Ramesses II (the Great)

Egyptian pharaoh (r.c.1290-1224 BC). A man of immense ambition, he began his reign with a campaign into Syria that was checked by the Hittites at Qadesh. Stabilized relations allowed Ramesses to concentrate on a building program in Egypt, which included the temples at Abu Simbel. The last of the great pharaohs, his mummified remains have survived.