History of ancient Egypt

The history of the ancient Egypt is characterized by the incredible longevity of the institutions installation as of its beginning and which, although not having remained completely solidified, resisted the most turbid periods. At the top of these institutions is of course the Pharaon, king and only intermediary between the men and the gods, parking order against external chaos (invaders) or interior (social disorder).

Great periods of the ancient Egyptian history

The traditional old Egyptian history division is done per periods and dynasties. The relevance of this cutting which dates, in its broad outlines, of the historians of Antiquity (in particular of Manéthon), is currently called into question by the recent archaeological discoveries, but it has nevertheless the advantage of a relative simplicity. Nine great periods are generally considered:

The predynastic period

(approximately -5500 to -3150)

This period, still rather badly known, recovers times which preceded the unification by the country and the establishment of the first Pharaonic institutions. It begins with the sedentarisation of various tribes at the edge of the the Nile then the development of agriculture and the breeding at the end of the Neolithic .

Archaeological excavations made it possible to know several cultures of this period:

  • Mérimdé,
  • Badarien,
  • Nagada (Amratien), then V.

The end of this period is marked by the centralization of the capacity around two poles, in North and the South. The dynasty of the princes of the South, has which one generally allots the unification of the country, is indicated by the term of Dynastie 0.

The time thinite

(approximately -2920 to -2686)

Legendary the first Pharaon, known under the name of Narmer (or Ménès), thus founds it whose capital is established with This, not far from Abydos. Gradually, a royal administration with the national scales is organized. The country is divided into provinces directed by a royal civil servant. A new capital is founded with the southern point of the delta: Memphis. The king takes the title of Horus, in conformity with the legend of Osiris which legitimates their capacity.

Ancient Empire

(approximately -2686 to -2181)

The deification of the king is accentuated as its authority is reinforced. A central capacity extremely supported by a qualified administration allows the implementation of large building sites which exploit inactive labor at the time of the rising. Then begin the construction of the pyramid S, which reaches its apogee under with Gizeh (Gîza): Khéops (Khoufou), Khéphren (Khafré) and Mykérinos (Menkâouré).

This five centuries long period sees being born the Egyptian traditional literature which will be used as reference for the two millenia to come. The broad topics of bases are posed, as well in the letters as in sciences or arts like architecture, painting or the sculpture.

It is the time of the first pyramids. Initially the pyramid with degrees with Saqqarah under the reign of the Pharaon Djéser, then of the three pyramids of Snéfrou: pyramid with degrees of Meïdoum, pyramid known as rhomboïdale and pyramid " parfaite" of Daschour.

It is also about a period of territorial expansion with, towards -2650, the conquest of the Sinai by Djéser and towards -2300, the conquest of Nubie by Pépi {{Ier}}.

Another pyramid, dating from the last king from, is known because of the first religious texts, the Textes of the Pyramids that Gaston Maspero found there: that of Ounas.

The First intermediate period

The first intermediate period, although one relatively short duration (- 2181 to -2160) saw becoming fifteen kings in two dynasties (and). It will have important consequences on the religious design, and the nature of the royal capacity.

Average Empire

The Average Empire starts under the reign of Montouhotep {{Ier}}, but much consider that it starts under that of Montouhotep {{II}}, in -2060, under. The following dynasty will produce very famous kings. The Sésostris (most famous remaining Sésostris {{Ier}}, actually named Khéperkarê Senousret) and the Amenemhat (of which the known fort Amenemhat {{III}}). At the end of the will start second intermediate period.

The Second intermediate period

Period of occupation of the country by the Hyksôs.

New Empire

The New Empire is regarded as the most prosperous period of all the Egyptian history. It is one period of refinement and evolutions which is spread out over a little more than five centuries. The initiator is Ahmosis, first king of this time. Hunter of the Hyksôs (Indo-Europeans), it will set up the foundations of the Nouvel Empire in company of his/her mother Ahotep and his wife Ahmès-Néfertary. The Nouvel Empire covers one period going of surroundings -1500 to -1000 and is made of three dynasties: (- 1552 to -1292), (- 1292 to -1186) and (- 1186 to -1069).

It is one period which is characterized by a cultural and artistic revival, whose apogee will be the period amarnienne, which is explained partly by the opening of the country towards the outside world, like minor Asia, Crete or Hatti.}} It is of this time that we come some from most beautiful architectural testimonys (Temple of Louxor, falls from Séthi {{Ier}}, Ramesséum, Abou Simbel, etc).

The third intermediate period

Period of Syrian and Persian domination.

The Low time

The Low time is characterized by successive takeovers of foreign sovereigns intersected with short periods of independences. These sovereigns, although very different cultures, will adapt all to the Egyptian model and will respect its fundamental values. They will be indeed made proclaim Pharaon (except during the Persian period) and will choose a royal titulature copied on those of the former kings, some seeking even to turn over towards an architectural and lyric archaism straight resulting from the Ancien and Moyen Empire.

It starts with the reunification of the country by Piânkhy, which inaugurates the Ethiopian period. It will lose the control of the country after the Assyrian invasion which will leave deep wounds in the spirit of the Egyptians, Assyrian will plunder temples indeed and will burn certain cities. Not being able to manage the country, they will support the dynasty saïte of Libyan origin. Thereafter, Egypt will become a province, initially of the Persian empire, Greek , then Romains with between each, of short periods of independences.

End of civilization

The end of the Egyptian history varies according to the adopted point of view. It ends:

  • 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 religious point of view, with the conversion of the last Egyptian temple into church copte, the temple of Isis with Philae in 535.

Chronology

  • predynastic Period

  • Period thinite
  • Ancient Empire
  • {{intermediate Anger}} period
    • of Thèbes
  • Average Empire
    • of Thèbes
  • {{intermediate IIe}} period
  • New Empire
  • {{intermediate IIIe}} period
  • Low time
    • koushite
    • of Know
    • Persian
  • Persian Dynastie
  • Period Macedonian of Alexandre Large the
  • Dynastie of Ptolémées
  • Roman Dynastie

Chronological plank

  1. definition of the size of the plank
ImageSize = width: 800 height: 600 # cut total width, height PlotArea = width: 80% height: 70% left: 10% bottom: 20% # cut real plank DateFormat = yyyy # format of the date Period = from: - 3200 till: - 30 # period TimeAxis = orientation: horizontal # orientation (“vertical” or “horizontal”) ScaleMajor = links: year increment: 500 start: - 3200 # temporal increment
  1. definition of a variable as

example Define $dy = 40 Define $haut = 80 Define $moyen= 60 Define $bas = 40

Colors = id: Been worth Hyksôs: black legend: Hyksôs id: Persian been worth: green legend: Persia id: been worth Macedonian: blue legend: Macedonian id: gray been worth: Gray (0.7) BarData= bar: titrePériode barset: Periods bar: titreEvènements bar: Events bar: titreOccupations bar: Occupations PlotData=

  1. definition of the first bar

bar: titrePériode color: gray width: 20 align: center fontsize: S from: start till: end text: " Périodes"

barset: Periods color: red width: 25 mark: (line, white) align: center fontsize: S

  1. bar: Periods color: red width: 25 mark: (line, white) align: left fontsize: S
  1. temporal information (cf explanations on the orders)
from: start till: - 2920 text: predynastic from: - 2920 till: - 2700 text: thinite from: - 2700 till: - 2200 text: Ancient Empire from: - 2200 till: - 2022 text: {{intermediate Anger}} period from: - 2022 till: - 1650 text: Average Empire from: - 1650 till: - 1539 text: Egyptian intermediate period |{{Intermediate IIe}} period] #fontsize: XS from: - 1539 till: - 1070 text: New Empire from: - 1070 till: - 715 text: {{intermediate IIIe}} period from: - 715 till: - 30 text: Low time
  1. definition of the second bar, 15 pixels, blue

bar: titreEvènements color: gray width: 20 align: center fontsize: S from: start till: end text: " Évènements" bar: Events color: red width: 15 mark: (line, white) shift: (2,0) fontsize: S from: - 2700 till: - 2450 text: Pyramids from: - 1290 till: - 1310 text: Temple of Louxor
  1. definition of the third bar, 15 pixels, blue

bar: titreOccupations color: gray width: 20 align: center fontsize: S from: start till: end text: " Occupations"

bar: Occupations color: Hyksôs from: - 1674 till: - 1539 color: Persian from: - 525 till: - 404 color: Persian from: - 341 till: - 332 color: Macedonian from: - 332 till: - 305

Legend = orientation: horizontal position: bottom

See too

  • Chronologies compared of the Egyptian dynasties

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