Ramses the Great's Embassies and the Birth of International Diplomacy

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Ramses II's pioneering diplomatic missions: the embassies that shuttled between Kemet and Hatti after the Battle of Kadesh. They follow the journey of Egyptian envoys along the Ways of Horus, through Canaan and into Anatolia, bearing gold and silver, accompanied by scribes and interpreters. The dialogue unpacks the first peace treaty in history—the Treaty of Kadesh—and the letters exchanged with Hattusili III and Queen Puduhepa that reveal a surprisingly modern world of statecraft. Lucas explains how these embassies weren't just about politics but also intelligence gathering, gift exchange, and even marriage negotiations, culminating in the arrival of the Hittite princess Maathorneferure at Per-Ramesses. The episode touches on the daily life of an Egyptian diplomat, the languages spoken (Egyptian, Hittite, Akkadian), and how Ramses used diplomacy to bolster his image at home. A fresh angle that draws on the Amarna Letters tradition and recent scholarship on Hittite-Egyptian relations. #RamsesII #EgyptianDiplomacy #HittiteEmpire #TreatyOfKadesh #HattusiliIII #Puduhepa #Maathorneferure #PerRamesses #BronzeAge #AncientEgypt #Kemet #Hatti #Anatolia #WaysOfHorus #AmarnaLetters #PeaceTreaty #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo