Pharaoh Seti I: Father of Egyptian Greatness

by Nicky Nielsen

This authoritative biography examines the life and times of the transformative Egyptian ruler and father of Ramesses the Great.Pharaoh Seti I ruled Egypt for only eleven years, from 1290 to 1279 BC, but his reign marked a revival of Egyptian military and economic power, as well as advances in cultural and religious life. Born the son of a military officer in northern Egypt, Seti grew up far from the halls of power in Memphis and Thebes. But when Horemheb, the last king of the 18th Dynasty, died without an heir, Seti’s father was named king. He ruled for only two years before dying of old age, leaving Seti in charge of an ailing superpower. Seti set about rebuilding Egypt after a century of dynastic struggles and religious unrest. He reasserted Egypt’s might with a series of campaigns across the Levant, Libya and Nubia. He dispatched expeditions to mine for copper, gold, and quarry for stone in the deserts, laying the foundations for one of the most ambitious building projects of any Egyptian Pharaoh. His actions allowed his son, Ramesses the Great to rule in relative peace and stability for sixty-nine years, building on the legacy of his father.

Genres: History, Egypt, Nonfiction, Egyptology

213 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2018

About the author

Nicky Nielsen is Lecturer in Online Egyptology at the University of Manchester, teaching on the Certificate, Diploma, Short Courses and MA Egyptology programmes. Originally from Denmark, Nicky was awarded an AHRC Block Grant to undertake PhD research at the University of Liverpool investigating subsistence strategies and craft production at the Ramesside fortress site of Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham. He has excavated in Europe, Turkey and Egypt and is currently field director of the University of Liverpool Tell Nabasha Survey Project. He is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Alongside a series of scholarly papers, Nicky has recently published Pharaoh Seti I: Father of Egyptian Greatness.

Reviews

[Monty Milne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seti I only ruled Egypt for eleven years, from 1290 to 1279 BC, and although he was a highly competent and effective ruler he has been overshadowed by his more famous and very long lived son Ramesses II. This was a period of conservative consolidation in Egypt after the tumult of the Amarna years in the previous generation, when Akhenaten had instituted a far reaching religious reformation. This was reversed by the boy king Tutankhamun, though his early death meant that much of the work of traditionalist restoration had only just begun.

This is a good introduction to the man and his time. The general reader is not likely to be overhwhelmed, although the specialist might want more depth. The author admits this is a gathering together of what we already know rather than a new assessment based on original research. I enjoyed it and found it of value in setting a scene. Seti was a great builder and there are intriguing glimpses of some of his personnel such as wealthy masons and his two viziers (one for the North and one for the South). The Flaminian Obelisk was quarried by Seti, completed and erected by his son, looted by Augustus in 1 BC, and restored by Pope Sixtus V in 1589: it still stands in the Piazza del Popolo in Rome. There is a photograph of Seti’s remarkably well preserved head (from the mummy in his looted tomb) which gives a sense of his dignity and power. We don’t know why he died at a relatively young age of forty or so, though heart disease has been speculated.

As the wheel of time revolves once more and an old year fades, there is no better antidote to petty irritation and triviality than to immerse oneself in the distant past.

[Iset · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nielsen himself recognises the challenges and caveats in producing a biography of Seti I, and states openly in the book that what is presented here is not original research, so if you’re expecting to be blown away by this text, think again. But whether or not the reader finds the book useful, or even enjoyable, rather depends on what you hope to get out of it. If you are a hobbyist or a newcomer to the subject, Nielsen’s way of grounding Seti in plenty of context will provide clarity and illuminate not just the pharaoh but the state into which he became ruler. If, however, you’re extremely familiar with your 18th and 19th dynasty histories, or perhaps are intensely interested in Seti himself to the exclusion of others, you’ll perceive the same text as waffling on tangents in an attempt to draw out the scant material. I know there are some readers who really dislike historical biographies that have very little evidence to work with, and perhaps even question whether biographies should be written if there isn’t enough information to fill a silver thimble. I tend to come down on the opposite side of that particular debate; unfortunately there is not much that can be done about a lack of evidence and yet there are many figures from history who are tantalisingly engaging but suffer from a dearth of material.

So far, so subjective, but what about the book’s objective qualities? In its favour, I will say that although not original research, such books can be useful simply in collating existing information in one handy location. On a personal note, the part I most enjoyed was Nielsen’s brief examination of the Ramesside ancestors and connections before Ramesses I, something which is little discussed. The author also seems to take a reasonably objective view of Seti, despite being obviously deeply interested in his subject. However, I thought he was a little too uncritical at times of certain scenarios outside of the 19th dynasty. The hypotheses that Ay married his granddaughter Ankhsenamun, and that Mutnedjmet was the same person as Nefertiti’s sister Mutbenret, are presented without comment as fact, when in actuality these are both still debated in Egyptology.


7 out of 10

[GBL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicky Nielsen has written a competent biography of Pharaoh Seti I, father of Rameses II, The Great, but the book fails to bring to life either the Pharaoh or the period in which he lived. The reader can understand Nielsen’s problem as he tries to tell the story of Seti, knowing that his son will become one of the most famous figures in Egyptian history.

Nielsen places Seti in the context of the post Akhenaten period of Egyptian history, showing how he was determined to make a new start for Egypt and setting a firm foundation for future generations;

´And Seti fathered the potential, the environment and the conditions in which the greatness of his son could truly flourish.´ (Page 160)

[Takli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this book.

[Deane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book about a Pharaoh who has very little known about him
probably because he predeeds his son the Great Rameses II

[David Waldron · Rating 3 out of 5]

A highly accessible and enjoyable account of the life and times of Pharaoh Seti I, one of the founding figures of Egypt's 19th dynasty and father of Ramses the Great.