the key individuals, power, and leadership of ancient Egypt
Talking With King Tutankhamen
Emmy: Today, I am here in Ancient Egypt for an interview with King Tutankhamen, or more commonly known as King Tut. So, King Tut, how are you today?
King Tutankhamen: I am fine, Emmy. I am happy to be here today so that you can do what you call an "interview" for your "website".
Emmy: So, King Tut, I have a list of questions that I would like to ask you. So, I will probably just ask you the questions, one by one, and then record you answers to the questions. Is that all right with you?
King Tutankhamen: Yes, Emmy, that is fine.
Emmy: All right then, let us begin. First question: What achievements do you think that you have accomplished while you have been the pharaoh of Egypt?
King Tutankhamen: I believe that while I have been pharaoh, I have accomplished many things. I have changed the religion back to worshiping only the almighty god, Ra (Or Re). I have built at Karnak, Thebes, Memphis, and at Luxor I have continued the construction of the entrance colonnades at Amenhotep III's temple. I have created a small temple in Nubia, and I have moved the capitol of Egypt to Memphis.
Emmy: What do you believe that you are known for in Egypt?
King Tutankhamen: I believe that in Egypt, I am known for myself being "The Boy Pharaoh". I started ruling Egypt when I was only 9 years old!
Emmy: What is your personal life like?
King Tutankhamen: Well, like I said before, I started ruling Egypt when I was 9, and I got married to my half sister Ankhesenamun the same year. We had two children together, but they both stillborn.
Emmy: Have you made any important decisions in your time as pharaoh in Egypt?
King Tutankhamen: Yes, I tried to create better relationships with Egypt's neighbors, I moved the capitol of Egypt to Memphis, and I have restored the religious order, that my father took away, so that the gods would once again look favorably on Egypt.
Emmy: What impact have you had the Egypt's empire?
King Tutankhamen: In addition to what I just told you, I had the holy sites repaired, continued construction at the temple of Karnak, and finished the red granite lions at Soleb.
Emmy: Well, that's all of my questions. Thank you so much for letting me interview you for my website!
King Tutankhamen: Gladly.
Talking with with Amenhotep IV
Emmy: Today, I am here in Ancient Egypt for an interview with Amenhotep IV. How are you doing today, Amenhotep?
Amenhotep: I prefer to be called Akhenaten. But I am fine, thank you for asking.
Emmy: Sorry, Amen- ...I mean, Akhenaten. So, Akhenaten, I have a list of questions that I am going to ask you, and then I will just record your answers to the questions. Is that alright with you?
Akhenaten: Yes, that is fine.
Emmy: OK, then. First question on the list- What do you feel have been your achievements in your time as pharaoh of Egypt?
Akhenaten: In my time as pharaoh of Egypt, I feel as if I have accomplished many things. I moved Egypt's capitol, I changed the religion, and I changed the style of art.
Emmy: What do you think that you are known for in Egypt?
Akhenaten: I think that I am mostly known for changing the religion of Egypt. Before I ruled over Egypt, there was many gods that the people of Egypt worshiped. But I changed that so that there was only one god- Aten, the sun itself.
Emmy: What is you personal life like?
Akhenaten: Well, I am married to my cousin, the beautiful Nefertiti, and we have had 6 children together, all daughters. I also have a son, Tutankhamen, to whom Nefertiti is not the mother of.
Emmy: Did you make any important decisions in your time so far as pharaoh of Egypt?
Akhenaten: Yes. Like I said before, I changed the religion of Egypt, I changed the location of the capitol of Egypt, and I changed the style of art.
Emmy: What impact have you had on the empire of Egypt?
Akhenaten: Like I just mentioned, I changed the religion of Egypt, I changed the location of the capitol, and I changed the style of art.
Emmy: Well, that wraps up all my questions. Thank you for letting me interview you!
Akhenaten: Anytime, I enjoyed doing this.
Emmy: Today, I am here in Ancient Egypt for an interview with Amenhotep IV. How are you doing today, Amenhotep?
Amenhotep: I prefer to be called Akhenaten. But I am fine, thank you for asking.
Emmy: Sorry, Amen- ...I mean, Akhenaten. So, Akhenaten, I have a list of questions that I am going to ask you, and then I will just record your answers to the questions. Is that alright with you?
Akhenaten: Yes, that is fine.
Emmy: OK, then. First question on the list- What do you feel have been your achievements in your time as pharaoh of Egypt?
Akhenaten: In my time as pharaoh of Egypt, I feel as if I have accomplished many things. I moved Egypt's capitol, I changed the religion, and I changed the style of art.
Emmy: What do you think that you are known for in Egypt?
Akhenaten: I think that I am mostly known for changing the religion of Egypt. Before I ruled over Egypt, there was many gods that the people of Egypt worshiped. But I changed that so that there was only one god- Aten, the sun itself.
Emmy: What is you personal life like?
Akhenaten: Well, I am married to my cousin, the beautiful Nefertiti, and we have had 6 children together, all daughters. I also have a son, Tutankhamen, to whom Nefertiti is not the mother of.
Emmy: Did you make any important decisions in your time so far as pharaoh of Egypt?
Akhenaten: Yes. Like I said before, I changed the religion of Egypt, I changed the location of the capitol of Egypt, and I changed the style of art.
Emmy: What impact have you had on the empire of Egypt?
Akhenaten: Like I just mentioned, I changed the religion of Egypt, I changed the location of the capitol, and I changed the style of art.
Emmy: Well, that wraps up all my questions. Thank you for letting me interview you!
Akhenaten: Anytime, I enjoyed doing this.
Powerful Women
Queen Hatsheput was a powerful and great pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She was the first recorded women pharaoh in all of history. Hatsheput's father, Tuthmose I, had ruled over Egypt before her, and after he died Hatsheput's half brother, Tuthmose II, took over the throne. Hatsheput then married her half brother so that she would also be ruling over Egypt. After 14 years of ruling, Tuthmose II died and Hatsheput took full gain of the throne. To make the people of Egypt more excepting of a women pharaoh, she dressed in men's clothes, wore the fake beard that men wore, and had all statues of her be of male figure. This indeed won the people of Egypt over. But after 21 years of ruling Egypt (including the ones that she shared with Tuthmose II), Hatsheput's stepson took over the throne and Hatsheput disappeared.
Another powerful ruler was Cleopatra VII. Cleopatra VII came from a long line of pharaohs from the Ptolemaic Dynasty during Ancient Egypt. Cleopatra VII's father, known as Ptolemy XII, had 6 children including Cleopatra. When Cleopatra was younger, her siblings and herself often fought about who would receive the throne once their father no longer ruled. But due to Cleopatra's personality and intelligence, it was Cleopatra VII who ended up ruling over Egypt.
Queen Hatsheput was a powerful and great pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She was the first recorded women pharaoh in all of history. Hatsheput's father, Tuthmose I, had ruled over Egypt before her, and after he died Hatsheput's half brother, Tuthmose II, took over the throne. Hatsheput then married her half brother so that she would also be ruling over Egypt. After 14 years of ruling, Tuthmose II died and Hatsheput took full gain of the throne. To make the people of Egypt more excepting of a women pharaoh, she dressed in men's clothes, wore the fake beard that men wore, and had all statues of her be of male figure. This indeed won the people of Egypt over. But after 21 years of ruling Egypt (including the ones that she shared with Tuthmose II), Hatsheput's stepson took over the throne and Hatsheput disappeared.
Another powerful ruler was Cleopatra VII. Cleopatra VII came from a long line of pharaohs from the Ptolemaic Dynasty during Ancient Egypt. Cleopatra VII's father, known as Ptolemy XII, had 6 children including Cleopatra. When Cleopatra was younger, her siblings and herself often fought about who would receive the throne once their father no longer ruled. But due to Cleopatra's personality and intelligence, it was Cleopatra VII who ended up ruling over Egypt.
The Pyramid of Unas
Below is a picture of some of the hieroglyphics that archaeologists found inside of Unas's pyramid.
Below is a picture of some of the hieroglyphics that archaeologists found inside of Unas's pyramid.
King Unas was the first pharoah in Ancient Egypt to use hieroglyphics inside his pyramid. The hieroglyphics reflected on the Egyptian vision of the Afterlife, and the entire backround of the Old Kingdom religious and social structures. The Hieroglyphics also praisied King Unas and talked about what a magnificent king he was. This shows that the Ancient Egyptians respected their Pharaohs very well, and that they were usually quite fond of them.
Q&A with A&E
Abby: Emmy, how did Egypt become united?
Emmy: Ancient Egypt used to be divided into two kingdoms- the upper half of Egypt was one kingdom, and the lower half of Egypt was the other. The first real pharaoh of Egypt united the two kigdoms into one.
Abby: How did leadership affect the uniting of Egypt?
Emmy: The first pharaoh united the upper and lower half of Egypt together, so leadership affected the uniting of Egypt by being the cause.
Abby: How was Egypt governed?
Emmy: Egypt was governed by a form of government called theocracy. This means that Egypt was run by a group of religous leaders.
Abby: How was religion and politics connected?
Emmy: Since Egypt's government was made up of religious leaders, the politics in Ancient Egypt were connected to the religion.
Abby: How did ancient Egyptian rulers affect trade, buisness, and conflict?
Emmy: The ancient Egyptian rulers affected trade, buisness, and conflict by either promoting or not promoting it. If your ruler didn't promote trade, then you would not particapate in trade.
Abby: Emmy, I have been thinking. What would the advantages and disadvantages be of power?
Emmy: Good question, Abby. I think that the advantages of power is that you would be able to do great things with the power like help stop world wars or using the power in other good ways to help the world, your country, or even just your city. But I think some disadvantages of power would be that the amount of power might either overwhelm you so that you can't deal with it, or just that you might make the wrong decisions with the power.
Abby: Thanks, Emmy. You answered all my questions on the Key Individuals, Power, and Leadership of Ancient Egypt!
Emmy: No problem, Abby.