The sun rises on yet another bright day in ancient Egypt. A man wakes up, but this isn't any ordinary man: this is the pharaoh. This is the last time he will be alone for hours. He has many officials, servants and slaves to make sure he is always safe and perfectly presented. His day begins with cleaning and dressing by servants including the splendidly named "Chief of the Scented Oils and Pastes for Rubbing His Majesty's Body". When he is clean, he is dressed and adorned with a huge amount of jewelry. After all, he's the pharaoh. He owns vast amounts of gold and he needs to look the part. The pharaoh then walks to the "audience chamber" to hold his daily meetings. As guests enter the room they prostrate themselves in front of him. He is a Divine Majesty - they are mere mortals. As usual, there are ambassadors who are offering tributes from foreign countries, generals talking military matters, the usual nobility and some special envoys from across the empire. …show more content…
As pharaoh, he must pay tribute to the chief god, Amen-Re. It's a pain but, if he doesn't do it, the empire could lose its divine order, or Maat. It could descend into Isfet (chaos) and he would be held responsible. It's not worth the risk. Accompanied by the high priest, the pharaoh walks through the great temple to the sanctuary, enjoying the cool air and smelling the thick incense. Inside, he approaches the statue of Amen-Re. He asks the god some questions and receives answers from the high priest. The questions over, he is presented with a large bull. After prayers, the sacred butcher cuts the bull's throat as a sacrifice to the gods.
Looking at this Palette, it isn’t hard to see how the old Egyptian subjects were so entranced by their leaders and how that compares to our modern viewpoints. Where we view politicians and leaders as a wiry group, always keeping an eye on them lest today be the day they raise their daggers against us, the ancient Egyptians saw their leaders as infallible, godlike beings to be trusted, obeyed, and adored. Standing just over 2 feet tall and 1.4 feet wide, this Palette was carved out of a majestic shade of grey-green siltstone, almost shield-like in appearance. Both sides are exquisitely carved out, each one uniquely decorated but both sides containing a central serekh used to identify and in this case even confirm the subject as royalty. This serekh contains the symbols n’r and mr, which as you may have noticed, phonetically spell Narmer. These symbols are surrounded by two bovine heads, which could either represent the Goddess Hathor or Bat. The front s...
Pyramids, gold, the Nile, hieroglyphics, gods and goddesses…no matter how much we know about it, we all see one of these things when we picture Egypt. However, this image is not complete without the Pharaoh. Not much in Egypt was. So to be considered “The Last Great Pharaoh of Egypt” is quite an honor, an honor that Ramesses III carries. A ruler in the time of the New Kingdom, he gave Egypt a few more years of glory before it’s decline.
Assmann, Jan. The Mind of Egypt: History and Meaning in the Time of the Pharaohs.
“The pharaoh of ancient Egypt is normally described as the typical example of a divine ruler” (J. Ray, Hatshepsut, Vol 44, Issue 5, 1994) The ancient Egyptian world has seen hundreds of pharaohs; some excelled and some didn’t. Many of the pharaohs were men, only few females succeeded in gaining such great power, yet some did... specifically Hatshepsut. Few pharaohs of the 18Th Dynasty have aroused as much controversy as Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut was the sixth pharaoh of the New Kingdom and set up co-regency with her nephew and stepson, Thutmose III. (J. Lawless, Hatshepsut, a Personal Study, 2010) Hatshepsut created many junctions in history through politics, building programmes and military. This makes her so recognised in modern day studies, though almost all evidence of her existence has been partially or completely destroyed. Due to this many theories have been created about the standard of her reign.
Thomas, Susanna Rameses II Pharaoh of the New Kingdom (New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. 2003)
Pharaohs were governors of the Ancient Egyptian realm who broadcasted themselves as sons of gods who upheld Ma’at – the Egyptian order of life. Most pharaohs ruled in a typical and expected way carrying the beliefs of their ancestors- though not all ruled this way. Akhenaten of the 18th Dynasty New Kingdom was not an “archetypal” pharaoh as seen through his goal to change Egyptian religion from polytheism to monotheism and through his building project in Amarna. Though he used traditional means to incorporate his changes he did so in an atypical way. After all his attempts at reform all was forgotten when he died and Egypt returned to the religious beliefs it had beforehand. This essay will analyse historical evidence that demonstrates his religious changes, the significance of his building project in Amarna and the aftermath of his death.
The New Kingdom pharaoh Akhenaten’s choices were highly political, religious and damning to his character. This essay will explore Akhenaten's application of his cult of Aten to Egypt, focusing firstly on the Egyptian citizen's reaction to this politically charged reform. Following this is a discussion of Akhenaten's risky decisions as a pharaoh, including his move to Amarna and reminding the Egyptian's of another hated pharaoh, Hatshepsut. The art style employed in Akhenaten's reign also reveals multitudes about his attitude toward the Egyptian traditions and separation from the established culture and religion in his cult of Aten. Then, it is worth understanding the reasons behind Akhenaten religious reforms, looking toward the idea of a sacred association with the Aten and the concept of family through visual depictions.
Scott, N. The Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptians. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series, Vol. 31, No. 3, The Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptians (Spring, 1973), pp. 123-170
Egypt relied on their pharaohs to rule and run their county. Amenhotep III was the ninth pharaoh of the 18th dynasty; he ruled as pharaoh for a long period and achieved a significant amount of development in national and foreign affairs. He has been known as one of the best pharaohs that the world has seen. While Amenhotep was ruler of his era, it was known as the period of peace and prosperity. This allowed him to build many of the impressive structures that are found throughout Egypt today. He went on military campaigns and not only strengthened but expanded the boarders of Egypt throughout his campaigns. Amenhotep III was a successful pharaoh because he completed the roles of a pharaoh exceptionally well; these roles are High Priest, Administrator and Military commander. His name ‘Amenhotep’ means that the gods are satisfied.
to 2650 B.C., changed his name to the more commonly known Zoser. It was Zoser
Egypt is situated in the Nile valley in the north east of Africa. Ancient Egypt included two regions a southern region, and northern region. The southern region is called Upper Egypt, and the northern region was called Lower Egypt. The life around Ancient Egypt centers on the Nile River and the fertile land around the banks of the river. Farmers created an irrigation system to control the water flow, so the crops can grow in both the rainy and dry seasons. This irrigation system made a surplus in crops.
The pharaoh was the like the living version of Horus because the people claimed the Pharaoh as a god.
The pharaoh was the supreme ruler of Egypt. The people believed the pharaoh was a god among men. He had a divine contract among the god to which he would build monuments to them, and in return the gods would protect Egypt and regulate the flooding of the Nile River (“Egypt, Ancient: Social Organization”, 2004). The contract of the gods came as a great responsibility to the pharaohs. They must keep order of their subjects and the records. Pharaohs proclaimed laws and duties to citizens. Egyptian Social Structure says that the laws were enacted at the discretion of the the pharaoh (2013). Also, pharaohs must control the surplus of food and the Nile River in order to remain the supreme ruler. The pharaohs would proclaim taxes to benefit the entire the kingdom. The surplus of food was maintained by the lower classes, such as the farmers paying grain for their taxes (“Egyptian Social Structure”, 2013). This would help the compensate food for the kingdom in c...
As king, the pharaoh had many duties that were civic and religious. The people saw him as the living Horus and the son of Ra. They believed only pharaoh could sacrifice to the gods and only the pharaoh could appoint the priests to serve the gods in his place. The people believed that he became Osiris after death and would continue to help his people in the afterlife. Pharaoh was the commander-in-chief of the army and the highest judge in the land. The people saw the pharaoh as essential for keeping their lives in balance and keeping harmony in Egypt. His rule was absolute.
Before our modern day obsession with posting to internet walls and worshiping our pets, an ancient civilization nestled on the banks of the Nile River was doing the exact same thing. Except that civilization was over 6,000 years ago. That civilization was Egypt.