Ramesses I

Ramesses I

Ramesses I Menphetyre was believed to be the first pharaoh of the nineteenth dynasty. His name meant "Born of Ra and Established by the strength of Ra." Most Egyptologists have recorded Ramesses I as the founder of the nineteenth dynasty, but a few people in ancient Egypt gave Horemheb this honor. The reign of Ramesses I was short, but he laid the foundation of a mighty dynasty, which can be seen by his two successors: his son Seti I and his grandson Ramesses II.

The original name by which Ramesses I was known was Paramesses. He seems to have come from the northeastern Delta, and Seti, who was the troop commander, is believed to be his father. A stele dedicated to his father clarified his genealogy and also confirmed that his uncle, Khaemwaset, was married to a relative of Huy, the Viceroy of Kush, so his family had some political influence.

More About Ramesses I's Rule

The early career of Ramesses I was recorded on two seated statues found at Karnak, to which he is referred as the General and Vizier. Another stone statue in the Edinburg Museum showed him as a General and an Overseer of the royal Granaries. Before Horemheb emerged as a king, Ramesses I served with him in the army, and like his father, he acquired the place of the commander at the fortress of Sile. After Horemheb came to power, Ramesses I was given the positions of the Vizier and the Overseer of the priests in Upper and Lower Egypt. When it was confirmed that Horemheb couldn't produce an heir to his throne, Ramesses appears to have been named Paramesses, and he succeeded Horemheb, who may have ruled with him as a co-regent.
When Ramesses I grew to power, he may have been in his fifties and already had a son and a grandson, which made him a sensible choice for a pharaoh. His son, Seti, probably led an expedition to Palestine during his reign. Like his father, Seti also acquired the positions of the Vizier and Commander of Sile and was named as his father's co-regent to succeed to the throne after him.

Completion Of The Work

Ramesses I is associated with completing the second tower of the temple of Amun at Karnak, which Horemheb initiated. Also, a stele was placed at Wadi Halfa by him. The pharaoh also started a temple and a chapel at Abydos, which Seti later completed. The hastily-made tomb, KV 16, belonged to Ramesses I and was never finished, but he was buried there. The wife of Ramesses I is believed to have been the first queen to have been buried in the Valley of the Queens, in another tomb that was not completed. Recent findings show that the mummy at the Niagara Falls Museum and Daredevil Hall of Fame is that of Ramesses I.