Ozymandias, the Great

Ozymandias was another name for Ramesses the Great, Pharaoh of the nineteenth dynasty of ancient Egypt. The 2008 edition of the travel guide Lonely Planet's guide to Egypt says that the poem was inspired by the fallen statue of Ramesses II at the Ramesseum, a memorial temple built by Ramesses at Thebes, near Luxor in Upper Egypt. King Ramses left monuments throughout Egypt, like Ozymandias left monuments throughout Ozymandias’s kingdom. Once Ozymandias was a great king now only remembered by a broken statue in the desert. However, Ramses remains today perhaps the most famous of Egyptian pharaohs. In addition, many of the monuments erected during his rule still stand.



"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:/Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

This states Ramses II wanted to leave a set as a reminder of his great strength and wealth. Under him Egypt acquired unprecedented grandness. This is how he dominated for 67 years: Following the imperial efforts started a century earlier, Ramesses II sought to emulate and surpass the success of the reigns of Thutmose III and Amenhotep III Ramses like his father Seti I, had red hair and therefore was associated with the god Set (a god of chaos, confusion, storms, wind, the desert and foreign lands.) Set had been scorned by most Egyptians throughout their history. However, Ramses II was quiet proud to be a man of Set and made a point to uplift his name. War and expanding borders were a big part of Ramses’ rule and Set was the perfect god to have on his side.

Ramesses, of all the ancient rulers, left what is perhaps the most indelible mark on the country. His legacy can be seen most clearly in the archaeological record – in the many buildings that Ramesses modified, usurped, or constructed from the ground up. His building achievements stand pre-eminent amongst the pharaohs of Egypt. On the west bank at Thebes he constructed a giant mortuary temple known as the Ramesseum.


"Nothing beside remains: Round the decay/ Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare/ The lone and level sands stretch far away."

Yet, The might and majesty of a king do not last A variety of health problems (such as arthritis and arterial issues) may have contributed to the end of the life of Ramses II. Ramses II was buried in the Valley of Kings, but had to be replaced because of looting.The condition of KV7 (Valley of the Kings: Tomb of Ramesses II) is poor, immense damage having been wrought by the seven or more distinct 'flooding events' to which the tomb has been subjected over the centuries and by moisture-induced swelling of the underlying shale. The site Ramesses II chose for his tomb was not a good one. After years or being looted and weathered, it remains destroyed.