History is full of revolutionary leaders that totally redefined or restructured their territories and those around them. Some leaders had widespread influence than is unparalleled in todays world. Such notable leaders made remarkable territorial gains as they conquered the territories around them with the help of their well-established military might. Two of the most remarkable leaders in history are Constantine the Great, the Roman Emperor and Ramesses II, the most powerful Pharaoh of the new Egyptian Kingdoms. Both rulers had great military prowess and successfully invaded other territories. Constantine the Great lived in between 306 and 337AD while his Egyptian counterpart lived between 1303 and 1213 BC. The paper will look at these specific leaders because of their military prowess. Furthermore, historians widely perceive these two leaders as the greatest leaders of their times who achieved unprecedented accomplishments.
Similarities Between Constantine the Great and Ramesses II
Both Constantine the Great and Ramesses II were men of great military might that participated in great wars and conquests. Both leaders had to use their military might to either counteract an existing threat or to seek to make strategic territorial gains. During the first years of his reign of Egypt, Ramesses II had to make a show of force during his first war campaign against the Syrians who were an imminent threat. The war was long-lived and not conclusive. The second Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BC was massive and historians regard it to be the largest chariot fight ever to have happened ( Noblecourt, 2007 ). Ramesses II also defeated Sherden sea pirates along the Egyptian coast. Constantine the Great also participated in great military campaigns such as those against the Franks, Samaritans and Alamanni in between 306 and 334AD. Constantine also had military campaigns to quell an internal rebellion by Maximian while the former was away fighting another battle. He deployed his army against the rogue Maximian and captured him and his army.
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Religion was a key aspect of both Constantine the Great and Ramesses II. While they both practiced different religions, they were devout believers of the deities and doctrines that they followed. Ramesses II believed that the gods were responsible for giving him prosperity. There are well-documented cases of Ramesses II and his subjects honoring the gods with offerings. Egyptians once honored Amen, the god of Thebes, who the Pharaoh associated with the sun god during the Heb-Sed festival to mark thirty years of Ramesses’ reign. He built numerous temples during his reign. Constantine’s mother Helena was a practicing Christian and he also claimed to have had a spiritual vision. His conversion and adherence to Christianity was evident through actions such as ending Christian persecution in Roman empires and decreeing the 313AD Edict of Milan, in which he reiterated the status of Christians while asserting that only the Christian God was responsible for his victories ( Burckhardt, 1983 ). Constantine facilitated the conference of Nicaea, which led to the Nicene Creed.
Differences Between Constantine the Great and Ramesses II
One key difference between Ramesses II and Constantine the Great was in their use of treaties. Ramesses II acknowledged the perpetual threat that his kingdom faced and understood how costly war was. Ramesses believed that instituting a peace treaty would be more effective than repeatedly having to defend against his rivals. He signed one such treaty with the rebellious Hittite king Hattusili III, which became famously known as the Silver Treaty, the world’s first known peace treaty. On the other hand, Constantine the Great believed in completely subduing his enemies to prevent the chances of subsequent attacks. This is evident in several cases where he had already defeated rival kings, but did not seek a democratic solution and opted to terminate them by feeding them to beasts at the amphitheater.
The type of deity that Constantine the Great worshipped had great fundamental differences. Constantine was monotheistic, believing in the Christian God who is unseen and decrees that humans should not worship idols. Constantine’s form of worship did not involve physical idols and artificial creations, but rather in faith in an unseen God. Ramesses II, on the other hand, practiced polytheism, which is the belief in multiple gods. He believed that there was a different god for different elements and events such as the Egyptian sun god Ra and the war god Montu ( Van de Mieroop, 2009 ). Pharaoh Ramesses II led the worship of these numerous gods through well-instituted practices.
Differences Between the Subjects’ Cultures
In the Egyptian territory, it was mandatory for the Pharaoh’s subjects to worship the same god that he DID. The high priests in Egypt were the spiritual leaders who advised the Pharaoh who would in turn decree that the subjects unconditionally heed the advice. After his conversion to Christianity, Constantine recommended Christianity as the primary religion, but allowed freedom of worship as he did not enforce the Milan Edict. Historians argue that Constantine married Fausta after divorcing his first wife. It was the norm, either as a result of Christianity or Roman Law to marry only one wife. His subjects, therefore had a culture of practicing monogamy. Egyptian’s, on the other hand, routinely practiced polygamy as did their Pharaohs. Ramesses II had an estimated 200 wives. The impact of their leaders’ warring traditions also trickled down to their subjects. While latter day Egyptians were hostile, those during the reign of Ramesses II were peaceful, just as their leader often opted to be. On the other hand, Romans were a hostile people who were proponents of war.
Trump is a current leader that bears some similarities to Constantine in that they were both often politically incorrect and flawed in their perspectives. Furthermore, both leaders were devout Christians who advocate for freedom of worship in their territories. Therefore, they are both considered champions of faith. Constantine’s acceptance of Christianity made him accept the importance of Israel, despite the fact that it was not a state at that time. Trump also supports Israel and showed this support by recently relocating the US embassy to Jerusalem.
Conclusion
The greatness of historical leaders often stemmed from their military might, but not only in their ability to conquer, but also in the ability to push for peace when need be. The legendary leaders of the past heavily focused on developing their military strength to ward off threats and conquer foreign lands. Religion was at the center of bot these men in that they both fervently believed in deities or gods to make them successful in their undertakings. Both men influenced the practice of religion in the territories under their reign. The cultures of the subjects of these leaders were often a direct reflection of their own practices.
References
Burckhardt, J. (1983). The age of Constantine the Great . Univ of California Press.
Noblecourt, C. D. (2007). Ramses II: An Illustrated Biography . Paris: Flammarion.
Van de Mieroop, M. (2009). The eastern Mediterranean in the age of Ramesses II . John Wiley & Sons.
