Ahmose I

He was a boy of ten when his father was killed in battle, and his brother died shortly after on the front line. The proud princes of Thebes were cornered, while foreign Hyksos kings ruled the northern Delta. Supported by his formidable mother, Queen Ahhotep, he waited, trained, and rebuilt his forces.

When he reached manhood, he launched a brilliant, multi-pronged campaign. He adopted the enemy's own weapon—the horse-drawn chariot—turning it against them. He besieged the Hyksos capital at Avaris, chasing their retreating armies deep into the southern Levant.

Having cleared the Delta, he marched south into Nubia, reclaiming lost territory and securing the gold mines. He used this massive influx of gold to rebuild the ruined temples and restart international trade.

His military victories founded the Eighteenth Dynasty and initiated the New Kingdom. He transformed Egypt from an isolated river valley into an aggressive imperial superpower, ensuring that foreign rulers would never tread on the soil of Kemet again.