Y OHANNIS ANCIENT EGYPT Pharaohs and Dynasties
Predynastic Dynasty Zozer Mastaba: 2600 Hieroglyphics: 2680 3000 Archaic 3000-2700 1-2 Old Kingdom 2700-2119 2500 3-10 First Intermediate Middle Kingdom 2119-1550 11-17 Pyramid of Cheops: 2500 Book of the Dead: 2100 Second Intermediate Temple of Djeser Djeseru: 1472 2000 1500 New Kingdom 1550-746 18-24 Third Intermediate Late 746-525 25-26 Persian 525-332 27-31 New god, Aten, promoted by Akenaten who builds a new capital at Amara: 1353 burial of Tutankhamon: 1323 the Ramasseum: 1278 Temple of Medinet Habu: 1194 Rosetta Stone: 196 1000 500 Ptolemaic 332-30 Roman 0 Narmer unites the kingdoms of Egypt: 3010 political construction literature and culture war and conquest Mentuhotep II reunites Egypt: 2020 Hyksos conquer the Delta: 1640 Ahmose defeats the Hyksos to reunite Egypt: 1550 female pharaoh, Hatshepsut, sends trade mission to Punt: 1460 Rameses II fights Hittites at at Kadesh: 1275 Thutmosis III wins battle of Meggido and conquers Syria: 1458 Eras and Dynasties defeat of the Sea People: 1188 Persian conquest: 525 Cleopatra VII becomes queen: 51 Babylonians defeat Egypt at Battle of Carchemish: 605 Assyrian invasion: 671 Christ in Egypt: 2
NARMER Reign: ca. 3030-3000 Dynasty: Founder of the 1 st Dynasty Narmer wearing the Red Crown of Lower Egypt Very few facts are known about this important pharaoh. However, it is generally thought that he was the first ruler to unite the numerous petty kingdoms along the River Nile to create the unified state of Egypt: In ca. 3010 Narmer ruled a large kingdom in Upper Egypt. The two main cities in this kingdom were Hierakonopolis and Abydos. After a series of political and military campaigns he imposed his rule on both Upper and Lower Egypt. To symbolise his control of the two kingdoms he adopted the double crown. His wife, a princess from Lower Egypt, was called Neithotep who bore him two sons, Hor Aha and Djer. His tomb, consisting of two chambers, was found in Abydos. the Narmer Palette ~ a stone carving showing Narmer wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt and smiting his foes with his mace the macehead of Narmer decorated with the hawk of Horus Founding Pharaohs a sacred baboon from the time of Narmer
Mentuhotep II wearing the Red Crown MENTUHOTEP II Reign: ca. 2046-1995 Dynasty: Founder of the 6 th Dynasty About 2050 Old Kingdom Egypt fell apart amidst civil strife. Mentuhotep II, by putting an end to this disunity, became the first pharaoh of the Middle Kingdom: In 2032 Mentuhotep reunited Egypt by putting down a revolt by the ruler of Hierakonopolis. He would expand Egyptian territories in Nubia and the coastal lands of Cannan. The wife of Mentuhotep was called Tem. After a reign of some fifty years Mentuhotep was buried an a large temple tomb. the temple tomb of Mentuhotep II Ahmosis I wearing the White Crown AHMOSIS I Founding Pharaohs Reign: ca. 1560 1537 Dynasty: Founder of the 18 th Dynasty After a period of internal disorder the land of Egypt was invaded by a people from the east called the Hyksos. They ruled over Lower Egypt for more than a century. Around 1550 Ahmosis I led a rebellion against the Hyksos and reunited the land. He became the first pharaoh of the New Kingdom: The family of Ahmosis had ruled the region around Thebes and had been in conflict with the Hyksos king, Apepi Awoserre. It seems Ahmosis father had been killed by the Hyksos. After a long struggle the Hyksos kingdom in the Nile Delta was overthrown. Ahmosis went on to fight campaigns in Nubia and Cannan. He would crush two revolts in Nubia. During the reign of Ahmosis great wealth in gold began to flow into Egypt. Ahmosis was the last pharaoh to be buried in a pyramid. battle axe of Ahmosis I
TUTHMOSIS III Reign: ca. 1479-1425 Dynasty: 6 th Pharaoh of the 18 th Dynasty statue of Tuthmosis III Tuthmosis is considered the greatest military commander of ancient Egypt. His victory at Megiddo and other campaigns show him to be a capable strategists and a ruthless warrior: Tuthmosis came to the throne at a very young age. His step mother, Hatshepsut, acted as regent for the young king, but gradually assumed the role of a pharaoh herself. Only after her death did Tuthmosis rule in his own right. Around 1458 a revolt led by a Syrian prince of the city of Kadesh and his allies threatened to overturn Egyptian influence in the region. Tuthmosis, at great risk, led an army to the rebel town of Megiddo where he won a great victory over the rebel army and took the town. For the remainder of his reign Tuthmosis would led armies into Syria to expand Egyptian power. In 1437 Kadesh itself was captured. By the time of his death Tuthmosis had forged a large empire. Tuthmosis also led many campaigns into Nubia. Tuthmosis built numerous temples. On the wall of these temples reliefs and inscriptions were carved depicting his many campaigns. Tuthmosis had several wives, but his main queen was Hatshepsut-Merytre. Temple of Esna sacred to the ram god, Khnum built by Tuthmosis III a relief depicting Tuthmosis destroying his Syrian enemies at the Battle of Megiddo Warrior Pharaohs
Ramasses the Great RAMASSES II Reign: ca. 1279-1213 Dynasty: 3 rd Pharaoh of the 19 th Dynasty Ramasses II is often called Ramasses the Great. During his reign he waged many campaigns to protect Egyptian influence in Syria and the Mediterranean Sea: Ramasses began his reign by building a new capital, Pi Ramasses, as well a numerous temples and monuments. One of the most famous of these is cliff side temple at Abu Simbel. In 1277 he defeated a piratical people called the Sherden. After taking a Sherden fleet in a well planned ambush he spared many of them and incorporated them into his armies. After years of indecisive fighting in Syria Ramasses launched a major attack against the Hittite emperor, Muwatallis. At the town of Kadesh in 1275 he and his army blundered into an ambush and were nearly destroyed. However, after a courageous stand, Ramasses was able to rescue his forces and withdraw. War with the Hittites continued for the next two decades, but neither empire could gain the upper hand. Recognising the inevitable Ramasses and the Hittite emperor, Hattusili III, made a peace treaty in 1258. With peace in Syria Ramasses was able to divert his attention to the regions of Libya and Nubia. Several campaigns in this area enabled him to expand his territories further. The wife of Ramasses II was called Nefertari. the cliff side Temple of Abu Simbel with the huge seated colosses of Ramasses II a modern rendition of a relief depicting Ramasses in Syria the Hittite-Egyptian Peace Treaty Warrior Pharaohs Nefertari, wife of Ramasses II adoring the goddess, Hathor
statue of Hatshepsut HATSHEPSUT Reign: ca. 1479-1458 Dynasty: 5 th Pharaoh of the 18 th Dynasty The laws and the customs and ancient made it difficult for a women to become pharaoh. Yet some did. One, Hatshepsut, was one of the wisest and most capable rulers of ancient Egypt: In 1479 the throne passed to the child, Tuthmosis III, but as there was no male to act as regent for the young pharaoh his step mother, Hatshepsut, took on the role. Hatshepsut soon moved to sideline the young king and established herself as a pharaoh in her own right. She even had statues carved depicting her wearing the male regalia of a pharaoh such as the false beard. Hatshepsut carried out some military campaigns in Nubia and in the Mediterranean Sea, but most of her reign was peaceful. She took great interest in trade and exploration. Several great trade missions with large merchant ships were sent to the land of Punt to obtain valuable products such as myrrh, frankincense, fragrant resins, gold, slaves, ebony, blackwood and ivory. Trading agreements were established with the rulers of Punt. the Temple of Djeser Djeseru the sphinx of Hatshepsut wearing the beard of a pharaoh An ink trace of one of the reliefs from Hatshepsut s temple, Djeser Djeseru, depicting two of the trading ships from the expedition to Punt Hatshepsut was also a prolific builder. Her temple, Djeser Djeseru, is probably the most elegant of Egyptian buildings. The husband of Hatshepsut was her brother, Tuthmosis II, but after his early death she may have taken a paramour, Senenmut, by whom she had a daughter. the obelisk of Hatshepsut Queens of Egypt
Cleopatra VII CLEOPATRA VII a coin depicting Cleopatra Reign: 51-30 Dynasty: Last Pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt During the Late Period the Kingdom of Egypt went into a long and slow decline as a military power. It was invaded and conquered, first by the Assyrians, then by the Persians and finally, in 332, fell under Greek dominion. The Greek family that ruled Egypt as pharaohs were called the Ptolemies. The last pharaoh of this dynasty was the legendary queen, Cleopatra VII Philopator: Cleopatra was originally married to her brother, Ptolemy XII, with whom she shared the throne. However, after bitter feuding she was driven into exile. In 48 Julius Caesar, dictator of Rome, arrived in Egypt. Cleopatra gained his good will and was restored to power. Ptolemy was drowned in the River Nile. Julius Caesar and Cleopatra became lovers and had a son, Caesarion. In 47 and 44 Cleopatra visited Rome to press the claims of Caesarion as the heir of Julius Caesar. She had little success and after the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 she returned to rule Egypt with her son. In the conflicts that followed the assassination two men emerged dominate to divide the Roman Empire: Mark Anthony and Octavian. Egypt fell within the sphere allotted to Antony. Cleopatra visited him in 42 and became his lover. A war broke out between Antony and Octavian in 36 that was decided by a great naval battle at Actium in 31. In this battle the fleet of Antony and Cleopatra was destroyed and they fled to Egypt. To avoid capture Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide in 30. actress, Elizabeth Taylor, as the tragic queen and lover, Cleopatra Cleopatra fleets from the battle of Actium in a painting by Lorenzo Castro, 1672 black basalt statue of Cleopatra as a divine goddess Queens of Egypt
AKHENATEN Reign: ca. 1351-1334 Dynasty: 10 th Pharaoh of the 18 th Dynasty TUTANKHAMUN Reign: ca. 1333-1323 Dynasty: 12 th Pharaoh of the 18 th Dynasty Originally called Amenhotep, this Akhenaten pharaoh renamed himself Akhenaten which meant the Effective Spirit of Aten. The reason for this change was that Akhenaten tried to introduce a new monotheistic religion based on the worship of the sun or Aten: To promote this new religion Akhenaten built a new capital called Amarna with temples to Aten. His religious heresy provoked unrest amongst the people and powerful priests of Egypt. There were also increasing tension along the borders of the Egyptian Empire as people such as the Hittites expanded their influence. The main wife of Akhenaten was woman called Nefertiti by whom he had several daughters. After his death the temples and new religion were destroyed. Nefertiti, main wife to Akhenaten Akhenaten, Nefertiti and two of their daughters adoring the solar disk of Aten The famous death mask of Tutankhamun Heretical and Reactionary Tutankhamun is the most famous of the pharaohs of Egypt, but historically, he is not a significant figure. His fame is due to the discovery of his tomb in 1923 by the archaeologist, Howard Carter. The rich treasures in the tomb fascinated the world: Almost nothing is known of Tutankhamun s reign, but it was at this time that the heresy of Akhenaten was destroyed. The wife of Tutankhamun was called Ankhesenpaaten. Tutankhamun died in his late teens from causes unknown. gold statue of Tutankhamun fishing from a skiff