(Menmaatre)
1294-1279 B.C.
19th Dynasty

The second king of the 19th Dynasty was 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 hypostyle 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.