Dr. Campbell Price

Indeed, because it was so... When he went there, I think he was amazed just at how common it was.

Yeah, and I think what really inspired that poem was a kind of a frenzy

surrounding the arrival in london of that colossal sculpture fragment you mentioned before the so-called younger memnon which is now in the british museum so yeah in 1816 it was moved by belzoni and eventually a couple of years later it arrived in london

And it wasn't an interest in Ramesses II, it was just in the size of the statue.

It's interesting Shelley talks about Ramesses, well Ozymandias, king of kings.

That is one of the names of the colossal statues that I said were worshipped.

Ramesses, ruler of rulers.

Heka in Hekaou.

So there's this reverberation of this character for he must have been an impressive character.

Yes, he had the opportunity to build, to battle, to marry, to procreate over 66 years.

But there's something about the

the brokenness of the monuments of him and other kings that does appeal as quite romantic.

It's almost like proof, especially for Christian people, that these pagan kings were cut down to size by the true God.

I think in some ways he gets a bad press because it's all wham, bam, thank you, Ram.

But I think Ramesses, I mean, he does have a legacy in that he gives his name to... So many others.

So many others.

Yes, and I think if you asked a king 500 years later who was the greatest pharaoh of ancient Egypt, it would be difficult for them to choose between Thutmose III and Ramesses II.

So that's a crazy... How many Ramesses are there in total?

So there were 11 kings called Ramses, but later kings, even than Ramses XI, take the throne name Usermatra.

So there is clearly an homage going on there.