Although one can temporally define the ancient Egypt like the period of the Egyptian history energy of the invention of the writing at the end of the Antiquité, this concept refers more particularly to the civilization which lived on the edges of the the Nile during this period of almost four thousand years of History. Gathering of the Egyptian tribes which created the first Pharaonic empire until its collapse at the beginning of the Christian era, ancient Egypt was the theater of major events which deeply influenced the culture of most of the people of Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

History

It is towards the end of the Neolithic that tribes start to gather in the fertile valley of the Nile, to lead to the constitution of two kingdoms politically distinct but narrowly bound by a common culture: the High-Egypt, with the south, and the Low-Egypt, in north (the Nile runs South towards North, from where these names). The tradition allots to the kingdom south the unification of the country (which becomes thus the first state of the world) and the establishment of the first Pharaonic institutions (by the Pharaon Narmer, think of many specialists).

The history division of Egypt in great periods and thirty and one dynasties is inherited the priest-historian Manéthon III E, even if the former Egyptians did not make this distinction: for them monarchy was continual.

  • predynastic Period: period preceding the unification by the country;

  • Period thinite: first Pharaonic dynasties (This capital, close to Abydos);
  • Ancient Empire: regarded by the former Egyptians themselves as the Golden age of their civilization with, amongst other things, the construction of the largest pyramids;
  • {{intermediate Anger}} period: period of political instability and parcelling out of the country in two rival kingdoms;
  • Average Empire: period ostentation, stable and of great artistic activity;
  • {{intermediate IIe}} period: period of serious disorders, occupation of the country by the Hyksôs, release of the country by Amosis;
  • New Empire: the most prosperous period of all the Egyptian history; it is characterized by a cultural and artistic revival whose apogee is reached with and S; it is the time of the Thoutmôsis, of the Amenhotep (in Greek: Aménophis) and of the Ramessides (of which Ramsès {{II}});
  • {{intermediate IIIe}} period: civil period of war, king-priests, Libyan domination then Ethiopian (Kingdom of Koush), Assyrian invasion;
  • Low time: dynasty saïte, Persian occupation, last dynasties autochtones then hellenistic domination (Alexandre, the Ptolémées).

The end of the ancient Egyptian history varies according to the adopted point of view. It is completed:

  • from an ethnological point of view, with died of the last indigenous Pharaon, Nectanébo {{II}} into -343;
  • from a political point of view, with died of the last autonomous sovereign, Ptolémée {{XV}} Césarion into -30;
  • from a cultural point of view, during the conversion of the last Egyptian temple into church copte, the temple of Isis with Philae in 535 (closing in 551).

Summarized history

See also: History of ancient Egypt

Pharaonic Egypt during its 3000 years of history is not a business of geographical borders. From this point of view she knew many situations by having the Nubie first of all then moving towards the Middle East before regressing in a general way during the Low Time. However one cannot deny that certain geographical characters are inseparable from the Egyptian identity. Thus the the Nile modelled the lifestyle and the age of Egypt.

One can rather observe that great principles were maintained throughout the history of Egypt. There always was a central capacity extremely in the person of the king. When this one became weak one assisted with crises like the first intermediate period with died of Pépi {{II}} where simultaneously several families reign. The system where all the capacities were held by the Pharaon evolved/moved. It became more and more complex in an important administration. Under Sésostris {{III}}, the function of vizier was duplicated to ensure a better management. But for all this time the Pharaonic institution was maintained even at the time of the foreign dominations. This one indeed gave a legitimacy to the capacity in place.

It is not by chance if the Hyksôs, the Perses, Alexandre Large the then his Greek generals were made appoint Pharaon. The fact of following the antique habit conferred a legitimacy compared to the Egyptians to them. The same idea is valid for all the dynasties resulting from Egypt, the function of Pharaon refers to a dominating symbol. Indeed the dynasties were not followed by filiation. The state of Pharaon allows the reduction of this family ditch. Thus Ramsès {{Ier}} before being crowned was a general and viceroy.

But perhaps this unit in the design of the capacity would not have lasted as much if the function of Pharaon did not return to a spiritual ideal. The Pharaon is a bond between the terrestrial one and the divine one. Its function is not limited to temporal, it is the first priest of Egypt. Of course, on the historical level, it is not so simple. Thus one could see the rupture with the Period amarnienne or the progressive takeover during the centuries of the clergy of Amon. But for the Pharaons having a reality capacity, their functions made the guarantors of the divine one of them. Once again it is a kind of legitimacy.

Geography

See also: Geography of ancient Egypt

The geography of ancient Egypt, from a climatic point of view, is rather close to that of the contemporary Egypt. Egypt is a country with the semi-desert climate whose only fertile band on both sides of the Nile, the delta and some scattered oases, are specific to the human establishment. The remainder is covered by the libyque desert in the west, the Arabic desert in the east and the the Sinai in the North-East. The “traditional” borders of ancient Egypt are rather similar to the borders of modern Egypt. Thus, in the Ancient Empire, the country is delimited in north by the the Mediterranean, in the south by the first Cataracte of the Nile, in the west by the libyque desert and the east by the Red Sea and the desert of the Sinai. The Egyptian territory was cut out in administrative areas, the name, which were controlled, in the name of Pharaon, by Nomarque S.

Agriculture

See also: Agriculture in ancient Egypt

There exists an astonishing paradox between the image which the Egyptians of Antiquity had of their agriculture and the image that had some the foreign visitors. Thus, whereas the scribes depict the trade of farmer like more harassing and ungrateful of manual work, the Greek travellers like Hérodote and Diodore of Sicily extasiaient themselves in front of this ground where the plants seemed to push without much effort.

Populate

See also: Origin of the former Egyptians

The origin of the first Egyptians makes debate, of many theories were advanced on this subject.

Political organization

See also: Political organization of ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt is a Théocratie. Much more than one king, the Pharaon was at the same time the principal administrator, the chief of the armies, the first magistrate and the supreme priest of the Egypt. Indeed, Pharaon had a mission to fill: to implement the rule of Maât on the Earth; i.e. to ensure the harmony enters the men and the sky, being guaranteeing of the morals of its people, thus contributing to ensure its eternity.

Egyptian art

See also: Art of ancient Egypt

The Art of ancient Egypt is characterized by an idea of order: clear and simple lines, associated with simple forms and flat tints of color. The artists used perpendicular, vertical and horizontal lines, to form a squaring and to give correct proportions to their work. Art reflected the social, religious and political importance. The height of the characters depended for example on their role in the company: most important were largest - there was in addition no prospect. The Pharaon is thus always represented like largest of the men; and the same the gods are more or less imposing according to whether they are considered more or less powerful.

See also:

Mythology and Egyptian religion

See also: Egyptian Mythology, Egyptian Religion

The Egyptians of Antiquity sought to interpret all the phenomena which they could observe by the prism of their secular belief. The most important concept for them is that of cycle:

  • the cycle of the day with the reappearing sun each morning,
  • the cycle of the years with the annual flood which could cause joy like misfortunes (in the event of too weak or too strong rising of the Nile),
  • the cycle of the life with the births which succeed deaths.

See also:

  • Egyptian Gods;
  • Egyptian Concepts.

Science of ancient Egypt

See also: Science of ancient Egypt

The science of ancient Egypt enjoys a great prestige since old times. It shows the high degree of development of this civilization and the extent as of this knowledge.

Ancient Egypt in arts

Structure

  • Egyptian House , place of Cairo with Paris, built in 1805 and whose frontage takes again an Egyptian plank and heads.

  • Egyptian Hall with London in 1812.

Painting

Music

Literature

One does not count any more the number impressing of novels whose topic is ancient Egypt; let us quote simply:

See also: Romance on ancient Egypt classified by author, Romance on ancient Egypt classified by titles

In Cartoon one can quote:

Cinema

Roleplays

  • Egypt: 1156 av. J. - C. the royal enigma of the tomb ; © 1997 Meeting of the National museums, Canal+ Multi-media, Cryo Interactive;

  • Kémi, ground Adventures of Egypt ;
  • GURPS Egypt ; Thomas Mr. Kane, Editor: Steve Jackson Ranges, 1998, language: English (original version);
  • Égyptis , free online game in which you incarnate an Egyptian of Antiquity living at the rate/rhythm of the Nile.

References

Random links:Claude Lelouch | The Community of communes of Bas-Chablais | Sittelle torchepot | Ratte | Er-Rich