Download Objective: Inquiry Question: Name: Date: Humanities Homeroom

Objective:
Name:
Date:
Humanities
Homeroom:
Inquiry Question:
Egypt: New Kingdom
Do Now: Answer the following in a complete sentence. Please read silently once complete.
1) How would you describe Egypt during the Middle Kingdom?
2) How is the Middle Kingdom of Egypt similar to the Old Kingdom of Egypt?
3) How is the Middle Kingdom of Egypt different from the Old Kingdom of Egypt?
Focus: The New Kingdom
The New Kingdom included some of Egypt’s most powerful ruler. These pharaohs set up a new capital city of
Thebes, 450 miles south of the old capital Memphis. They strengthened Egypt by expanding the empire.
Stations Reflection
Based on the evidence provided, who was the most influential pharaoh during the New Kingdom? What
evidence do you have to support your claim?
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Cleopatra
The last Macedonian rulers were the famous Cleopatra. Eventually the powerful Roman Empire would conquer
Egypt.
Born a Princess
Cleopatra was born a princess of Egypt. Her father was the Pharaoh Ptolemy VII. Cleopatra was smart and
cunning growing up. She was her father's favorite child and learned a lot about how the country was ruled from
him.
Cleopatra's family had ruled Egypt for 300 years. They were the Ptolemy dynasty that had been established by
the Greek ruler Alexander the Great. Even though they ruled Egypt, they were actually of Greek descent.
Cleopatra grew up speaking, reading, and writing Greek. Unlike many of her relatives, however, Cleopatra also
learned many other languages including Egyptian and Latin.
Her Father Dies
When Cleopatra was eighteen years old her father died. He left the throne to both her and her younger brother,
Ptolemy VIII. Cleopatra and her ten-year-old brother were married and were to rule Egypt as co-rulers.
Because she was much older, Cleopatra quickly took control as the main ruler of Egypt. However, as her
brother grew older he began to want more power. Eventually he forced Cleopatra from the palace and took over
as Pharaoh.
Read this sentence from the passage.
Cleopatra was qualified to rule Egypt.
Which passage from the detail BEST supports this claim?
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B) ____________________________________________________________________________________
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D) ____________________________________________________________________________________
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Stations Reflection
Based on the evidence provided, what economic, religious, and political changes occurred during the New
Kingdom?
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A Woman Pharaoh
Taking Power
Queen Hatshepsut was the first woman to rule as pharaoh. She was the wide of a pharaoh who died soon after
he took power. Hatshepsut then ruled with her stepson, Thutmose III. In 1472 B.C., she declared herself the
only ruler. She wore a false beard reserved for pharaohs alone.
Trade Grows
Unlike other New Kingdom pharaohs, Hatshepsut did not only expand Egypt by waging war. She also wanted
to make Egypt richer through trade. Her biggest trading expedition crossed the eastern desert to the Red Sea.
Large ships sailed south to an African land called Punt (poont). Traders brought back rare herbs, spices, scented
woods, live monkeys, and potted trees for making incense.
Hatshepsut’s Monument
Like other pharaohs, Hatshepsut was eager to proclaim her glory. One type of monument she erected was the
obelsik. An obelisk is a four-sided shaft with a pyramid-shaped top. Hatshepsut had tall obelisks carved from
blocks of red granite. On them, artisans used hieroglyphs to record her great deeds.
Mysterious End
After ruling for 15 years, Hatshepsut disappeared. She may have died peacefully, or Thutmose III may have
killed her. After her death, Thumose became pharaoh and tried to destroy all records of Hatshepsut’s reign. We
know about her because archeologists restored her damaged temple and tomb.
A Powerful Pharaoh
In 1279 B.C., Ramses II took the throne. His 66-year reign was among the longest in history. He expanded the
Egyptian empire.
Empire Builder
Unlike Hatshepsut, Ramses II – also called Ramses the Great – wanted to make Egypt powerful though war.
Unlike Ramses’ rule, Egypt extended its territory south into the African kingdom of Nubia. The empire also
stretched to the eastern rim of the Mediterranean Sea. There it bordered the empire of the people called the
Hitties.
Military Leader
The Egyptians and Hitties had long been enemies. Soon after he became pharaoh, Ramses led an army into
battled against the Hitties. Nobody really won the battle, but Ramses claimed victory. His real success came
after the battle. The treaty he negotiated with the Hitties was the first known peace treaty in world history.
Ramses’ Reign
Ramses was bold in honoring himself. He built a city called the House of Ramses. Four 66-foot statuses of
himself guarded his temple. The statues ears were three feet long! Ramses did not want his status to show how
he really looked. He wanted to appear godlike.
Ramses II reigned until 1213 B.C., when he was more than 90 years old. Having one ruler for 66 years made
Egyptian government stable. His reign was also a time of peace. After the treaty with the Hitties, no enemy
threated Egypt while Ramses ruled.
Life was calm and happy in other ways too. The Nile flooding was even more reliable than usual. Egyptian
crops were more plentiful than ever.
Egypt’s Decline
Egypt was never quite the samr after Ramses died. Gradually, the central government weakened. After about
1070 B.C., a series of foreign powers ruled Egypt.
One of those rulers was Alexander the Great, the king of Macedonia who captured Egypt. The last Macedonian
rulers were the famous Cleopatra. Eventually the powerful Roman Empire would conquer Egypt.
A Reforming Pharaoh
As you read earlier, the Egyptians believed that angry gods caused suffering. In spite of this, one pharaoh dared
to defy the gods.
A New Belief
When Akhenaton became pharaoh in 1353 B.C., he lifted a sun god called Aton to the highest status. He then
closed the temples of the other gods. In this way, he promoted the worship of one god for the first time in
Egyptian history.
Priests who served the other gods suddenly lost power. They became furious. They also feared that the
pharaoh’s actions had angered the old gods. To avoid conflict with those priests, Akhenaton moved about 200
miles away from them to a new capital city called Akhenaton.
Realistic Art
Akhenaton’s new way of thinking affected art. As previously mentioned, Egyptian art usually tried to show
pharaohs as perfect. Under Akhenaton, that changed. For the first time, a pharaoh was shown realistically.
Reform Ends
Akhenaton’s new religion did not last long. Three years after his death, a young relative named Tutankhamen
became pharaoh in 1333 B.C.. This boy relief on advisers to help him rule Egypt. They convinced Tutankhamen
to reject the new religion and worship the old gods.
Name:
Date:
Humanities
Homeroom:
Homework: Egypt – The New Kingdom
Cleopatra and Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
In 48 BC, Julius Caesar arrived in Egypt. Cleopatra snuck back into the palace hidden inside a rolled up carpet.
She met with Caesar and convinced him to help her win back the throne. Caesar defeated Ptolemy's army at the
Battle of Nile. Ptolemy drowned in the Nile River and Cleopatra became the sole ruler of Egypt.
Ruling as Pharaoh
Cleopatra and Julius Caesar fell in love. They had a child named Caesarion. Cleopatra visited Rome and stayed
at one of Caesar's country houses.
Despite her romance with Caesar, Cleopatra wanted Egypt to remain independent of Rome. She built up the
Egyptian economy, establishing trade with many Arab nations. She was a popular ruler among the people of
Egypt both because she embraced the Egyptian culture and because the country was prosperous during her rule.
According to the text, what were some of Cleopatra’s accomplishments?
In your opinion, what reason BEST explains why Cleopatra wanted Egypt to remain independent of Rome?
Marc Antony
In 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated and Cleopatra returned to Egypt. One of the three leaders to emerge in
Rome after Caesar's death was Marc Antony. In 41 BC, Cleopatra and Marc Antony met and fell in love. They
also formed a military alliance against another of Rome's leaders, Octavian.
Octavian was the legal heir of Julius Caesar. Cleopatra wanted her son, Caesarion, to be Caesar's heir and to
eventually become ruler of Rome. She hoped that Marc Antony could help her achieve this goal.
What reason BEST explains why Cleopatra waged war against Octavian?
Fighting Rome
Cleopatra and Marc Antony combined their armies in order to fight Octavian. The two forces met at the Battle
of Actium. Antony and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian and had to retreat to Egypt.
What was the consequence of Cleopatra and Marc Antony losing the Battle of Actium?
Death
The death of Cleopatra is shrouded with mystery and romance. After fleeing to Egypt, Marc Antony returned to
the battlefield hoping to recover and defeat Octavian. He soon realized that he was going to be captured by
Octavian. Upon hearing the false news that Cleopatra had died, Antony killed himself. When Cleopatra heard
that Antony was dead, she became very sad. She killed herself by allowing a poisonous cobra to bite her.
With Cleopatra's death, Octavian took control of Egypt and it became part of the Roman Empire. Her death
brought an end to the Ptolemy dynasty and the Egyptian Empire. She was the last Pharaoh of Egypt.
Read this sentence from the passage.
Cleopatra was determined to rule Egypt.
Which passage from the detail BEST supports this claim?
E) ____________________________________________________________________________________
Own words: _________________________________________________________________________
F) ____________________________________________________________________________________
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