Ramesses III, Egypt's Last, Great Pharaoh

by Jimmy Dunn
Over the some three thousand years of Egyptian history during the Pharaonic Period
only a handful of the several hundred who ruled Egypt (or part of Egypt) can be
considered truly great kings. Of these, Ramesses III, who was the second ruler of
Egypt's 20th Dynasty, was the last of great pharaohs on the throne. His reign was a
time of considerable turmoil throughout the Mediterranean that saw the Trojan War, the fall of Mycenae and
a great surge of displaced people from all over the region that was to reek havoc; even toppling some
empires.
Ramesses was this king's birth name, as it was for most of the 20th Dynasty rulers who appear to have
wished to emulate the great Ramesses II of the 19th Dynasty. Ramesses means, "Re has fashioned him" A
second (epithet) part of his birth name was heqaiunu, which means "Ruler of Heliopolis" There are any
number of ways that Egyptologists spell his birth name, such as "Ramses". His throne name was Usermaatre
Meryamun, which means "Powerful is the Justice of Re, Beloved of Amun.
The Family of Ramesses III
Ramesses III's father was his immediate predecessor, a relatively unknown king named Setnakhte. However,
though the originator of what Egyptologists refer to as the 20th Dynasty, he may actually have been a
grandson of the famous Ramesses II. Ramesses III probably served a short co-regency with him, we believe,
because of a rock-chapel near Deir el-Medina that was dedicated to both his father and Ramesses III.
Ramesses III's mother was Queen Tiy-merenese. He had a number of wives, including Isis, Titi and Tiy, as
well as a number of sons including the next three rulers of Egypt, Ramesses IV, V and VI. We only know of
one possible daughter named Titi. However, despite his apparently long reign lasting some 31 years and 41
days according to the Great Harris Papyrus, little is known about the royal family.
We know that the mother of his wife, Isis, named, Habadjilat, was probably a foreigner, most likely of
Asiatic extraction. She was buried in tomb QV51 in the Valley of the Queens, though here name was omitted
from the cartouches in the Medinet Habu temple where the queen's name would normally have appeared.
However, one of her sons would eventually rule Egypt as Ramesses VI.
Another possible queen of Ramesses III was Queen Titi, who was buried in QV52 in the Valley of the
Queens. Though this tomb is large, it lacks any proper indication of her exact royal status. However, her
titles suggest that she was possibly a daughter, and later a wife of Ramesses III who probably outlived him.
Her title as "Mistress of the Two Lands" appears some 43 times within this tomb, and she is listed as "Chief
Royal Wife" 33 times. Other titles include "King's Daughter, "King's Beloved Daughter of his Body", "His
Beloved Daughter" and "King's Sister". She is also called "King's Mother" eight times and her son might
have been Ramesses IV.
Ramesses III had as many if not more than ten sons, many of whom predeceased him. A number of them
were buried in the Valley of the Queens. These include the tombs of Amenhirkhopshef (QV55), Khaemwaset
(QV44), Parahirenemef (QV42) and Sethirkhopshef (QV43). Each of these sons held high positions, as might
be expected, prior to their deaths. Apparently devoted to Ramesses II, Ramesses III gave his sons names that
followed those of the earlier king's sons. An especially noteworthy example was his son, Khaemwaset C,
named for Ramesses II's famous child. Like the earlier Khaemwaset, he took the same office as sem-priest of
Ptah at Memphis. However, Khaemwasret C. never achieved the glory of Ramesses II's son, who rose to the
position of High Priest. We also know that Amenhirkhopshef, named for Ramesses II's oldest son, and