EntranceWho was the first Egyptian pharaoh. Ancient pharaohs of Egypt
The word "pharaoh" owes its origin to the Greek language. It is noteworthy that it was found even in the Old Testament.
Mysteries of history
As the ancient legend says, the first pharaoh of Egypt - Menes - later became the most popular deity. However, in general, information about these rulers is rather vague. We cannot even say that they all actually existed. The Predynastic period is covered most fully in this regard. Historians identify specific people who ruled Southern and Northern Egypt.
Attributes
The ancient pharaohs of Egypt underwent a mandatory coronation ceremony. The location of the traditional ceremonial event was Memphis. The new divine rulers received symbols of power from the priests. Among them were a diadem, a scepter, a whip, crowns and a cross. The last attribute was shaped like the letter “t” and was topped with a loop, symbolizing life itself.
The scepter was a short staff. Its upper end was curved. This attribute of power originated from such a thing could belong not only to kings and gods, but also to high officials.
Peculiarities
The ancient pharaohs of Egypt, like sons, could not appear before their people with their heads uncovered. The main royal headdress was the crown. There were many varieties of this symbol of power, among which are the White Crown of Upper Egypt, the Red Crown “Deshret”, the Crown of Lower Egypt, as well as the “Pschent” - a double version consisting of the White and Red Crowns (symbolizing the unity of the two kingdoms). The power of the pharaoh in Ancient Egypt even extended to space - so strong was the admiration for each heir of the creator of the world. However, it would be wrong to say that all pharaohs were despotic rulers and sole rulers of destinies.
Some ancient images depict the pharaohs of Egypt with headscarves covering their heads. This royal attribute was gold with blue stripes. Often a crown was placed on him.
Appearance
According to tradition, the ancient pharaohs of Egypt were clean-shaven. Another external distinctive feature of the rulers is the beard, which symbolized male strength and divine power. It is noteworthy that Hatshepsut also wore a beard, albeit a fake one.
Narmer
This pharaoh is a representative of the 0th or 1st dynasty. He reigned around the end of the third millennium BC. The slab from Hierakonpolis depicts him as the ruler of the united lands of Upper and Lower Egypt. The mystery remains why his name is not included in the royal lists. Some historians believe that Narmer and Menes are the same person. Many people still argue about whether all the ancient pharaohs of Egypt are truly non-fictional characters.
Significant arguments in favor of the reality of Narmer are found objects such as a mace and a palette. The oldest artifacts glorify the conqueror of Lower Egypt named Narmer. It is stated that he was the predecessor of Menes. However, this theory also has its opponents.
Menes
For the first time, Menes became the ruler of an entire country. This pharaoh marked the beginning of the First Dynasty. Based on archaeological evidence, it can be assumed that his reign was around 3050 BC. Translated from ancient Egyptian, his name means “strong”, “durable”.
Legends dating back to the Ptolemaic era say that Menes did a lot to unite the northern and southern parts of the country. In addition, his name was mentioned in the chronicles of Herodotus, Pliny the Elder, Plutarch, Aelian, Diodorus and Manetho. It is believed that Menes is the founder of Egyptian statehood, writing and cults. In addition, he initiated the construction of Memphis, where his residence was located.
Menes was famous as a wise politician and an experienced military leader. However, the period of his reign is characterized differently. According to some sources, life for ordinary Egyptians became worse under the reign of Menes, while others note the establishment of worship and temple rituals, which testifies to the wise management of the country.
Historians believe that Menes passed away in the sixty-third year of his reign. The culprit in the death of this ruler is believed to have been a hippopotamus. The enraged animal inflicted fatal injuries on Menes.
Chorus Akha
The history of the pharaohs of Egypt would be incomplete without mentioning this glorious ruler. Modern Egyptologists believe that it was Hor Akha who united Upper and Lower Egypt and also founded Memphis. There is a version that he was the son of Menes. This pharaoh ascended the throne in 3118, 3110 or 3007 BC. e.
During his reign, ancient Egyptian chronicles began. Each year received a special name based on the most striking event that occurred. Thus, one of the years of the reign of Hor Aha is called as follows: “defeat and capture of Nubia.” However, wars were not always fought. In general, the period of reign of this son of the Sun god is characterized as peaceful and calm.
The Abydos tomb of Pharaoh Hor Akha is the largest in the northwestern group of similar structures. However, the most pretentious is the Northern Tomb, which is located in Saqqara. Items with the name Hor Akha carved into it were also found. Most of these are wooden labels and clay seals found on vessels. Some ivory pieces were carved with the name Bener-Ib ("sweet at heart"). Perhaps these artifacts brought to us the memory of the pharaoh's wife.
Jer
This son of the Sun God belongs to the 1st Dynasty. It is estimated that he reigned for forty-seven years (2870-2823 BC). Not all ancient pharaohs of Egypt could boast of a large number of innovations during their reign. However, Jer was one of the ardent reformers. It is assumed that he was successful in the military field. Researchers found a rock inscription on the west bank of the Nile. It depicts Jer, and in front of him is a captive man kneeling.
The tomb of the pharaoh, located in Abydos, is a large rectangular pit, which is lined with bricks. The crypt was made of wood. 338 additional burial sites were found near the main burial site. It is assumed that servants and women from Djer's harem are buried in them. All of them, as required by tradition, were sacrificed after the burial of the king. Another 269 graves became the final resting place of nobles and courtiers of the pharaoh.
Den
This pharaoh reigned around 2950 AD. His personal name is Sepati (this became known thanks to the Abydos list). Some historians believe that it was this pharaoh who first wore the double crown, symbolizing the unification of Egypt. History says that he was the leader of military campaigns in the region. From here we can conclude that Den was determined to further expand the Egyptian kingdom in this direction.
The pharaoh's mother was in a special position during the reign of her son. This is evidenced by the fact that she rests not far from Den's tomb. Such an honor still needed to be achieved. In addition, it is assumed that Hemaka, the custodian of the state treasury, was a highly respected person. On ancient Egyptian labels found, his name follows the name of the king. This is evidence of the special honor and trust of King Dan, who united Egypt.
The tombs of the pharaohs of that time were not distinguished by any special architectural delights. However, the same cannot be said about Dan's tomb. Thus, an impressive staircase leads to his tomb (it faces east, directly towards the rising sun), and the crypt itself is decorated with red granite slabs.
Tutankhamun
The reign of this pharaoh falls approximately on 1332-1323 BC. e. He nominally began to rule the country at the age of ten. Naturally, real power belonged to more experienced people - the courtier Ey and the commander Horemheb. During this period, Egypt's external positions were strengthened due to pacification within the country. During the reign of Tutankhamun, construction was intensified, as well as the restoration of the sanctuaries of the gods, neglected and destroyed during the reign of the previous pharaoh - Akhenaten.
As it was established during anatomical studies of the mummy, Tutankhamun did not even live to be twenty years old. There are two versions of his death: the fatal consequences of some illness or complications after a fall from a chariot. His tomb was found in the notorious Valley of the Kings near Thebes. It was practically not plundered by ancient Egyptian marauders. During archaeological excavations, a great variety of precious jewelry, clothing, and works of art were found. Truly unique finds were the box, seats and gilded chariot.
It is noteworthy that the aforementioned successors of the king - Ey and Horemheb - tried in every possible way to consign his name to oblivion, classifying Tutankhamun among the heretics.
Ramesses I
This pharaoh is believed to have reigned from 1292 to 1290 BC. Historians identify him with the temporary worker of Horemheb - the powerful military leader and supreme dignitary of Paramessu. The honorary position he held sounded like this: “the manager of all the horses of Egypt, the commandant of the fortresses, the caretaker of the Nile entrance, the envoy of the pharaoh, the charioteer of His Majesty, the royal clerk, the commander, the general priest of the Gods of the Two Lands.” It is assumed that Pharaoh Ramses I (Ramesses) is the successor of Horemheb himself. The image of his magnificent ascension to the throne is preserved on the pylon.
According to Egyptologists, the reign of Ramses I is not distinguished by either duration or significant events. He is most often mentioned in connection with the fact that the pharaohs of Egypt Seti I and Ramesses II were his direct descendants (son and grandson, respectively).
Cleopatra
This famous queen is a representative of the Macedonian. Her feelings for the Roman commander were truly dramatic. Cleopatra's reign is infamous due to the Roman conquest of Egypt. The obstinate queen was so disgusted by the idea of being a captive (of the first Roman emperor) that she chose to commit suicide. Cleopatra is the most popular ancient character in literary works and films. Her reign took place in co-reign with her brothers, and after that with Mark Antony, her legal husband.
Cleopatra is considered the last independent pharaoh in Ancient Egypt before the Roman conquest of the country. She is often mistakenly called the last pharaoh, but this is not so. A love affair with Caesar brought her a son, and with Mark Antony a daughter and two sons.
The pharaohs of Egypt are most fully described in the works of Plutarch, Appian, Suetonius, Flavius and Cassius. Cleopatra, naturally, also did not go unnoticed. In many sources she is described as a depraved woman of extraordinary beauty. For a night with Cleopatra, many were ready to pay with their own lives. However, this ruler was smart and courageous enough to pose a threat to the Romans.
Conclusion
The pharaohs of Egypt (the names and biographies of some of them are presented in the article) contributed to the formation of a powerful state that lasted more than twenty-seven centuries. The rise and improvement of this ancient kingdom was greatly facilitated by the fertile waters of the Nile. The annual floods perfectly fertilized the soil and contributed to the ripening of a rich grain harvest. Due to the abundance of food, there was a significant increase in population. The concentration of human resources, in turn, favored the creation and maintenance of irrigation canals, the formation of a large army, and the development of trade relations. In addition, mining, field geodesy and construction technologies were gradually mastered.
Society was controlled by the administrative elite, which was formed by priests and clerks. At the head, of course, was the pharaoh. The deification of the bureaucratic apparatus contributed to prosperity and order.
Today we can say with confidence that Ancient Egypt became the source of the great heritage of world civilization.
The generally accepted designation of ancient Egyptian kings, since the XXII dynasty the title of king. The term Pharaoh comes from the ancient Egyptian word pero (literally, great house), rendered by biblical tradition as Pharaoh. Originally the term Pharaoh meant... Encyclopedia of Mythology
- (French faraon, Hebrew paroh king). 1) The name of the ancient Egyptian kings. 2) a gambling game of French cards, so named because one of the kings portrayed the pharaoh. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N.,... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Designation of ancient Egyptian kings, later the title of king. The term pharaoh comes from the ancient Egyptian great house. Initially it designated the royal palace, and later from the 16th century. BC. the king himself. The pharaoh wore different crowns: white like the king... ... Historical Dictionary
Nickname of the policeman (Ushakov) See... Synonym dictionary
- (Egyptian translation about, big house), Egyptian title. king, in the Bible is often used as a proper name. In this regard, numerous arise. difficulties in identifying the personalities named in the Bible by F., since the bib. reports about them are undoubtedly not... Brockhaus Biblical Encyclopedia
PHARAOH, pharaoh, husband. (Greek pharao from Egyptian). 1. Title of ancient Egyptian kings (historical). 2. Nickname of a policeman (pre-modern simple contempt). 3. only units. A type of card gambling similar to baccarat. "The ladies played pharaoh." Pushkin. Dictionary … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
Pharaoh- PHARAOH, ah, m. Policeman. Wed. outdated ug. "Pharaoh" policeman, gendarme... Dictionary of Russian argot
Ancient Egyptian king. He was considered the son of the Sun God and had unlimited power... Legal Dictionary
Traditional designation for ancient Egyptian kings, from the 16th century. BC e. king's title. Comes from the Egyptian pero (big house) in the original meaning of the royal palace... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
PHARAOH 1, a, m. Ozhegov’s Explanatory Dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
PHARAOH 2, a, m. A type of gambling card game. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
Books
- Pharaoh, Boleslaw Prus. PHARAOH Prusa differs from his literary predecessors primarily in the absence of a self-sufficient love affair. The theme of Prus's novel is the political struggle for power, depicted...
- Pharaoh, Boleslaw Prus. "Pharaoh" is a historical novel by the famous Polish writer Boleslaw Prus from the life of Ancient Egypt. The work touches on many important issues: the plight of the people, the role of the people...
The name “pharaoh” became the definition of the bearer of supreme state power only in the era of the New Kingdom. Before this era, the ancient Egyptian transcription “per-oa” (distorted ancient Greek (“φαραώ”) literally meant “Great House.” However, long before the advent of modern times, Ahmes I, Thutmose and Amenhotep III, Egyptian rulers had comprehensive power, which allowed them to wage wars of conquest , keep an army of slaves in obedience, build cyclopean monuments and grandiose tombs. This made quite a strong impression on others. Many residents of the Nile Delta and ambassadors of other states believed that Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt is one of the hypostases of the ancient Egyptian gods materialized into flesh.
The meaning of Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt
The ancient Egyptian pharaohs, if not considered the earthly incarnation of God, were considered as intermediaries between the divine spirit and earthly matter. There could be no doubt about the infallibility of the pharaoh; for any condemnation of the will of the Egyptian rulers, the disobedient would face two punishments - slavery or death. At the same time, the attributes of the pharaoh’s virtues were very diverse and extensive. Any attribute of the clothing of the Egyptian king, in addition to a purely unitary function, also had a semantic one.
The role is not purely managerial or military, but also to a certain extent sacred. It was thanks to his closeness to religious cults that the Nile flooded, a guarantee of soil fertility and high harvests. The priests conveyed the will of the Egyptian ruler to the masses of the common people using magical rituals. Moreover, the importance of the pharaoh in Ancient Egypt was emphasized by every little thing, every everyday action. Neither a commoner nor a high dignitary could sit down at the table without mentioning the name of the pharaoh, of whom he had several. At the same time, it was forbidden to pronounce the true name of the ruler (Ramesses, Akhenaten,). The most common and common definition was “life-health-strength.”
Only a few Egyptians were able to see the earthly incarnation of the Almighty with their own eyes. Even the nobles close to him approached the pharaoh, crawling on their knees and bowing their heads. The deceased pharaoh was supposed to reunite with his divine community and his heavenly life, like his earthly life, should be spent in luxury. A pharaoh in the afterlife must have everything he needs that surrounded him in the earthly vale. This explains the richness and diversity of funeral utensils.
The first pharaohs of Ancient Egypt
Despite the fact that the first ruler of Ancient Egypt is officially recognized as Ni-Neith, (Hor-ni-Neith), the years of whose reign have not yet been determined, in reality he is the first ruler of Egypt during the dynastic period. The history of the Egyptian state is much older and before Ni-Neith, mythical rulers (Ptah, Ra, Osiris) and pharaohs of the pre-dynastic period (Elephant, Pen-abu (Bull) and Scorpio I) ruled. Who they are and whether they are real individuals, modern Egyptology cannot give an answer. The actual first pharaohs of Ancient Egypt - (Hat-Khor (Khor-hat), Ka, (Khor-ka, Khor-sekhen), Narmer (Nar)) are little known and there is practically no material evidence left about them.
We can talk about the greatness of the pharaohs starting from the reign of Djoser, the first pharaoh of the III dynasty of the Old Kingdom and the builder of the first step pyramid.
Names of the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt
Like all rituals of Ancient Egypt, the clothes of the supreme rulers and the names of the Egyptian pharaohs bore a touch of sacredness. The names used in modern literature are rather nicknames (if not “nicknames”) of the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. The future ruler received a personal name, written in one hieroglyph, at birth. When he was appointed heir to the throne of the Upper and Lower Kingdoms, a clarification was necessarily made in front of his personal name - “son of Ra.” If a woman ascended the throne, then the prefix was the definition of “daughter of Ra.” The first “pharaoh” to receive such a title was Queen Merneit (“To be loved”). According to information that has reached us, she was the wife of either Pharaoh Jet (Uenefes) or Dzher (Khor Khvat).
When a pharaoh ascended the throne, he was given a throne name. It was these names that were displayed in the cartouches, thanks to which Jean-François Champollion was able to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
In addition to these two names, the pharaoh could be called the Golden name, the name after Nebti and the Choral name (the name of Horus).
At the age of 19, Pharaoh, whose real name was Gleb Golubin, became the leader and ideological inspirer of the Dead Dynasty formation, the leitmotif of which was a defiant mixture of nihilism and rudeness. The main themes of his tracks are drugs, girls and sex.
Childhood and family of Gleb Golubin (rapper Pharaoh)
Gleb Gennadievich Golubin was born and raised in Moscow, in the Izmailovo district, in the family of a sports functionary. His father Gennady Golubin was the general director of the Dynamo football club, and later became the head of a company specializing in sports marketing.Rapper Pharaoh as a child
Naturally, the parents predicted a sports career for their son. From the age of six, the boy played football professionally. At a young age, Gleb managed to play for Lokomotiv, CSKA and Dynamo. Until the age of thirteen, his life consisted mainly of daily training and school. But in adolescence, he realized that he would not turn out to be a second Pele, and his father was not delighted with his son’s sporting achievements.
Music replaced football. At the age of 8, Gleb became interested in the work of the German band Rammstein, for which he even enrolled in German language courses. Another idol of the teenager was American rapper Snoop Dogg. The musical sympathies of the future musician did not find support from his classmates (other performers were in fashion at that time), but this did not bother Gleb.
At the age of 16, the young man went to America for six months. There he finally decided on his musical preferences and opened new horizons for creativity.
Rapper career Pharaoh
In 2013, Gleb returned to Moscow and entered the Faculty of Journalism at Moscow State University. At the same time, he recorded his first track, Cadillak, and began performing as part of the Grindhouse group under the pseudonym Pharaoh.But the video clip for the track “BLACK SIEMENS” brought real fame to the aspiring musician. In it, Gleb raps against the backdrop of a white Lincoln, which Dmitry Dyuzhev drove in the cult TV series “Brigada”. The song constantly repeats the “skrr-skr” sounds, which later became his trademark.
Rapper Pharaoh - skrrt-skrrt
Tired of constant questions from fans about what this mysterious “skrr-skr” actually means, Pharaoh eventually explained that this was the sound that Bruce Lee made during training. Another version said that “skrt” is an imitation of the sound of car tires.
Pharaoh's next video, "Champagne Squirt", has nearly 10 million views on YouTube. After the premiere of the video, the phrase “Champagne squirt in the face” spread across social networks, and the Pharaoh became a truly cult character among the youth audience.
Since 2014, Pharaoh has collaborated with rappers Fortnox Pockets, Toyota RAW4, Acid Drop King, Jeembo and Southgarden as part of the Dead Dynasty project.
Pharaoh - 5 Minutes Ago
Due to the mysterious image that Pharaoh cultivates on social networks, fantastic rumors are constantly spreading about his life. In 2015, information appeared that the rapper died of a drug overdose. After this, Pharaoh released a new album, Phosphor (“Phosphorus”), the video for the composition from which “Let’s Stay Home” again gained a huge number of views on the Internet.
In February 2017, he traditionally posted on the Internet a new track “Unplugged (Interlude)”, which stood out from the rapper’s general work - it was recorded with a guitar. Fans of Pharaoh suggested that this is a composition from the upcoming acoustic album, which Pharaoh has mentioned more than once before.
Personal life of Pharaoh
Pharaoh has no shortage of girlfriends. One of his ex-girlfriends is the current lead singer of the Serebro group, Katya Kishchuk.At the beginning of 2017, Gleb began dating the scandalous model, daughter of the famous tennis player Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Alesya.
For the first time they appeared in public in one of the capital's cinemas, openly demonstrating their feelings for each other. The model has repeatedly stated that she became a fan of his work long before they met in person. However, in May of the same year, Alesya Kafelnikova wrote on social networks that she was taking a break in her relationship with Pharaoh. Information appeared in the media that the model’s father insisted on separation, who did not like the aura of “notoriety” around her chosen one.
Pharaoh now
In August 2018, Pharaoh presented listeners with a new album “Phuneral” (play on words: pharaoh + funeral, funeral). It is noteworthy that Sergey Shnurov and his project “Ruble” took part in the recording of the tracks “Flashcoffin” and “Solaris”.Pharaoh – Smart
The Egyptian kings were treated as real living gods. They were the rulers of one of the first great civilizations, they lived in luxury, and in their hands was power hitherto incredible for one person.
Egyptian rulers lived happily while hundreds or even thousands of people died during the construction of the magnificent pyramids and statues in their honor. And when the pharaohs themselves died, they were buried in giant tombs that hid their bodies from prying eyes for almost 4,000 years.
In the history of mankind, no one before had such absolute power and influence and lived in such prosperity as the pharaohs. Sometimes such omnipotence greatly spoiled the kings, which is not surprising for imperfect human nature.
10. Pygmy obsession and Pharaoh Pepi II
Pepi The Second was about 6 years old when he became king of Egypt, meaning he was just a small child when he was entrusted with ruling over an entire kingdom. Undoubtedly, much more power was concentrated in the hands of Pepi than should be trusted to a 6-year-old fool.
It is not surprising that the young king was a very spoiled child from childhood. Shortly after his accession to the throne, Pepi received a letter from an explorer named Harkhuf, in which he told the pharaoh a story about an encounter with a dancing pygmy (a representative of a short African people living in the equatorial forests). This message so amazed and inspired the pharaoh that he wanted to see the strange pygmy in person.
“Drop everything and come with him to my palace!” Pepi wrote in response. The child ordered that nothing happen to Harkhuf and took serious care of the security. “When you board the boat, gather your trusted servants and let them surround the pygmy on all sides as he walks along the ladder so that he does not fall into the water under any circumstances! When the pygmy goes to sleep in his hammock, people devoted to you should also lie around him. Check it 10 times every night!” the Pharaoh strictly ordered. As a result, Pepi received his pygmy safe and sound.
Since childhood, he has been accustomed to getting everything he wants and considering himself much more important than anyone else on Earth. By the time he reached adulthood, the pharaoh was already such a spoiled and capricious person that he even forced his slaves to smear themselves with honey and walk around him naked so that Pepi would not be bothered by flies.
9. Giant genital monuments of King Sesostris
Sesostris was one of the greatest military leaders in Egyptian history. He sent warships and armies to all corners of the known world and extended the Egyptian kingdom further than any other ruler of that empire. After each battle, in honor of his success, Sesostris erected huge columns depicting genitals.
The king left these pillars at the sites of all his battles. Many of them were engraved with texts about who he was, how he defeated his enemy, and about his confidence in divine approval of his policy of invading all foreign countries.
In addition, Sesostris left a detail on these columns that was intended to characterize the army of the defeated enemy. If the opponents were strong and fought with dignity, he added an image of a penis to the monument. But if the enemy was weak, an engraving in the form of a female genital organ appeared on the monument.
These columns were erected throughout the continent, and lasted for a long time. Even the famous ancient Greek historian Herodotus saw several pillories of Sesostris. 1,500 years later, some of them still stood in Syria, a reminder of the defeats of their ancestors.
8. Urine washing and Pharaoh Feros
Sesostris's son, Pheros, was blind. Perhaps it was a hereditary disease, but the official version of the Egyptian chronicles said that the heir to the throne was cursed. According to legend, the Nile began to flood the banks of the empire, and Feros became angry that the river was causing damage to his kingdom. Enraged, he threw his spear at her. The pharaoh hoped that in this way he would pierce the bottom of the Nile and release all the water, but the gods, outraged by his audacity, cursed the ruler with blindness.
After 10 years, the oracle told Feros that his vision could be restored. All that is required is to wash your face with the urine of a woman who has never slept with anyone other than her own husband.
Feros tried washing his eyes with his wife's urine, but it didn't help. He never regained his sight, and his wife just threw up her hands, assuring that she had not cheated on him. Then Pharaoh gathered all the women in the city, ordered them all to go to the toilet in the same jug in turn, and one by one poured its contents over his eyes.
It worked. After several dozen women, Feros found the most faithful Egyptian woman and was healed. To celebrate, the king married this girl and burned his former wife. At least that's what the legend says. Although it is unlikely that magic urine saved the pharaoh’s sight, and perhaps such a story was invented to justify his strange addiction to female urine.
7. Hatshepsut's fake beard
Hatshepsut was one of the few women awarded the reign over ancient Egypt. She had big plans for the empire, but on the path to success the queen had to overcome some obstacles. At that time, Egypt, although it was a much more progressive country than others, women were not treated equally here, and therefore the queen had a hard time.
To make her situation easier, she even ordered her people to always paint her as a man. In all images, Hatshepsut was supposed to be presented to the public with a muscular body and a beard. The queen called herself the “Son of Ra” and supposedly also always wore a fake beard in public. It seemed to her that this way ordinary subordinates and noble Egyptians would take her more seriously.
Hatshepsut managed to do a lot of good things for her kingdom, and she thought that her tricks and dressing up as a man were largely the reason for this. However, her son ended up doing everything he could to erase his mother's legacy from the country's history so that no one would know that Egypt was ruled by a woman. He succeeded so well that until 1903 no one suspected that Hatshepsut was a woman.
6. The Bad Smelling Diplomacy of King Amasis
Amasis was not the most polite and well-mannered king in the history of ancient Egypt. He was not only an alcoholic, but also a kleptomaniac - the pharaoh stole the things of his friends, and then convinced them that the things were never theirs.
He acquired the throne by force. The former king of the empire sent him to suppress the uprising, but when Amasis arrived, he realized that the rebels had a very good chance of victory. It was then that he decided to lead them, instead of fulfilling the instructions of the legitimate pharaoh. Amasis was not a sophisticated diplomat, so he declared war very rudely - he raised his leg, farted and told the messenger: “Tell this to your king!”
All the obscene habits of Amasis had their important consequences. When he was a simple kleptomaniac, Amasis was sent to appear before the priests to decide whether he was guilty or not. When Amasis became pharaoh, he punished all the seers who had acquitted him earlier. The king believed that if the priests were actually talking to the gods, they should have known that he was a thief rather than allow him to escape judgment.
5. The city of noseless criminals and the ruler of Aktisanes
The people of Amasis could not endure such a king for long. He was a very rude and harsh pharaoh, so he was soon overthrown from the throne. This time the Egyptian revolution was led by an Ethiopian named Actisanes, who was going to rule much wiser and more merciful than his predecessor.He had his own approach to criminals. The executioners cut off the nose of everyone who committed a crime, and then the culprit was sent to live in the city of Rhinocolura, which literally translates as the city of cut off noses.
It was inhabited exclusively by noseless criminals who had to survive in the harshest conditions in the country. The water in Rinocolura was very dirty, and the crippled residents built their houses from fragments of rubble.
At first glance, all this does not fit with the new pharaoh's promise to be gentler than Amasis, but for the 6th century BC this was actually considered the pinnacle of generosity towards criminals. The Romans wrote about Rinocolura that this is an example of Actisanes’ very good attitude towards his subordinates. In ancient times, if your nose was cut off for a crime, it was considered great luck.
4. 100 children of King Ramses II
Ramses the Second lived so long that people even began to worry that he would never die. In a time when most kings were killed during the first years of their reign, Ramses lived a very long time - 91 years. And all this time he was having a good time. Throughout his life, he not only built more statues and monuments than any other king of Egypt, but he also slept with more women than anyone else in the country.
By his old age, Ramses had at least 100 children from 9 wives. To produce so many heirs, you need to spend a lot of time in bed. Ramses married almost every girl he fell in love with. When he invaded the Het kingdom, the pharaoh refused to make peace with the rulers of these lands until they gave him their eldest daughter. He also did not hesitate to turn his gaze to his own daughters. Ramses married three of them, including his first child.
Perhaps the pharaoh had four such wives. Historians are not yet sure whether Henutmire was his daughter or his sister, but since we are talking about Ramses II, it makes no difference who she was before she became his wife.
3. Pharaoh Cambyses' hatred of animals
Cambyses was not an Egyptian, he was a Persian and the son of Cyrus the Great. After his people conquered Egypt, Cambyses was made head of the conquered land. During his reign, he became especially famous for his hatred of animals.
Almost every Egyptian story about Cambyses contains a passage about the killing of some beast. Early in his reign, the pharaoh went to visit Apis, a bull whom the Egyptians idolized. Right in front of the priests caring for the living deity, the king pulled out a dagger and began to beat the animal with it, laughing in the faces of the dignitaries with the words: “This is a god worthy of the Egyptians!”
No matter how it might seem, the reason for the killing of the unfortunate bull was not his attitude towards the Egyptians. In fact, the son of Cyrus simply really liked to watch the suffering of animals. During his time in power, Cambyses organized fights between lion cubs and puppies, and forced his wife to watch the animals tear each other apart.
2. The city of King Akenaten, built on broken backs
Akhenaten completely changed Egypt. Before he took the throne, the Egyptians had many gods, but Akenaten banned polytheism and left only one idol - Aten, the sun god. This meant serious changes in the life of Egypt, the implementation of which took a lot of effort. So much so that Pharaoh literally tired his people to death.
In honor of the only god Aten, King Akenaten built a whole new city - Amarna. The pharaoh herded 20,000 people to the construction site, and it didn’t matter to him at what cost they would pay to participate in this mission, or how they would feel. The unfortunate Egyptians had to endure all the loads or die. Based on an analysis of bones from the city cemetery, archaeologists concluded that more than two-thirds of the workers who died here had broken bones, and a full third of them had a broken spine.
People were fed very poorly. Almost every resident of the new city was exhausted, and no one was allowed to seek treatment or rest for too long. If someone broke the rules, tried to grab an extra piece of food or was lazy, the disobedient subordinate was sentenced to death and stabbed to death.
All this suffering of the Egyptians turned out to be a futile sacrifice, because immediately after the death of Akenaten, all his undertakings were destroyed, and his inglorious name was almost erased from the history of Egypt.
1. Pharaoh Menkur's refusal to die
Even the pharaoh dies. And although the great names of the Egyptian kings were always accompanied by the title “eternal” or “immortal,” each ruler knew that his turn would come to leave this world. They built pyramids for themselves in order to spend a comfortable afterlife, but still each of the pharaohs once had doubts about what awaits a person after his eyelids close for the last time.
Menkaure, a pharaoh who ruled in the 26th century BC, was definitely unsure about what would happen after his death. When an oracle came to him and reported that the king had only 6 years to live, he was struck to the core and plunged into true horror. Menacur did everything possible to avoid death.
One day he decided that he could outsmart the gods. The pharaoh thought this: if the night never comes, a new day will not come, and if the next day does not come, time will not be able to move forward, and this means that Menacur will not die. Therefore, every evening he lit as many lamps and candles as possible, and convinced himself that he was extending the daylight hours. For the rest of his life, the king hardly slept at night, spending time in the light of man-made lamps, drinking alcohol and having fun until the morning, at the same time fearing that the very moment was about to come when “his candle would go out.”