Download Amenhotep III

Seti 1
The 19th Dynasty
Seti Mery-en-ptah
‘He of the god Seth, beloved of Ptah’
A Summary
Family Tree
Ramses I m Queen Sitre
Seti I m Tuya
Ramesses II m Nefertari
Istnofret –associate wife, principal
wife after Nefertari’s death
Early Career
Seti was already an adult when his father became pharaoh. He shared a co – regency for the two years his
father was ruler. He conducted at least one military campaign for his father; he was also responsible for
some building projects. After his father’s death Seti established Ramesses I as a god, ‘the image of Re’.
Military Career and Achievements
Seti pursued an active military campaign; he followed similar strategies in the northern regions of Syria –
Palestine to Thutmose III. He wanted to gain a firm hold on Palestine, control the seaports of the
Phoenician coast and attack Syria. Seti had 5 active military campaigns. It is difficult to place them in
chronological order as the only evidence is a series of reliefs in the Hypostyle Hall at Karnak, devoted to
Amen. These reliefs emphasise his close link to Amen who assured him of victory.
He reaffirmed Egypt’s hold on Palestine and Syria, controlled southern Syria and the Phoenician
coastline.
He attacked the Libyans and removed them as a threat for over 100 years.
He regained control of Kadesh in Syria and battled the Hittites.
He attacked and secured the order with Nubia.
Building Program
During his reign Seti embarked on an active building program.
 He added to the temple of Amun at Karnak.
 Built a mortuary temple at Qurna and a great tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
 Constructed a great temple at Abydos, a sacred site to the Egyptians.
 Built local temples at Heliopolis, Elephantine, Wadi Mia, Speos Artemidos and Gebel Barkal in
Nubia.
 He erected huge statues and obelisks at Heliopolis.
In the Temple of Amun at Karnak, a major part of the northern section of the Great Hypostyle hall was
built by Seti and he placed his reliefs on the outer northern and eastern walls. Seti dedicated the work to
Amun Re.
The mortuary temple at Qurna near Thebes had an areas dedicated for his father’s rites. He named it the
Temple of the Spirit of Seti – Merenptah. It was built of fine white sandstone with doors of cedar and
copper.
The temple dedicated to Osiris at Abydos was for the triad of Osiris, Isis and Horus and to the national
gods of the major cities, Amun of Thebes, Ptah of Memphis and Re – Horakhte of Heliopolis.
This was Seti’s own mortuary temple to himself, sacred to all gods of Egypt, linking himself with the
earlier dynasties of Egypt.
Administration:
Seti I headed an extensive bureaucracy and dealing with his officials must have taken a large amount of
time. The inscription from Nauri on the Third Cataract shows how he threatened anyone with punishment
if they interfered with the Abydos temple, giving an interesting overview of his bureaucracy. Because of
his family background, he was in touch with his populace as the inscription from a cut rock near Edfu
states, “The future generations will glorify me because of my strength and because I am kind-hearted
towards travellers”.
Assessment of his Reign – Sources:
English Egyptologist Kenneth Kitchen believes that Seti I held his reign for a lengthy 15 years, this is
unlikely as there are no dates knows for Seti I after his 11th year as pharaoh. Peter J, Brand noted that the
king personally opened new rock quarries at Aswan to build obelisks and colossal statues in his 9th year.
This event is commemorated on two rocks steles in Aswan. Most of Seti’s obelisks and statues such as
the Flaminian and Luxor obelisks were only partly finished by the time of his death. Brand notes that the
larger of the two Aswan rock stelas state that Seti I “has ordered the commissioning of multitudinous
works for the making of very great obelisks and great and wondrous statues”. After the enormous social
upheavals generated by Akhenaten’s religion reform, Seti I’s main priority was to re- establish order in
the kingdom and to reaffirm Egypt’s sovereignty over Canaan and Syria, which had been compromised
by the increasing external pressure from the Hittites.
Seti, with energy and determination, confronted the Hittites several times in battle.
Without succeeding in destroying the Hittites as a potent danger to Egypt, he reconquered most of the
disputed territories fro Egypt and generally concluded his military campaigns with victories. The memory
of such enterprise was perpetuated by some large pictures placed on the front of the temple of Amun,
situated in Karnak.
A funerary temple for Seti was constructed at Qurna, on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes while a
magnificent temple made of white marble at Abydos featuring exquisite relief scenes was started by Seti,
and later completed by his son. His capital was at Memphis. He was considered a great king by his peers,
but his fame has been overshadowed since ancient times by that of his son Ramesses II.