Who was Menmaatre Seti I?
Q: Who was Menmaatre Seti I?
A: Menmaatre Seti I (or Sethos I as in Greek) was a pharaoh of the New Kingdom 19th Dynasty. He was the son of Ramesses I and Queen Sitre, and the father of Ramesses II.
Q: What is the meaning behind his name?
A: The name 'Seti' means "of Set", which indicates that he was consecrated to the god Set (or "Seth"). As with most pharaohs, Seti had several names. Upon his ascension, he took the prenomen "mn-m3‘t-r‘ ", usually vocalized as Menmaatre, in Egyptian, which means "Eternal is the Justice of Re." His better known nomen, or birth name, is transliterated as "sty mry-n-ptḥ" or Sety Merenptah, meaning "Man of Set, beloved of Ptah".
Q: What were some of his achievements?
A: The greatest achievement of Seti I's foreign policy was the capture of the Syrian town of Kadesh and neighboring territory of Amurru from the Hittite Empire. He also successfully defeated a Hittite army that tried to defend Kadesh and entered it in triumph together with his son Ramesses II. Additionally, traditional view holds that he restored Egypt's empire after it had been lost during Akhenaten's reign.
Q: How long did he rule for?
A: As with all dates in Ancient Egypt, the actual dates of his reign are unclear. Various historians claim different dates but 1294 BC to 1279 BC and 1290 BC to 1279 BC are commonly used by scholars today.
Q: Where did he win a battle against a Hittite army?
A: He won a battle against a Hittite army at Kadesh which is located in Syria.
Q: Did Egypt maintain control over Kadesh after this victory?
A: No - Kadesh soon reverted back to Hittite control because Egypt could not maintain permanent military occupation there due its proximity to their homelands.
