Ramesses II. was the greatest pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, and is often considered to be the most powerful pharaoh ever to live. He ruled during the prosperous period in Egyptian history called the New Kingdom of Egypt which is the time of its greatest expansion. Ramesses' accomplishments are so tremendous he ensured his name will be remembered for centuries. Not only was he an important ruler in antiquity, he is one of the most famous historical figures today aswell, thanks to the many recent discoveries of his statues and monuments. His reign is among the longest ones in Egyptian history, and he lived to see his bulding projects finished. He added a peristyle and a pylon to the Luxor Temple, he built his memorial temple Ramesseum and the Temple of Osiris in Abydos. His most famous building achievement is the Abu Simbel Temple, which was, at the time of its construction, one of eight temples in Lower Nubia. He also built the new capital Per-Ramesses. Ramesses' rule was extremely stable and prosperous, according to the written sources of that time. Not only did he secure the state borders, he also made Egypt rich by expanding the egyptian trade to new areas. But Ramesses II. was not seen as a great ruler among his people only because of his building achievements, he was deemed great because of his military career too. He fought in Syria and Palestine, and many other places in the Middle Eeast. His most famous battle is the battle of Kadesh which was depicted in many paintings in Egyptian temples, and there are many written recordings of it as well. He also led campains against Moab, Edom and Negeb people, and has carried out a more serous campain against Libyans, who tried to settle in the Nile Delta. From all this it is easy to conclude he was very popular among his people, and the fact that even nine pharaohs of the Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt took the name Ramesses is a testimony to his popularity. Of course, Ramesses owes some of his fame to propaganda, since he did not let any of his achievements go unnoticed, especially his military campains, and there are reasons to suspect some of those have been exaggerated, even the battle of Kadesh. All in all, Ramesses justly carries the name Ramesses the Great, since he made so many things possible, from building temples, to conquering people who were threatening Egypt, and he has left a considerable mark in history. But the end of his rule also meant that the power of Egypt is beggining to fade. After his death his successors were forced to defend the kingdom, which starts with Ramesses' successor Merenptah, and continues in the following centuries.