Ramesses the GreatThe life, dramatic reign, and enduring legacy of the pharaoh Ramesses the Great, with lessons for the present, from internationally acclaimed Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson Ramesses II ruled the Nile Valley and the wider Egyptian empire from 1279 to 1213 B. C., one of the longest reigns in pharaonic history. He was a cultural innovator, a relentless self promoter, and an astute diplomatthe peace treaty signed after the Battle of Kadesh was the first in