The Stelas of Seti I and the Egyptian Asiatic Empire

At the reveille of dynasty XIX, Seti I inherited an Asiatic Empire that was, in truth, no more than an Egyptian sphere of influence in that region. This pharaoh invested in military campaigns, understanding the importance of permanent control of coastal and strategic cities around the Mediterranean, creating, de facto, an Asiatic Empire. This control was based in constant military occupation and set the tone for the second and third pharaohs of this dynasty. The new persistent dominion over Asiatic lands is illustrated by stelas celebrating the victories of Seti I in Western Asia, the central focus of this study, that firstly intends to present and analyse the supra mentioned monuments, describing them, and when possible, present its inscriptions, and addressing the very relevant question that was on the genesis of their own creation: how important the Asiatic lands became to Egypt.