Ancient Egypt Study Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering the geography, deities, prominent pharaohs, and core myths of Ancient Egypt from 3000 BCE to 30 BCE.

Nile River

A river measuring about $700\text{ miles}$ long in Egypt, beginning in Central Africa, that floods annually to deposit rich black soil for agriculture and serves as a route for boat travel and trade.

Polytheistic

The belief in many gods, which was practiced by the ancient Egyptians.

Ra

The Egyptian Sun God and ruler of all gods, believed to die each night and be reborn every morning; later known as Amun-Ra.

Osiris

The God of the Underworld who was murdered by Set and later ruled that his son Horus should be given the throne.

Isis

The Egyptian goddess of healing and magic.

Anubis

The jackal-headed god of death, the afterlife, and mummification who was the first to mummify Osiris.

Pharaoh

The title given to kings and queens of Egypt, regarded as half-man and half-god; the term originated from the Greeks around $1450\text{ BCE}$.

Pepi II

The youngest recorded Egyptian king, who began his rule at age $6$.

Hatshepsut

A female pharaoh ($1478\text{--}1458\text{ BCE}$) who became ruler at age $12$, often had herself portrayed as a man in art, built Deir el-Bahri, sent trading expeditions for gold and spices, and died of a snake bite.

Deir el-Bahri

The famous temple built by Pharaoh Hatshepsut.

Tutankhamun

Pharaoh ($1332\text{--}1323\text{ BCE}$) who took the throne at age $9$, died at age $19$, ended the worship of Aten, restored the old gods, moved the capital back to Thebes, and had an almost undisturbed tomb.

Ramses II

Pharaoh ($1279\text{--}1213\text{ BCE}$) who assumed the throne at age $25$, lived to age $90$, fought a major battle ending in a tie, and constructed the Ramesseum, Abu Simbel, and Pi-Ramesses.

Abu Simbel

A temple site constructed by Ramses II featuring $4$ massive statues measuring $66\text{ feet}$ tall.

Pi-Ramesses

A new capital city built by Pharaoh Ramses II.

Cleopatra VII

The final pharaoh of Egypt ($51\text{--}30\text{ BCE}$), fluent in up to $8$ languages, who reclaimed power with Julius Caesar's assistance, fell in love with Mark Antony, and reformed the economy.

Nun

The primordial dark water or nothingness that existed prior to the emergence of Ra in the Egyptian creation myth.

Set

The god who seized the throne after killing Osiris and fought Horus in an $80\text{-year}$ war for control.

Horus

The son of Osiris who fought Set for over $80\text{ years}$ and was declared king of the gods by Osiris.

Rhodopis

A Greek slave girl known as the Egyptian Cinderella whose red slipper was taken by a falcon (Horus), dropped in the Pharaoh's lap, and led to her becoming queen.