Ramses II

Limestone bas-relief from Memphis, Egypt, 1290–24 BCE; in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo

Rameses II, was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Here he is standing in profile while holding an ax in his left hand. With his right hand, he is holding three Nubian warriors by the their hair. New Kingdom public art, like political ads of our modern society, were used to bolster the kings image as the protector of the empire, vanquishing the enemy and thus fulfilling his duty to defeat the forces of chaos and preserve ma'at.