pharaohs

(noun)

A ruler in ancient Egypt. 

Examples of pharaohs in the following topics:

  • The New Kingdom

    • It was ruled by pharaohs Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, Akhenaten, Tutankhamun and Ramesses II.
    • The Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasties (1292-1069 BCE) are also known as the Ramesside period, after the eleven pharaohs that took the name of Ramesses.
    • It was also during the reign of Thutmose III that the term "pharaoh," originally referring to the king's palace, became a form of address for the king.
    • The last "great" pharaoh from the New Kingdom is widely regarded to be Ramesses III.
    • The power of the last pharaoh of the dynasty, Ramesses XI, grew so weak that, in the south, the High Priests of Amun at Thebes became the de facto rulers of Upper Egypt.

  • The Third Intermediate Period

    • Consequently, the Amun priests were as powerful as the Pharaoh, if not more so.
    • In Thebes, a civil war engulfed the city between the forces of Pedubast I, a self-proclaimed pharaoh.
    • In 656 BCE, Psamtik I (last of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty kings) occupied Thebes and became pharaoh, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt.
    • Pharaoh Psamtik III succeeded his father, Ahmose II, only six months before he had to face the Persian Empire at Pelusium.
    • With the Saite kings exterminated, Camybes assumed the formal title of Pharaoh.

  • Ancient Egyptian Religion

    • The pharaoh's role was to sustain the gods in order to maintain order in the universe.
    • The pharaoh was associated with Horus (and later Amun) and seen as the son of Ra.
    • This myth set the Pharaohs, and their succession, as orderliness against chaos.
    • Nobles did receive tombs and grave gifts from the pharaoh.
    • They were both mortuary temples to serve deceased pharaohs and temples for patron gods.

  • Ancient Egyptian Monuments

    • Most were placed west of the Nile, to allow the pharaoh's soul to join with the sun during its descent.
    • It is believed the face is meant to represent the Pharaoh Khafra.
    • It is believed to have been built during the reign of Pharaoh Khafra (2558-2532 BCE).
    • Pharaohs were in charge of caring for the gods, and they dedicated massive resources to this task.
    • About 30 pharaohs contributed to the buildings, creating an extremely large and diverse complex.

  • The Decline of Ancient Egypt

    • Native Egyptian rulers were installed but could not retain control of the area, and former Pharaoh Taharqa seized control of southern Egypt for a time, until he was defeated again by the Assyrians.
    • In 525 BCE, the Persians, led by Cambyses II, invaded Egypt, capturing the Pharaoh Psamtik III.

  • Ancient Egyptian Trade

    • Pharaoh Sahure, of the Fifth Dynasty, is known to have sent ships to Lebanon to import cedar, and to the Land of Punt for myrrh, malachite, and electrum.
    • An ancient form of the Suez Canal is believed to have been started by Pharaoh Senusret II or III of the Twelfth Dynasty, in order to connect the Nile River with the Red Sea.

  • Nubia and Ancient Culture

    • It is believed, based on rock art, that Nubian rulers and early Egyptian pharaohs used similar royal symbols.
    • Some Egyptian pharaohs were of Nubian origin, especially during the Kushite Period, although they closely followed the usual Egyptian methods of governing.

  • Ancient Egyptian Art

    • The regalia of the pharaoh symbolized his or her power to rule and maintain the order of the universe.
    • This meant gods or the pharaoh were usually bigger than other figures, followed by figures of high officials or the tomb owner; the smallest figures were servants, entertainers, animals, trees and architectural details.
    • Large statues of deities (other than the pharaoh) were not common, although deities were often shown in paintings and reliefs.
    • About 30 pharaohs contributed to the buildings, creating an extremely large and diverse complex.

  • The Middle Kingdom

    • From the Twelfth dynasty onward, pharaohs often kept well-trained standing armies, which formed the basis of larger forces raised for defense against invasion, or for expeditions up the Nile or across the Sinai.
    • Amenemhet I never held the absolute power commanded, in theory, by the Old Kingdom pharaohs.

  • The Second Intermediate Period

    • With the creation of the Eighteenth Dynasty around 1550 BCE, the New Kingdom period of Egyptian history began with Ahmose I, its first pharaoh, who completed the expulsion of the Hyksos from Egypt and placed the country, once again, under centralized administrative control.
    • Thebes was the capital of many of the Sixteenth Dynasty pharaohs.