died 1279 BC
Egyptian king of the 19th dynasty (r. 1290–79 BC).
His father, Ramses I, had reigned only two years, and it was Seti who was the real founder of the greatness of the Ramessids. Seti did much to promote Egypt's prosperity. He fortified the frontier, opened mines and quarries, dug wells, and rebuilt temples and shrines; he continued work on the great hall at Karnak and built a temple at Abydos decorated with reliefs of great delicacy.