Ramesses III (Usermaatre Meryamun)

The Sea Peoples

Ramesses III is widely considered the last great pharaoh of the New Kingdom. His reign was defined by his massive military campaigns to protect Egypt from the "Sea Peoples"—a massive confederation of displaced Mediterranean tribes that had already destroyed the Hittite Empire and the city of Ugarit. He defeated them in a brilliant two-front war, ambushing their ships in the Nile Delta and crushing their land forces in Canaan. He documented this victory extensively on the walls of his mortuary temple at Medinet Habu.

The first labor strike

Despite his military victories, Egypt's economy was in severe decline. In the 29th year of his reign, the royal tomb builders at Deir el-Medina failed to receive their monthly grain rations. Facing starvation, the workers laid down their tools and marched on local temples in protest. This event, recorded in the Turin Strike Papyrus, is the first documented labor strike in human history.

The harem conspiracy

In 1155 BCE, Ramesses III faced a bloody demise. A palace coup known as the "Harem Conspiracy" was launched against him, orchestrated by Queen Tiye, one of his secondary wives, who wished to place her son Pentawere on the throne. Modern forensic CT scans of his mummy revealed that his throat was slit by the conspirators.