The divine order of Egypt is maintained against the chaos of the outside world.

This was propaganda, of course.

The artistic conventions of ancient Egyptian relief carving were not designed to convey nuance.

The Pharaoh is always victorious, always divinely supported, always the supreme figure in any composition.

But the reliefs also preserved something that Ramesses III probably did not intend: a record of the humanity of his opponents.

The ox-carts.

The women.

The children.