Little is known of the private life of Ramesses III (1186-1154 BC), but he is often regarded as the last of the great ancient Egyptian warrior kings. He married a woman called Isis, who was probably his first wife, and he also maintained large harems and kept subsidiary wives, who bore him many children.
The king's life was dominated by a series of violent events, one of which was caused by a secondary wife called Tiy, who hoped to secure the throne of Egypt for her son, Pentaweret. Tiy plotted to assassinate her husband, but the attempt failed. Ancient texts referring to this `harem conspiracy` indicate that many individuals were put on trial for their involvement in the crime. The protagonists who were found guilty were forced to commit suicide, or were sentenced to public executions.
Ramesses III was heavily influenced by another New Kingdom ruler, Ramesses the Great, whose policies he clearly emulated. Ramesses III erected buildings at many sites throughout Egypt - the most famous edifice being the mortuary temple, Medinet Habu, near the Valley of the Kings. Temple resources were falling into a state of decline by this period, however, and Ramesses III was unable to imitate the magnificent building programmes undertaken by other New Kingdom kings.