Seti I

Seti I was the second pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty of Egypt during the New Kingdom period, ruling from 1290 to 1279 BC. He was the son of Ramesses I and Sitre, and the father of Ramesses II. The name ‘Seti’ means “of Set”, which indicates that he was consecrated to the god Set. As with most pharaohs, Seti had several names. Upon his ascension, he took the prenomen “Menmaatre”, meaning “Eternal is the Justice of Re”. His better known nomen, or birth name, is “Sety Merenptah”, meaning “Man of Set, beloved of Ptah”. He also had a Greek name, “Sethos I”, which was used by some ancient historians. Seti I was the real founder of the greatness of the Ramessids, as his father Ramesses I reigned only two years. He inherited a troubled kingdom after the instability caused by Akhenaten’s religious reform and the subsequent restoration by Horemheb. He sought to re-establish order in the kingdom and to reaffirm Egypt’s sovereignty over Canaan and Syria, which had been compromised by the Hittite state. He led several military campaigns against the enemies of Egypt, both in the Levant and in Nubia. He also initiated a policy of major building projects at home, especially in Karnak, Abydos, and Thebes, where he constructed his mortuary temple and a magnificent temple dedicated to Osiris. He also built a cenotaph for his father in Abydos, and completed the unfinished works of his predecessors, such as the Hypostyle Hall of Karnak. He was a great patron of the arts and culture, and his reign is considered a golden age of Egyptian civilization. He was succeeded by his son Ramesses II, who became one of the most famous and powerful pharaohs of all time.