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Ramses II was the third king of the 19th dynasty of ancient Egypt, and is often cited as the most powerful of the Pharaohs, or simply "Ramses the Great". Named for his grandfather, Ramses I, he was appointed as successor to the throne when he was only 14, and took his first wife almost immediately. Even before assuming full power he was regarded as co-ruler with his father, Pharaoh Seti In the fourth year of his rule, his armies invaded Syria and went to war against the Hittites, culminating in the bloody Battle of Kadesh. Despite Egypt's eventual retreat, Ramses often spoke of his own heroism on the battlefield, including implausible tales of being cornered alone, yet single-handedly defeating numerous enemy soldiers. Several years after Kadesh, he again led Egypt in war against the hated Hittites, but after more than a decade of bloody war he consented to a peace treaty, which led to a long period of general peace and prosperity for both peoples.he reigned for more than 66 years, and had about 200 wives, 100 sons, and 60 daughters.