Skip to main content

Primary sourceArtifactca. 1290–1224 BCE

Scarab Depicting Ramesses II Smiting a Prisoner Before Amun

ca. 1290–1224 BCE

A small royal scarab seal showing Ramesses II in a victory pose before the god Amun, a piece of royal propaganda.

This scarab shows Ramesses II in a victory pose, part of the propaganda imagery that promoted his reign.

Ask Ramses II (Ramses the Great) about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Photo of a small oval blue-green faience scarab seal on a pale grey background. Incised hieroglyphs and a figure in a striding pose with a raised arm are carved into its flat base, with a lower band of lines.
Scarab depicting Ramesses II smiting a prisoner before Amun, ca. 1290–1224 BCE. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This is a small glazed steatite scarab seal from the New Kingdom, Ramesside period, during the reign of Ramesses II. Its flat base is carved with hieroglyphs and an image of a striding figure with a raised arm, showing the king smiting a prisoner before the god Amun. It is held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why it matters

Scarabs like this were used as seals and amulets, and royal scenes on them spread images of the pharaoh's power. This 'smiting' scene was a common way to show a king's strength and his connection to the gods, helping to shape how people saw Ramesses II's rule.

Look closer

  • What pose is the king shown in, and what might that pose be meant to communicate?
  • Why would a small object like a scarab be a useful way to spread an image of royal power?
  • What does the scene tell you about how Egyptians linked kingship and religion?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Ramses II (Ramses the Great) on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Ramses II (Ramses the Great) sources

Meet the AI Ramses II (Ramses the Great) →
Two clay cuneiform tablets on a clear acrylic stand against a red background. The larger tablet is broken into several fragments, covered in dense wedge-shaped writing. A smaller tablet fragment sits at lower right, also inscribed.Document

Primary source

Egyptian–Hittite Peace Treaty

c. 1258 BCE

Sepia photograph of the facade of the Abu Simbel temple in Egypt, with four seated colossal statues of Ramesses II carved into the rock. A small standing man at lower left shows scale. A doorway lies between the middle statues, and hieroglyphs are carved across the upper wall.Photograph

Secondary source

Abu Simbel Temple Colossi

Pascal Sébah · 1875

Facade of the Great Temple at Abu Simbel carved into a sandstone cliff under a clear blue sky. Four seated colossal statues of a pharaoh flank the central doorway, with a sand-covered walkway leading up to the entrance.Artifact

Primary source

Abu Simbel

Ramesses II · c. 1273 BCE

Sepia photograph of the Abu Simbel temple facade in Egypt. A colossal seated stone statue of a pharaoh with a striped headdress dominates the right. Beside it stands a statue of a falcon-headed god wearing a sun disk. Relief carvings and hieroglyphs cover the wall, and a small seated man at the bottom gives scale. Caption reads Abou Simbel, Gd Temple, Le dieu Soleil Ra et Rhamses II, P. Sébah.Photograph

Secondary source

Facade Detail of Abu Simbel Showing Ramesses II and Ra

Pascal Sébah · 1875

Sepia photograph of the ruined Ramesseum temple at Luxor, Egypt. Four fallen-headed colossal seated statues stand before a sandstone gateway with carved hieroglyphs on its lintel. A broken statue lies in the foreground, and a small figure sits near the base of the statues. Desert and a column are visible on the left.Photograph

Secondary source

Ramesseum Colossi in Ruins

Pascal Sébah · c. 1875

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Ramses II (Ramses the Great) now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions