Who were the key individuals and how did they mold the societies thoughts and actions?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of power?
Okay, so Tutankhamen came back to life, right? Well, all of the Ancient Egyptians came back to life. You would think that it won't even be a fair fight for them, because surely population growth, and how they were just one civilization, would take care of that. Unfortunately, all of the Ancient Egyptians, from all of the thousands of years of Ancient Egypt, came back to life. There still aren't as many as the world's population, but most of the people nowadays aren't trained for battle. I mean, come on- most of us work in offices! These Ancient Egyptians worked in fields all day- they are tough! Many of them are loyal to Tutankhamen's cause, but there are still a lot who Tutankhamen has to brainwash to fight us. Yes, that is another one of the tricks Egyptian pharaohs have from coming back from the dead. Along with the weird teleportation thing, they can brainwash other Egyptians. The other pharaohs came back to life, too, but they didn't want to follow Tutankhamen's lead- they are used to being in charge. Let's just say Tutankhamen killed as many of them as he could find to get them out of the way. There are only about ten that are still alive. They are in hiding. Only two of them are brave enough to let me interview them- Hatshepsut and Ramses II. Oh- here comes Hatshepsut!
Hello, I heard you wanted an interview?
Yes, I have a few questions for you. First of all, thank you so much for agreeing to the interview.
My pleasure! Anything I can do to stop Tutankhamen from destroying the world. I was always a ruler striving for peace and justice in Egypt. What Tutankhamen does, it is not peace or justice.
Well, Hatshepsut, you are definitely right about that! Tutankhamen is not a cool dude.
What is this "dude" you speak of?
Well- it's a word we use nowadays. We must hurry- Tutankhamen comes frequently to remind me that I will soon be killed. He has three Egyptian officials who can somehow teleport anywhere and actually be there- unlike Tutankhamen. They are only able to hurt pharaohs, as they can only hurt people higher in rank than themselves. If he sees you here- he will alert them to your location, and you will be killed! So, are you ready to start the interview?
Yes!
Okay. What are your achievements?
I organized a trading expedition to a land called Punt, which brought back exotic and valuable items like ivory, leopard skins and incense. It also brought back thirty-one myrrh trees, which was the first recorded attempt to transplant foreign trees. I also established many of the trade connections that had been lost in the Hyksos invasion. I also oversaw the construction of my mortuary temple in Deir el Bahari. Many obelisks, monuments, and temples were constructed during my reign. I was also one of the only Egyptian women to become pharaoh.
Wow, Hatshepsut, you did a lot! What are you known for?
I am known for being one of the only female pharaohs in Ancient Egypt's history, and I ruled for the longest. I made Egypt stronger through trade and alliances instead of war and battle. I also constructed lots of temples and obelisks.
Can you tell me about your personal life?
Sure. I am the daughter of the pharaoh Thutmose Akheperkare (Thutmose I) and Wife Queen Ahmose. I have many half-siblings, but I only have one full sibling- my sister Neferubity. She died young. My half-sibling, Thutmose Akheperenre (Thutmose II) became pharaoh when my father died. I became his wife. He only chose me to secure his kingship, as he was not the son of the head royal wife: my mother, Ahmose. My mother died, also. I was filled with much sorrow, I had greatly respected her. I didn't care much for my husband, and he pretty much ignored me. We had one child: my daughter Neferure. Neferure was an intelligent child. I tried to spend time with her, but royal duties kept me busy. When my husband died after a short reign, the throne was to go to his son, Thutmose III. Thutmose was the child of a secondary wife. The problem was that Thutmose III was only a baby. As it was custom, I acted as his regent. That means I handled much of the political business for him until he came of age to rule. In our personal life: let's just say we didn't like each other much. I am a smart person, so I knew when he came of age, he would not be a good ruler. He would take away all my power, and erase all of my progress in Ancient Egypt. He was too young to know enough about politics. He would make naïve decisions. I knew he wouldn't be a good ruler for my beloved kingdom, so, desperate to save my kingdom, I promoted myself to pharaoh. Yes, I know there are rumors that I only promoted myself to pharaoh because of my own ambitions, or that there was a political crisis and I promoted myself to save the throne for my stepson. They are all rumors- I was just trying to save my kingdom. When Thutmose III grew older, he began to resent me taking control over his rule. He was a stubborn child. He began to annoy me in any way possible. He would give orders that went against my wishes and always emphasized how it was important that males become pharaohs. I began to dress in men's clothes and wear a fake beard to gain favor from my kingdom. Many people were skeptical with a female becoming pharaoh, so by dressing as a man, I was showing how I respected my kingdom's customs and how I acknowledged the fact that only men should rule Egypt. Personally, I do greatly care for my kingdom. All of my political decisions were based off of what I thought was best for Egypt- they weren't because of greed or ambition. No scholars or historians- or anyone- knows about my friendship with Shoshan. Shoshan was a royal servant. You see, it was considered strange for anyone to befriend a servant- much less a pharaoh! She was always smiling, unlike the other servants, who mostly kept their heads down. Unlike most servants, Shoshan still had hope in her heart. She was like the meaning of her name- lotus. Like a lotus, she was beautiful. Lotuses also keep growing despite obstacles, and Shoshan was like that. No matter what, she kept smiling. I liked that about her, and we became friends when I had just become the head royal wife. She was always there for me, even when I became a pharaoh. In return, I made sure she was treated well, and I sneaked her royal food instead of the leftovers servants received. Personally, I have always been intelligent and thoughtful. Also, according to http://www.crystalinks.com/hatshepsut.html, "Many goods were bought in Punt, notably myrrh, which is said to have been Hatshepsut's favorite fragrance." I must agree with that: I have always loved the smell of myrrh. My favorite color is the deep blue color of the sky, and I would do anything for my kingdom.
Wow, your personal life is way different than the information we have today shows. I had no idea you had a friend named Shoshan! Hatshepsut, are their any mysteries surrounding your life or reign?
Yes, actually. One mystery is why I so often organized trading expeditions instead of battles. One of the greatest mysteries surrounding my life is why I promoted myself to pharaoh. Another mystery surrounding my reign is if my father, Thutmose I, intended for me to be his heir before he died. Often in my reign, I claimed that, before he died, he intended for me to be his heir. Also, during the late reign of Thutmose III and the reign of his son, my name and images were destroyed from countless temples and carvings. Many buildings that I had constructed were destroyed and buried. Nobody knows why this happened.
Thank you. Did you make any important decisions?
Are you joking? Everyday, a pharaoh makes important decisions. I can't even count all of them! I will tell you some of the most important decisions I have ever made in my life. I had to decide if I should promote myself to pharaoh or not. That was an extremely difficult decision to make, as I knew that the fate of my kingdom was in my hands. If I made the wrong decision, Ancient Egypt could fall. I had to decide to attack a civilization or not. If there were problems in a building project, I had to choose to stop the building or how to fix the problem.
It must have been very stressful to be a pharaoh in Ancient Egypt.
Yes, it was!
I can only imagine. What impact did you have on your empire?
I showed that women could be good pharaohs. I made Egypt stronger, which ultimately made it last longer. I also restored alliances. If they were not restored, the civilizations would probably attack us eventually. I gave my people peace.
Wow, Hatshepsut! I have learned a lot about you. Uh-oh, Tutankhamen will probably come soon enough. We'd better interview Ramses II now. There he comes!
Greetings. I am Ramses II.
It is so exciting to meet you, Ramses!
The pleasure is mine.
Ramses, what are your achievements?
I formed a peace treaty with the Hittites, with whom we had been fighting for years. I had many temples created, and I must agree with what someone said about me: "His name is found everywhere on monuments and buildings in Egypt..." (https://discoveringegypt.com). I always wanted to be remembered, and I must admit, I also had my name inscribed beneath statues of different rulers from the past.
Did you replace my name on any of my statues?
Well, Hatshepsut, your nephew, Thutmose III, and his son, Amenhotep II, expunged your name from countless monuments and temples; many of your statues were replaced with different names.
I see.
Ramses, what are you known for?
I am known for my huge battle with the Hittites, and the peace treaty we finally created. I was also one of the last great rulers of Ancient Egypt. Like this book says, "After Ramses II died, Egypt declined." (McTighe). I was, unfortunately, one of the last pharaohs to rule through power and peace, as the pharaohs after me had to fend off countless attacks and invaders.
It is quite sad that Egypt declined, it was an amazing civilization.
Yes, it was.
Can you tell me about your personal life?
Sure. I had many children. I happen to agree with this quote, "He had many wives, among them some of his own near relatives, and was the father of about 111 sons and 51 daughters" (dicoveringegypt.com).
Ahh! That's a lot of kids! Why would you marry your relatives?
For the same reas0n it says here: "It is believed that the pharaohs did this (marry relatives) because of the ancient belief that the god Osiris married his sister Isis to keep their bloodline pure" (medicalbag.com). We needed to keep the royal line pure, so we married our relatives. I married my sisters and daughters.
Uhh, marrying relatives is bad for your genetics... it causes health problems for children if their parents were related.
What? How do you know that?
Um, people have a better understanding of genetics nowadays than the people in Ancient Egypt.
Ohh... Anyways, I lived extremely long for back then- I lived to around ninety years old!!! I was intelligent. Also, according to this quote, "When Ramesses was 14, his father made him the Prince Regent. The young prince started accompanying his father on his military campaigns and had gained some experience of kingship and war by the time he reached his late teens" (thefamouspeople.com). I agree- I learned much when accompanying my father. He taught me quite a lot about politics and being a pharaoh.
Who was your father, Ramses?
My father was Seti I, and my mother was Tuya.
Are there any mysteries surrounding your life and reign?
Well, it wasn't recorded exactly how I died, but most people assume I died of old age. According to this source, "When Ramesses finally did die, he was 93 years old, an incredible age in a land where most died before they were 40. Egypt was paralyzed with grief. Nearly all of his subjects had been born in his reign and thought the world would end without him" (PBS).
That is really sad. Did you make any important decisions?
Um, I'm a pharaoh. Pretty much all I did was make important decisions.
I said that also! It's quite stressful to be a pharaoh: if you make the wrong decision, Egypt suffers greatly.
Yes!!! If you make the wrong decision, everyone pays the price.
Ramses, have you ever made a wrong decision?
Yes. I have always been confident and impulsive, which can be a good thing sometimes, but on a certain occasion, those characteristics got me into big trouble. We were going off to fight the Hittites. Like this source says so well, "He was not expecting battle any time soon and the capture of two spies confirmed that the Hittites were still some distance from the Egyptian camp. Ramesses believed them and didn't bother sending out any scouts of his own" (PBS). Well, that was the wrong decision. The spies turned out to be two Hittite agents sent to lure us into a trap. Let's just say: "The Hittites were actually camped just across the river, ready to attack. At the very last minute, Ramesses discovered their plan and immediately sent for reinforcements" (PBS). Too late! They attacked. It was a disaster! We were losing- by a lot. We would have been defeated, but just in time, the reinforcements again. We scared them off, but neither really won that day. I had made the wrong decision, though- I shouldn't have trusted those spies. I almost lost my life that day.
Yikes! Talk about arriving in the nick of time.
Yeah. It was quite a harrowing experience.
What impact did you have on the empire?
I conquered the region of Canaan. I regained territory and helped Egypt stay powerful. I constructed many temples and monuments. I negotiated the peace treaty with the Hittites. If I hadn't done that, they would probably end up attacking Egypt and conquering it. Before the peace treaty with the Hittites, "The Egyptian empire was under threat from the Hittites, who lived in what is now Turkey. They were far more advanced than the Egyptians and were already pushing against the northern border of Egypt's empire" (PBS). If the peace treaty hadn't happened, then, well, the Hittites would probably defeat Egypt.
Well, thanks for the interview, Ramses!
My pleasure.
We should probably leave now before Tutankhamen comes back-
Oh, Anna!
*Hatshepsut and Ramses II run off to hide*
*Tutankhamen walks into the room*
Hello there. Have you come to give me updates on how your soldiers are coming to kill me?
They are almost here. Having fun with that curse?
Oh, yes. It's what I've always wanted!
*smirks* I'm glad to hear it. *smile fades* Something isn't right here...
You. You're not right.
*Looks suspiciously around the room* You are hiding something....
*Throws hammer at his face*
*Quickly teleports to the other side of the room* Who walks around with a HAMMER?!
Me.
*Growls* I will be so happy when you are dead. Don't try any funny business, missy- remember, you can't escape. *disappears*
Whew, that was close! Alright, guys, he's gone now! *Banging coming from the other room*
*runs over to the laundry room, where the banging is coming from*
*Hatshepsut climbs out of the washing machine* That- *points at washing machine* -is a very small room. How do you fit inside it?
*Cracks up* That's not a room, Hatshepsut, it's a washing machine!
How do you fit inside to wash yourself?
No, it's for washing clothes! It washes the clothes for you.
*horrified* So it's alive?
No, it's just- never mind. Hey, where's Ramses?
Here I am! I hid in the thing hanging from the ceiling.
The lamp?! How did you even get up there- never mind.
How did Ancient Egypt Become United?
Ancient Egypt became united by a king called Narmer. For example, according to the social studies textbook, "Narmer was a king of Upper Egypt. About 3100 BC, he led his armies from the valley north into the delta. Narmer conquered Lower Egypt and married one of Lower Egypt's princesses, which unified the kingdoms." (McTighe). Narmer joined Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt together. They were both parts of Ancient Egypt, but they were two separate kingdoms at the time. For the first time, Ancient Egypt was ruled by one person. Considering Narmer was the first person to turn Upper and Lower Egypt into one kingdom, he was the one who united Ancient Egypt. This proves that Ancient Egypt was united by Narmer.
How did leadership affect the uniting of Ancient Egypt?
Leadership affected the uniting of Ancient Egypt because the leaders were the ones were the ones who organized the uniting. For example, according to the social studies textbook, "...he led his armies from the valley north into the delta. Narmer conquered Lower Egypt..." (McTighe). This shows that it was Narmer's decision to unite Upper and Lower Ancient Egypt. Without Narmer to tell them when to attack and how, Lower Egypt would never have been conquered. Narmer married a princess of Lower Egypt, and without him, they wouldn't have the marriage alliance. Leadership is how the Ancient Egyptians got their orders, and how they knew when to attack. If the leader wanted his warriors to stop trying to conquer Lower Egypt because he realized it was a war they could not win, he would have to tell them. If he didn't order them to stop attacking, they would keep attacking and they would all die. Therefore, leadership affected the uniting of Ancient Egypt because the leaders were the ones who organized the uniting.
How was Ancient Egypt governed?
Ancient Egypt was governed by one pharaoh who led both religion and politics. For example, according to ancient-Egyptian-facts.com, "Their leaders, who we call Pharaohs, were believed to be half-man and half-god" (Ancient Egypt Pharaoh Facts). The Ancient Egyptians were huge believers in religion, and had great faith in their gods. They worshipped their gods more than anything else. If they thought someone was half-god, they would worship them so the gods would not become angry with them. Being thought of as sent to Egypt by the gods, the pharaohs had a lot of power. Most Egyptians would immediately bow down to someone as their pharaoh if they thought they were half god. There was nobody better to lead their religion/worship of gods than someone who was half god! Also, according to the history textbook, "The Egyptians were fiercely loyal to the pharaoh because they believed that a strong ruler unified their kingdom" (McTighe). The Ancient Egyptians thought that their pharaohs were the reason Egypt was still surviving, so they wanted their pharaohs to remain powerful so Ancient Egypt would remain powerful. They probably thought that if they treated their pharaoh well, the pharaoh would make Egypt stronger. They figured that if the 'pharaoh being their leader' thing worked in the past, it would work again. Furthermore, according to ancientegypt.co.uk, "As 'Lord of the Two Lands' the pharaoh was the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt. He owned all of the land, made laws, collected taxes, and defended Egypt against foreigners." (Pharaoh: Lord of the Two Lands). Ancient Egypt was huge! If the pharaoh owned all that land, they would have so much power. The Ancient Egyptians knew that if they didn't treat the pharaoh as their ruler, the pharaoh could take away their land and money. The evidence above proves that Ancient Egypt was governed by one pharaoh who led both religion and politics.
How were religion and politics connected?
Religion and politics were connected in Ancient Egypt because the political leader, the pharaoh, was also their religious leader. For example, according to the social studies textbook, "Therefore, they developed a government under an all-powerful ruler who controlled both religious and political affairs." (McTighe). The pharaoh had power over both the Ancient Egyptians' religion, and their politics. Religion and politics were connected because the same person ran them both. The pharaoh could make decisions on their politics and decide how they worshipped their gods. The evidence above proves that religion and politics were connected in Ancient Egypt because the pharaoh was the political leader and the religious leader.
How did Ancient Egyptian rulers affect trade, business and conflict?
Ancient Egyptian rulers affected trade because they decided who to trade with and what to trade. For example, according to crystalinks.com, "She (Hatshepsut) oversaw the preparations and funding for a mission to the Land of Punt" (Hatshepsut). Hatshepsut was the pharaoh of Ancient Egypt at the time. The pharaoh decided to send her armies on a trading expedition to Punt. It was not the army's idea to go to Punt to trade for exotic items; it was Hatshepsut's idea. If a pharaoh ordered a trading expedition to take place, the Ancient Egyptians had to obey. Nobody could just go and trade things, because technically everything belonged to the pharaoh, so they needed the pharaoh's permission to trade. Therefore, Ancient Egyptian rulers affected trade because they decided who to trade with and what to trade.
Ancient Egyptian rulers affected business because they allowed everyone to have their own businesses and allowing citizens the resources to own businesses. For example, according to http://egypt.mrdonn.org/women/html, "Along with caring for her children, a woman could get a job if she wanted outside of home. Women could own a business. They could run a business." (Site was acting up, I couldn't find the author or article title). Many ancient civilizations didn't allow women to even take part in businesses! The pharaohs could pass a law if they wanted to that said women could not own businesses, but they chose not to. Egypt would be made stronger if women could have their own businesses/work in businesses because Egypt would have more products and services. Also, according to http://historylink101.com/n/egypt_1/a-pharaoh.htm, "The pharaoh had absolute political power. He made commands that became the law of the land" (Rymer). If the pharaoh wanted to take away a business's resources, they could, because they had complete power. That would affect business because that specific business would not be able to function. The evidence above proves that Ancient Egyptian rulers affected business because they gave everyone the opportunity to own a business and allowed the businesses to have resources.
Ancient Egyptian rulers affected conflict because they were in charge of all wars and battles. For example, according to http://www.ancientmilitary.com/ancient-egypt-military.htm, "If the threat was more substantial than a raid and the small garrisons couldn't handle it, the Pharaoh would respond with an army" (The Military of Ancient Egypt). This shows that the Ancient Egyptian pharaohs affected conflict because the pharaoh decided to attack. Small skirmishes near Ancient Egypt's borders didn't always call for a pharaoh's attention, but a huge attack by a neighboring civilization would need the pharaoh's attention. The pharaoh would have to decide where to place its troops, to send its whole army at once or leave some behind as reinforcements, to try to stop the battle through peaceful negotiations, etc. If a pharaoh made the wrong decision about a battle, it could lead to the defeat of Egypt's troops. In conclusion, Ancient Egyptian pharaohs affected conflict because they were in charge of the wars and battles.
Hatshepsut VS Catherine the Great
Both Hatshepsut and Catherine the Great were strong leaders. Hatshepsut was able to become pharaoh, despite being a woman, while Catherine the Great was able to unseat her husband on the throne. Hatshepsut was able to prove that gender didn't matter, while on the other hand, Catherine the Great tried to obtain equality for all in her country. While Hatshepsut ruled through peace and trade, Catherine the Great often expanded her country's borders and battled other kingdoms. The impact Hatshepsut had on her empire was making Ancient Egypt stronger through trade and peace, while Catherine the Great expanded Russia's territory to make them stronger. (Catherine II Biography).
Advantages and Disadvantages of Power
Sometimes the people in power use their power for their own needs, not the needs of everyone else. According to typepad.com, "Too much power makes it easy for impulsive, selfish leaders to pursue their own goals at the expense of the needs and well-being of others." (Rice). For example, a person with a lot of power could decide that they wanted to invade someone to get jewels for themselves. The war would be long and bloody with many deaths. They would be using their power to get jewels for themselves while countless people died in the process.
Also, another disadvantage of power is that if there was an uprising in a civilization, the rebels would want to kill the person in power. If it was a successful revolution, the monarch would die.
Also, in a monarchy, the people didn't have any say over who became their pharaoh. In the royal bloodline, the oldest son of the current pharaoh would be the heir to the throne. They could be crazy and it wouldn't matter- they would still have to become pharaoh. There wasn't any way to elect a new pharaoh- even if a pharaoh was demolishing Egypt. They would keep being the pharaoh.
Another disadvantage of power was that monarchs often had to have arranged marriages. Their parent, the current pharaoh, would decide who they married; the person would get little say.
Another important point about the disadvantages of power is that, according to typepad.com, "Those with too much power are resistant to feedback" (Rice). Someone who was a pharaoh would tend to think, "I am the pharaoh. I can do what I want to. I am thought to be half-god by my people, they will worship me and I will always make the right decisions." The pharaoh's advisers wouldn't dare criticize their decisions, they would say it was a great decision so as not to make the pharaoh mad. The pharaoh wouldn't get constructive feedback, so they would think that their decisions were perfect. This could lead to the pharaoh being over confident in their decision-making skills, and they would start making split-second decisions without their advisors giving them any advice.
While there are many disadvantages to power, there are some advantages. A person with power would be rich and have all the money, food, and servants they wanted. The pharaoh would never go hungry, and would not be poor.
Primary Source
This picture shows Ramses II about to smite (to hit somebody or something with a hard blow) Nubians. Nubians were some of his enemies. I noticed that the Libyans are tiny in comparison to Ramses II. It doesn't seem likely that all Nubians would be the size young children, so I have analyzed that the Nubians weren't that small. I think that the Ancient Egyptian artist made the Nubians look tiny compared to Ramses II to make them look helpless. Compared to the Nubians, Ramses II looks powerful! The artist wanted to make it clear that Ramses II had conquered the three Nubians in the painting, so they made him taller because people would think he was powerful, as people who conquer someone are often thought of as strong, or powerful. If Ramses II was the same height as the Nubians, it wouldn't be as clear that Ramses II had triumphed over them.
Also, I noticed that in the picture, there is nobody helping Ramses II slay the three Nubian prisoners. Ramses would probably need someone to subdue them, as the three prisoners could probably escape from just one person. The picture also doesn't show any chains or ropes trapping the Nubians. Based on this observations, I can tell that in the picture, the artist was trying to make it look like Ramses II was doing it all on his own. They tried to make him look independent and strong to show that the pharaoh was strong enough to deal with things on his own.
Therefore, I have learned a lot about power and leadership from this primary source. First of all, I learned that Ancient Egyptian pharaohs, or people with powerful positions, were often portrayed as superior to other people. Second of all, I learned that Ancient Egyptian pharaohs were supposed to be though of as independent, and often got all of the credit for things!