King Ramses Courage New! May 2026

Technically, Kadesh was a draw. Egypt lost. But Ramses returned home and carved the victory into every temple wall. He refused to admit defeat, because in his mind, the fact that he survived the encirclement was the victory. The Courage of the Body: Living with a Broken King Most people don’t know that Ramses the Great was in agony for half his reign.

When we think of ancient Egyptian pharaohs, we often picture gold, opulence, and god-like divinity. We imagine towering statues and glittering tombs. But if you strip away the jewels and the monuments, what remains is the raw, beating heart of a man who stared into the abyss of war, time, and mortality—and refused to blink. king ramses courage

We are talking, of course, about Usermaatre Setepenre, better known to history as Ramses the Great (Ramses II). Technically, Kadesh was a draw

He is walking into a trap.

When you face your next impossible situation—when you are surrounded, like Ramses at Kadesh; when your body betrays you; when the world tells you to retreat—remember the old man with the fused spine and the crooked smile. He didn't win because he was the strongest. He won because he refused to stop being Ramses . He refused to admit defeat, because in his

Modern CT scans of his mummy reveal severe dental abscesses, ankylosing spondylitis (a painful fusion of the spine), and advanced arthritis. By the time he was 60, he was stooped, his hips were riddled with bone spurs, and his arteries were clogged.

In 1881, archaeologists found his mummy. And here is the final, haunting image of his courage: His hair was red (dyed with henna), his skin was leathery, and his mouth was still curled in a slight, knowing smile. Even in death, he looked like he was in charge.