Thutmose III

Thutmose III (variously also spelt Tuthmosis or Thothmes), sometimes called Thutmose the Great, was the sixth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty. Officially he ruled Egypt from 28 April 1479 BC until 11 March 1425 BC, commencing with his coronation at the age of two and concluding with his death, aged fifty-six; however, during the first 22 years of his reign, he was coregent with his stepmother and aunt, Hatshepsut, who was named the pharaoh. While he was shown first on surviving monuments, both were assigned the usual royal names and insignia and neither is given any obvious seniority over the other. Thutmose served as the head of Hatshepsut's armies. During the final two years of his reign, he appointed his son and successor, Amenhotep II, as his junior co-regent. His firstborn son and heir to the throne, Amenemhat, predeceased Thutmose III.

Thutmose III earned a preeminent legacy as a warrior-king. Becoming the sole ruling pharaoh of the kingdom after Hatshepsut's death, he conducted no fewer than 17 campaigns, all victorious, while expanding Egypt's empire to its largest extent. He is also considered the father of the ancient Egyptian navy, creating the first combat navy in the ancient world. He is consistently recognized as a military genius by historians, and is widely considered Egypt's greatest warrior pharaoh. Additionally, he is regarded as one of the most powerful and celebrated rulers of the New Kingdom Period of Ancient Egypt, itself considered the height of Egyptian power. Furthermore, he is widely considered one of the greatest warriors, military commanders, and military strategists of all time.

Numerous recordings of his military campaigns are detailed in the inscriptions known as the Annals of Thutmose III.