

 

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Ramesside pharaohs