Compare and Contrast two ancient male rulers (Ramses II and Pericles)

Ramses II and Pericles
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Ramses II and Pericles
Leadership stands the test of time and the lives of Ramses II and Pericles all but helps to cement this notion. The two leaders were from different timelines and countries, but their stories are told from one corner of the world to the other. Their names, as well as their deeds, have become legendary. They lived different lives, came from different cultures, but their leadership stints were similar. Ramses II was from ancient Egypt, a country whose civilization is believed to be one of the oldest. Pericles, on the other hand, was from Greece, a country that is believed to have oldest form of democracy. However, in spite of the distance between the two countries, the two leaders were cut from a different cloth. This paper seeks to build on the above and offer an in-depth analysis of these two leaders showcasing their similarities, their differences, as well as what separated their cultures.
Ramses II and Pericles are two leaders who shared a lot. One thing that unites them is their quest to leave a permanent imprint on their countries. One way they both did this is to transform their countries and cities. Pericles, for example, “remodeled the city, especially the Acropolis, with famous buildings (Parthenon, Propylaea, and others)” (Brewminate, 2018). Pericles wanted to change Athens during his reign. While in leadership, his period was known as the Age of Pericles (Gill, 2018), and this was mainly because of who he was as a leader, and what he stood for. Ramses II also transformed Egypt during his reign in Egypt as a Pharaoh. Prahl (2019) writes that “even more than his military expeditions, the reign of Ramses was defined by his obsession with building.” She continues to say that in his capital city known was Pi-Ramesses, there were “multiple huge temples and sprawling palatial complex.” Ramses II also built some of the most recognizable temples in ancient Egypt. Abu Simbel is known worldwide and is part of Ramses II transformation agenda in Egypt. The man was full of himself and thus decided to erect this temple, which also contained another smaller temple that is believed to have belonged to Nafertar (Jarus, 2018). Aside from seeking to transform their countries and cities during their tenure, both men were heavily influenced by special women in their lives. Gill (2018) writes that Pericles was heavily influenced by Aspasia who was a female philosopher. Even though the two were involved sexually, Pericles could not marry her because she was not born in Athens. Like Pericles, Ramses had a woman who influenced him as well. Queen Nefertari is believed to have influenced the life of Ramses II. The BBC (2011) writes that Nefetari is best known “for her exquisitely decorated tomb in the valley of the Queens at Luxor.” From the two similarities, one can indeed say tha...