EGYPTIAN LITERATURE

FACTS, LITERATURES & DYNASTIES

Cairo

Capital of Egypt

Ancient Egypt

Civilization that lasted longer than any other in human history?

3000 years

Span of Ancient Egypt civilization.

Life after Death

Egyptian believes in the...?

Religion

System of concepts that are of importance to a certain community making statements concerning the supernatural or sacred; broader term.

Myth

one component or aspect of religion; associated with Greek myths and ancient greek religion.

River of Nile (Nile River)

Body of water which flows through harsh and arid desert.
Gave the civilization of Egypt its life.

Hieroglyphs

Writing system; mixtures of pictures and glyphs or symbols and was used for trading for goods.

Ancient Egypt

Ruled by 30 dynasties and Pharaohs; Egypt's Dynastic Period

Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt

Two Kingdoms dividing the Egypt

Lower Egypt

North part; richer kingdom and trade with the lands of Mediterranean sea

Upper Egypt

South part; very narrow strip of land to be cultivated while the rest of the land was dry desert

Nubia

People of Sudan

Early Dynasty (3100 - 2680)

Ruled by King Narmer who united the 2 kingdom

Old Kingdom (2680 - 2180)

3rd to 6th dynasty; Period of Structure/Building.
Best for the building of the great pyramids.

First Intermediate (2180 - 2055)

7th to 11th dynasty; Coffin text. At the end of this period, King Mentuhotep II regained the control over the whole egypt.

Middle Kingdom (2055 - 1650 BC)

12th to 14 dynasty; Golden Age
Ruled by Cleopatra and Time of Moses

Second Intermediate (1650 - 1550)

15th to 16th dynasty; Hyksos conquered the Lower Egypt

New Kingdom (1550 - 1069)

17th to 19 dynasty; Hyksos were driven out and Pharaohs regained over LE and UE.
Developed a very powerful civil service of Royal Officials.

Late Period (c. 1000 - 32 AD)

Egypt was divided again and by 700 BC; frequently invaded by Nubians who formed new dynasty.
Followed by Assyrians, Persians, Greek and lastly Romans

Ptolemy

Alexander the Great's General

Atum

First God

Shu

God of Air

Tefnut

Goddess of Moisture

Geb

God of Earth

Nut

Goddess of Sky

Osiris

Son of Geb and Nut; God of Underworld

Isis

Goddess of Magic; Mother of Horus

Seth

God of Evil, Desert and Storm; Husband of Nephthys

Nephthys

Goddess of Mourning and Death; Mother of Anubis

Horus

King of Egypt who killed God of Evil, Desert and Storm to get the crown of his Father

Egyptian

started the first culture to develop literature

The Book of the Death

Collection of Prayers; The greatest Literature
Extra ordinary collection of prayers, invocations, and religious formula

Religious Literature

Earliest body of text; hymns and spell sculptures at the walls of chambers in the pyramids (pyramid texts)

Tales

True or Fictional; narrative with beginning and ending made to be interesting and exciting with vivid details

Wisdom Literature

Maxims belong to the genre of didactic; Ptahhotep

Ptahhotep

Piece of advice for maintaining "social order"

Pessimistic Literature

undesirable outcome is anticipated from a given literature; The Dispute between a Man and his BA

BA

Soul

The Dispute between a Man and his BA

Piece presenting a conversation between a narrator and his soul on the difficulties of life and how one is supposed to live in it.

Love Songs

deals as an intense emotional experience felt by all.

Sister Without Peer

written in several parts as a dialog between a young man; first part was sung by the young man.

Richard Parkinsons

who quoted "greatest forgotten treasure of Ancient Egypt"?

Poetry

historical accounts and biographies inscribed on the insides of tomb often given idealized accounts of Egyptian life.
Gives real insight into human nature and its imperfections.

Pharaohs

ruler of egpyt that made laws and controlled the lands and its resources
believed that they are gods in the afterlife

Viziers

assistants; helper of pharaohs to govern
chief administrators of ancient egypt who oversaw the treasury and the court system, among other duties

Priests

powerful intellectual leaders; preserved the culture of the egyptian civilization, cared for the temples and officiated in the religious rituals and sacrifices to the many gods

Scribes

special class of literate professionals; performed important bureaucratic duties such as record keeping, tax accounting and the management of public works

Craftmen and Artists

Ancient Egypt produced many skilled painters, sculptors, metalworkers, potters, woodworkers, and shipbuilders
Worked in shops close to the palace of the pharaoh

Peasants

primarily responsible for growing crops; used to construct irrigation works, quarry stone and help build tombs and temples.

Slaves and Servants

Foreigners captured in war or traded to the egyptians; forced to work in the fields or perform hard labor and other worked as domestic servants