Ramesses III: The Life and Times of Egypt's Last Hero

The reign of Ramesses III was on one hand a prosperous one, with successful military action, monumental building work and a flourishing of arts and culture, but his assassination marked the beginning of the “political fragmentation, social stress and cultural decline” that was to lead to the Third Intermediate Period. This volume represents the latest scholarship on Ramesses III covering the king’s life and career and Egypt’s place on the world stage during and immediately after his reign. Kenneth Kitchen begins with his survey of the king and his reign, followed by chapters on religious practices, government, administration, society and economy. An exploration of foreign affairs includes links with Anatolia and the Aegean (Peter Haider), the Levant (James Weinstein) and the Sea Peoples (written by the editors and including an appendix of English translations of all texts dealing with the Sea Peoples). Medinet Habu and other monuments are explored in detail, followed by a survey of the literature of the age, rounding off with Steven Snape’s analysis of the legacy of Ramesses III and the Libyan ascendancy. We discover that according to Ramesses, he and his father were chosen by Amun to found a new dynasty and overcome social and administrative chaos (Christopher Eyre) and that he achieved some measure of greatness through his vigorous rule during a time of crisis and could “pose officially as a victorious king in the best tradition” (Kitchen); the art of Medinet Habu was innovative while also representing a continuation of a pre-existing tradition (O’Connor), although there is little evidence outside of the Theban area for the long list of monuments he planned to build (Bojana Mojsov); and while Ramesses III’s building projects fell short of the mark set by his role model Ramesses II, he possibly exceeded him in military success, ensuring the very survival of Egypt itself through “the crisis of the collapse of the Late Bronze Age world system” (Snape). There is a huge bibliography, a brief biography of each contributor, and an index of subjects covered, although only a few illustrations. The price tag may force some to resort to their local library for a copy of this book, but it is certainly a must-read work for anyone with an interest in Pharaonic Egypt.