Ramses the Great's Libyan War: The Forgotten Campaign

For decades, Ramses the Great's military campaigns have been overshadowed by the Battle of Kadesh. But in his later years, Egypt faced a different threat: waves of Libyan tribes pressing into the Nile Delta. This episode explores Ramses' Libyan war—a brutal, strategically complex conflict that reshaped Egypt's western frontier. We trace the origins of the Libyan incursions, the tribes involved (Meshwesh, Libu), and Ramses' decisive counterattacks. Drawing on reliefs at Medinet Habu and inscriptions from Per-Ramesses, we examine the tactics, the fortifications, and the aftermath: Libyan prisoners resettled as soldiers, a pattern that would later destabilize Egypt. We also consider the environmental and economic pressures driving the Libyans west—drought, population shift—and how Ramses' response set a precedent for his successors. The episode closes by linking these campaigns to the later Libyan takeover of Egypt under the 22nd Dynasty, showing how Ramses' solutions sowed the seeds of future change. #RamsesII #LibyanWar #Egyptology #NewKingdom #Meshwesh #Libu #MedinetHabu #PerRamesses #AncientEgypt #NorthAfrica #LateBronzeAge #MilitaryHistory #19thDynasty #FrontierDefense #PrisonersOfWar #DesertWarfare #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo