On May 31, 1279 BC, Ramesses II ascended to the throne of Ancient Egypt — and in doing so, launched what might be the most impressive personal branding campaign the ancient world ever saw. Often regarded as the greatest, most powerful, and most celebrated pharaoh in Egyptian history, he was also a master of self-promotion, crafting an image of himself that bears a striking resemblance to the tactics used by modern internet influencers.

Already serving as prince regent since the age of 14, Ramesses II was 25 years old by the time he officially claimed the pharaoh's title. His military ambitions took him into Syria, Nubia, and Libya, where his expeditions significantly expanded Egypt's borders. But battlefield victories weren't enough for him — he went on to commission elaborate monuments boasting that he had single-handedly slain thousands of enemies and defeated whole armies without so much as one soldier fighting alongside him. Erecting grandiose tributes to himself packed with wildly exaggerated claims seems to have been something of a favorite hobby, painting a picture of himself as the most powerful, wisest, and most handsome figure in all of history.

Still, it would be unfair to dismiss him entirely as bluster. Ramesses II genuinely led his forces to numerous victories, constructed temples, and established the great city of Pi-Ramesses. Historians do consider him one of the greatest pharaohs of the New Kingdom period of Ancient Egypt. That said, a great deal of what we now know about him only came to light relatively recently.

Before the nineteenth century, modern historians had essentially no knowledge of Ramesses — also known as Ozymandias. The first glimpse of his reign came from a statue fragment inscribed with a boast about his greatness and the vast reach of his kingdom. For a considerable stretch of time, that single artifact represented everything scholars knew about him.

The discovery inspired the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley to pen these famous lines:

"And on the pedestal these words appear:

"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings;

Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away."

Today, though, thanks to modern archaeological discoveries, we actually know more about Ramesses II than we do about most other pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.