Seti I
Military Leader
Seti I, was the second king of the 19th Dynasty, the
son of Ramesses I and Queen Sitre. Like his father before him, Seti was a good
military leader.
On a campaign in
Asia, Seti took three divisions of 60,000 men each into battle. He reoccupied
Egyptian posts and garrisoned cities in the Syrian territory. He plundered
Palestine and brought Damascus back into Egyptian control. He reconciled with
the Hittites who were becoming the most powerful state in the region. Seti I and
his heir, Ramesses II campaigned against Kadesh.
In Karnak he completed his father's plan by
converting the court between the second and third pylons into a vast hypo style
hall. He built his vast mortuary complex at Abydos. In Thebes, he built his
tomb, located in the Valley of the Kings. Cut 300 feet into the cliffs, it was
the largest tomb in the area.
Buried with him
were over 700 Shabti. These were carved stone or wooden figures that were to
accompany him to the afterlife to comply with the requests from the gods.
His tomb in the Valley of the Kings was
vandalized and his body was relocated to Deir el Bahri. It is currenlty
located in the Cario Museum.