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Pharaohs of Egypt
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Grand Pharaohs
Ancient Egypt
History and Government
Unification
• Early Egypt was divided
into two kingdoms
– Upper Egypt
– Lower Egypt
• Egypt was united in
3100 BCE by Menes
– Made Memphis the
capital
– Established the first
dynasty
Ancient Egyptian History
Periods
Time Frame
Nile Culture Begins
Archaic
Old Kingdom
Middle Kingdom
New Kingdom
3900 B. C. E.
3100 – 2650 B. C. E.
2650 – 2134 B. C. E.
2040 – 1640 B. C. E.
1550 – 1070 B. C. E.
Late Period
Greek Ptolemaic
Era
Roman Period
750 – 332 B. C. E.
332 – 30 B. C. E.
30 B. C. E. – 395 C. E.
Old Kingdom
• The Old Kingdom
– Begins 2650 BCE
– Time of Growth and
Prosperity
– Pyramids constructed
– Pharaohs with absolute
power establish strong
governments
Middle Kingdom
• Difficult and
turbulent time
• Pharaohs began to
lose power to local
nobles
• Invasions, famines,
civil wars
• Built fortress up and
down the Nile
• Traded with Greeks,
Phoenicians, and
others around the
Mediterranean
• Conquered by the
Hyksos in 1650 BCE
The New Kingdom
• Hyksos defeated
• Egyptians realized they
needed a strong army
• Took lands around them
to serve as a buffer
from invasion
•
•
GOVERNMENT and RELIGION were inseparable in ancient Egypt. The
PHARAOH was the head of State and the divine representative of the gods
on earth.
Religion and government brought order to society through:
– The construction of TEMPLES
– The creation of LAWS
– TAXATION
– The ORGANIZATION OF LABOR
– TRADE with neighbors
– The DEFENCE of the country’s interests.
Egyptian Class Structure
Egyptian Social Classes
Ancient Egypt achieved stability through the co-operation of all levels
of the population.
•
The PHAROAH was at the top of the
social hierarchy.
•
Next to him, the most powerful officers
were the VIZIERS, the executive heads
of the bureaucracy.
•
Under them were the HIGH PRIESTS,
followed by ROYAL OVERSEERS
(administrators) who ensured that the
42 DISTRICT GOVERNORS carried
out the pharaoh's orders.
•
At the bottom of the hierarchy
were the SCRIBES,
ARTISANS, FARMERS, and
LABORERS.
Egyptian Social Classes
• Class system
was hierarchal
– People with
most power at
the top
– Least power on
the bottom
Flashback:
Was the social structure in
Mesopotamian civilizations such as Sumer
organized in a similar manner ?
Yes
Pharaohs, Government
Officials, and Soldiers
•
•
•
The Pharaoh was the supreme ruler of Egypt. He held possession of
all the land, and was considered a god embodied on the earth. No laws
had to be written because all the commands that he spoke were
followed by the Egyptians.
Government officials were the Pharaoh’s advisers. They enforced laws,
oversaw construction of pyramids and tombs, pleased the gods, found
trade opportunities and collected taxes.
Soldiers took part in warfare and trade missions. Egypt’s soldiers
helped by expanding and gaining more territory.
Scribes, Merchants, and
Artisans
Scribes:
•
Recorded the deeds of the Pharaoh. This educated class kept record of
supplies, had power to fulfill duties of viziers and could write laws in order to
enforce them.
Merchants:
•
Referred to as Crafts people, merchants gained money depending on the
amounts of objects they would create and sell. They looked no different
than commoners in Egypt.
Artisans:
•
This class was part of the Egyptian working class. Though they were not
self supporting in terms of agriculture, they did have to work for their food.
Farmers Cont.
• Farmers were a part
of the lower classes,
aka: The Working
Class.
• Farmers were one
of the classes that,
when they fell on
hard times, sold
themselves into
slavery.
Farmers Cont.
• Self supporting, the
farmers of ancient Egypt
relied on the receding
floodwaters of the Nile.
The departure of the
water created fresh
fertile soil that was ideal
for agriculture. They
harvested their crops
(which were mainly
grains) with primitive
wooden ploughs.
Farmers were the
ultimate support of
ancient Egyptian society
and are arguably the
most crucial class.
Slavery in Egypt
There were two types of slaves: Foreign
and Domestic.
DOMESTIC slaves were
Egyptian. They were
generally treated better,
and could also be freed by
their owners.
FOREIGN slaves were
people who were captured
in war and sold by
Merchants
Slavery in Egypt Cont.
The Hebrew (Israelite) Slaves
The traditional biblical story states that the
Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt for four
hundred years. The Torah book of Exodus tells us
that the Hebrews left Egypt at the time of a
pharaoh identified as Rameses II. The Hebrews
originally moved to Egypt due to a famine in
their native Canaan, and eventually permanently
settled there. The Pharaoh came to see their
presence as a threat to his Kingdom, so he
enslaved them. The departure from Egypt (led
by Moses) is called the Exodus and remains an
important event in Jewish history. The Hebrews
then found themselves at Mount Sinai where
Moses received the Torah from G-d.
Impact of Classes on Egypt and the
World
The Egyptian classes, like all
class structures, acted as
the foundation of their
society. Every facet in the
hierarchy performed a
specific task in their society
that assisted its ultimate
success.
Although we do not have
Pharaohs and we don’t
keep slaves, we can look to
ancient Egypt for
comparison to our own
society and learn from their
advantages and
disadvantages.
To reinforce their image as powerful divine rulers, the
PHARAOHS represented themselves in writings and
sculptured reliefs on temple walls. They often
DEPICTED THEMSELVES AS
WARRIORS who single-handedly killed scores of
enemies and slaughtered a whole pride of lions.
Not all the pharaohs
were men. Before
the Graeco-Roman
period, at least three
WOMEN
ascended the
throne, the most
important being
Queen
HATSHEPSU
T.
ROYAL WOMEN: Royal
mothers, wives, and daughters
derived their status from their
relationship with the king.
Kings had MANY WIVES and
royal families were large.
The most prolific was Rameses II,
who had eight wives and over a
hundred children.
To keep the royal bloodline pure,
kings often MARRIED within
their family, a SISTER or half
sister, for example.
In a few cases, they married their
DAUGHTERS, although it is
not clear whether or not these
marriages were true conjugal
unions.
Next to pharaoh, the most powerful
officer in the hierarchy was the
VIZIER, the EXECUTIVE
HEAD of the bureaucracy.
The position of vizier was filled by a
prince or a person of exceptional ability.
His title is translated as
"superintendent of all works of the
king.“
As the SUPREME JUDGE of
the state, the vizier ruled on all petitions
and grievances brought to the court.
All ROYAL COMMANDS
passed through his hands before being
transmitted to the scribes in his office.
They in turn dispatched orders to the
heads of distant towns and villages, and
dictated the rules and regulations
related to the collection of taxes.
Symbols of Power
Symbol
Type of Power
Les insignes du pouvoir
Symbol
Function : type of
power
Shepard`s Scepter
Political
Goddess of Protection of
South
PoliticaléTerritorial
Cobra Goddesss of North
MILITARY
Whip to punish the enemies MILITARY,
of Egypt
POLITICAL
Fake Beard
ETERNITY
Nemes , the rays of the
SUN
Political
Khepresh ou Double Blue
Crown Bleue : Carried by
pharaons during battles
Sarcophagus of PharaoH Toutankhamon: massive gold and stones XIV°
century BCE
Whip
Pharaoh etsablishes
order and power
Guiding Scepter of the
Pharaoh
Fake beard for
Immortality
Nekhbet : Goddess of
Protection of Egypt
Nemes :
Royal Wig
The ancient Egyptians remained very conscious of
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION, and barriers
between the classes were quite rigid.
Climbing the social ladder was difficult, but it could be
achieved through outstanding accomplishments in
professions such as that of the scribes and the
MILITARY.
The military took part in WARFARE and TRADE
missions, helping to maintain Egypt's sovereignty and
Pharaohs
• Pharaohs were the kings of Egypt.
• The word “Pharaoh” was used by the Greeks
and Hebrews.
• The title “Pharaoh” originated from the Greek
language and it is used in the Old Testament.
• According to Egyptian legend, the first kings
of Egypt were later some of the most famous
gods.
• All of the Pharaohs we know today existed at
the end of the Predynastic period.
Responsibility Of Pharaohs
• Pharaohs ruled with absolute power. There were few
if any challenged against the King.
• Despite absolute power the Pharaoh was expected to
rule subject to Ma’at.
• Ma’at was the goddess and symbol of the
equilibrium of the universe.
• The Pharaoh was expected to govern according to
the principles of Ma’at.
• Any King that attempted to radically change society
would be seen as destroying the equilibrium that
was so important to Egyptian tradition.
Succession
• To keep the pure line of succession, a
Pharaoh passed on the throne to the eldest
son born of the Principal Queen, or Great
Royal Wife.
• Each king was usually keen to demonstrate
to his subjects that he was the “chosen” heir.
• The Pharaoh owned all of the land, people,
and possessions in Egypt.
• Any personal wealth enjoyed by Egyptians
people was considered a result of the
generosity of the King.
Major Male Pharaohs
• There were several Pharaohs of Egypt.
However, we will focus on the main
male Pharaohs:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Menes
Tuthmosis III
Akenaton
Djoser
Ramses II
Khufu
Tutankhamen
Menes
• Founding King of the 1st Dynasty
• Ruled between 3100-2850 B.C.E
• First Pharaoh to unify upper and lower Egypt
into one Kingdom
• Ancient Egypt’s form of a civilization began
with King Menes.
• He created the city of Memphis because of
its good location. It would be easy top
defend against any attacks.
• During his reign he expanded his kingdom
and developed commercial trade links.
Menes
• His chief wife was Queen Berenib, although
she wasn’t the mother of his heir: Djer.
• The mother of Djer was Neithotepe, Menes’
other wife.
• He died at the age of 63.
• According to legend he was attacked by wild
dogs or Nile crocodiles at Faiyum.
• He died leaving behind the legacy of a
powerful civilization.
• His tomb lays at Saqqara, the farmed area of
Memphis.
Tuthmosis III
• The son of Tuthmosis II and Isris
• When is father died his stepmother,
Hatsheput, took charge.
• She was Tuthmosis III co-regent and for 20
years he was pushed into the background as
she ruled Egypt.
• When she died Tuthmosis III came to the
throne.
• As an act of revenge or retribution, he
destroyed as many of Hatsheput’s statues,
monuments and buildings.
Tuthmosis III
• He was remembered for is successful military
capaigns.
• He had numerous victories against Syria, Libya and
Nubia.
• In his lifetime he married several foreign princesses,
apparently for diplomatic reasons.
• His chief queen was Hatsheput-Merytre.
• King Tuthmosis III established Egypt as a powerful
military strength.
• King Tuthmosis III died in his 55th year of reigning
and was buried in the Valley of the Kings.
Akenaton
• Original name was Amonhotep IV.
• Reigned 1350-1334 B.C.E
• He wanted to change the Egyptian supreme
god from Amon-Re to Aton.
• Therefore he changed his name to Akenaton
which means “he who serves Aton”
• He also built a new city called Akhetaton.
• This was the first attempt at radically
changing the Egyptian religion.
Akenaton
• His wife was Nefertiti who was known for her
beauty.
• Today, Akenaton is remembered for trying to
introduce monotheism to Egypt.
• Monotheism means only one god:Aton.
• It is not sure how Akenaton died but the text two
kings, Smenkhkara and Tutankhamun were
apparently son’s-in-law to Akenaton.
• After his reign Egypt returned back to their old
Gods.
Djoser
• Djoser reigned for about 19 years.
• His right hand man, Imhotep, was famous for his
genius.
• Imhotep came up with the idea of the step pyramid.
• The pyramids design consisted of six giant steps and
contained many chambers and secret tunnels.
• It is believed that during Djoser’s reign, he extended
the Egyptian Southern Border all the way to the Nile’s
First Cataract.
• He left behind the legacy of the step pyramid, which
was the basis of all other pyramids to come.
Ramses II
• Went to the throne at the age of 20 and
reigned for 67 years.
• This was the second longest reign for any
Egyptian King.
• Ramses is remembered for constructing many
architectural marvels.
• Constructed more colossal statues than any
other Egyptian King.
• Two of his greatest monuments are the two
huge temples at Abu Simbel.
Ramses II
• Ramses also had many military victories.
• Not long after the reign of Ramses II, Egypt
was invaded and eventually fell to the rule of
foreigners.
• Ramses not only excelled in architecture but
he also had a great number of wives.
• By the end of his life Ramses had over 100
children!
• After his death Ramses son, Menataph,
became the heir to the throne.
Khufu
• Khufu lived from 2589-2566 B.C.E
• He reigned for around 24 years.
• Khufu is most remembered for building Great
Pyramid of Giza.
• The pyramid originally stood 481 feet tall.
• Khufu had many sons but the one chosen to be his
successor was Djedefre.
• Khufu left behind the legacy of the Great Pyramid
and even today it’s still a mystery to how it was built.
Tutankhamen
• King Tutankhamen came to the throne at a very young
age.
• When his father died, believed to be Akhenaton, he
became King at age 10.
• King Tutankhamen helped restore Egypt's old beliefs
from when his father tried to make Egypt a monotheism
society.
• He died suddenly at the young age of 18 by a blow to the
back of his head.
• Since his tomb had not yet been made, he was laid in a
tomb of a member of the nobility.
• He is famous today because of his tomb found by
archaeologists. Some say it was the most important
archaeological find.
Bibliography
• Brier, Bob. PhD. History of ancient Egypt. The First Nation in History.
The Learning Company. 2001.
• Dowling, Mike. The Pharaoh. West Palm Beach Florida, 23 Oct.
2004. 18 Oct. 2006 http://www.mrdowling.com/604-pharaoh.html.
• Dunn, Jimmy. Egypt Feature Story The Kings (Pharaohs) of Ancient
Egypt. 1996. 18 Oct. 2006
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/pharaohs.htm.
• Newman, Garfield. Echoes from the Past. Whitby, Ontario: McGraw
- Hill Ryerson Limited, 2001.
• “Pharaoh." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopaedia
Britannica Online. 18 t. 2006 . <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article9059581>.
• THE ASTRA CORPORATION LIMITED . Egyptology Online:
Discovering Ancient Egypt. 2001. 18 Oct. 2006
http://www.egyptologyonline.com/pharaohs.htm.
Discussion Questions
1) In your opinion, was it right for the
Pharaohs to rule with absolute power?
Explain.
2) Do you think Egypt would be so well
known today if Pharaohs did not exist?
3) In ancient Egypt all property belonged to
the Pharaohs, would our society be
successful if this was true today about
the Prime Minister.
THE END!!!