History of Egyptian pharaohs and Ancient Egypt overall exciting and mysterious. And the deeds of the great Egyptian rulers are truly grandiose. This time is the time of great campaigns and large-scale constructions that glorified ancient Egyptian culture for thousands of years and became an example and basis for innovative ideas of our time.
A little about dynasties
The term "dynasty" itself was used by the Greeks to refer to the rulers of United Egypt. In total, there are 31 dynasties of Egyptian pharaohs for all periods of the existence of the state before the Greco-Roman one. They do not have names, but are numbered.
- In the Early Dynastic period there are 7 rulers of the 1st dynasty, 5 of the 2nd.
- In the Ancient Egyptian kingdom there were 5 pharaohs of the 3rd dynasty, 6 of the 4th, 8 of the 5th, 4 of the 6th.
- In the First Transitional Period, there were 23 representatives in the 7-8th dynasties, and 3 in the 9-10th dynasties. In the 11th - 3, in the 12th - 8.
- In the Second Transitional Period, the dynastic list of Egyptian pharaohs lists 39 as part of the 13th, 11 - 14th, 4 - 15th, 20 - 16th, 14 - 17th.
- The period of the New Kingdom was opened by one of the most famous dynasties - the 18th, in the list of which there are 14 pharaohs, of which one is a woman. In the 19th - 8. In the 20th - 10.
- In the Third Transitional Period, the 21st dynasty included 8 pharaohs, the 22nd - 10, the 23rd - 3, the 24th - 2, the 25th - 5, the 26th - 6, the 27th. -th - 5, in the 28th - 1, in the 29th - 4, in the 30th - 3.
- The Second Persian Period has only 4 pharaohs of the 31st dynasty.
In the Greco-Roman period, proteges of Alexander the Great and then the Roman emperor settled at the head of the state. In the Hellenistic period after the Macedonian, Philip Archeraus and Alexander IV, these were Ptolemy and his descendants, and among the ruling persons there were women (for example, Berenice and Cleopatra). In the Roman period, these are all Roman emperors from Augustus to Licinius.
Female Pharaoh: Queen Hatshepsut
The full name of this female pharaoh is Maatkara Hatshepsut Henmetamon, which means “Best of the Nobles.” Her father was the famous pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, Thutmose I, and her mother was Queen Ahmes. She was the high priestess of the sun god Amon-Ra himself. Of all the Egyptian queens, only she managed to become the ruler of United Egypt.
Hatshepsut claimed that she was the daughter of the god Ra himself, which is a bit reminiscent of the story of the birth of Jesus: Amun informed the assembly of gods, although not through his messenger, but personally, that he would soon have a daughter who would become the new ruler of the entire land of Ta Kemet. And during her reign the state will prosper and rise even more. As a sign of recognition of this, during the reign of Hatshepsut she was often depicted in the guise of a descendant of Amun-Ra Osiris - the god of fertility and ruler of the Underground Kingdom of Duat - with a false beard and the key to the Nile - the key of life ankh, with royal regalia.
The reign of Queen Hatshepsut was glorified by her favorite architect Senmut, who built the famous temple at Deir el-Bahri, which is known in world history as Djeser-Djeseru ("Holy of Holies"). The temple is different from the famous temples at Luxor and Karnak during the reigns of Amenhotep III and Ramses II. It belongs to the type of semi-rock temples. It is in its reliefs that such important cultural undertakings of the queen as the sea expedition to the distant country of Punt, under which, many believe, India is hidden, are immortalized.
Queen Hatshepsut also paid special attention to the construction of grandiose architectural monuments in the state: she restored many buildings and monuments destroyed by the conquerors - the Hyksos tribes, erected the Red Sanctuary in the Karnak Temple and two pink marble obelisks in its complex.
The fate of the stepson of Queen Hatshepsut, the son of Pharaoh Thutmose II, and the concubine of Isis Thutmose III is interesting. Having been in the shadow of his stepmother for almost twenty years, who created humiliating living conditions for him, after her death Thutmose sharply changed the policy of the state, and tried to completely destroy everything that was connected with Hatshepsut. In this case, a parallel arises with the accession to the Russian throne of Emperor Paul I and the memory of his mother, Empress Catherine II.
Thutmose's hatred extended to the structures that now constitute the world's cultural treasure. First of all, we are talking about the temple in Deir el Bahri, in which, by order of Thutmose III, all sculptural images bearing a portrait resemblance to Hatshepsut were barbarously destroyed, and the hieroglyphs that immortalized her name were chopped off. This is important! Indeed, according to the ideas of the ancient Egyptians, a person’s name (“ren”) is a pass for him to the fields of Eternity Ialu.
In relation to the life of the state, first of all, Thutmose’s interests were aimed not at peace and tranquility in his native Egypt, but, on the contrary, at war to increase and multiply. During his reign, as a result of a large number of wars of conquest, the young pharaoh achieved something unprecedented: he not only expanded the borders of Ancient Egypt at the expense of the states of Mesopotamia and his neighbors, but also forced them to pay huge tribute, making his state the most powerful and richest among others in the East.
One of the amazing corners of St. Petersburg is associated with the name of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III - the pier near the Academy of Arts on the Universitetskaya embankment of Vasilievsky Island. In 1834, sculptures of sphinxes brought from Ancient Egypt were installed on it, whose faces, according to legend, bear a portrait resemblance to this pharaoh. They were found by the Greek archaeologist Attanasi with funds provided to him by the English consul in Egypt, Salt. After the excavations, Salt became the owner of the giants, who put them up for auction in Alexandria. The writer Andrei Nikolaevich Muravyov wrote a letter about the valuable sculptures, but while the issue of purchasing sphinxes in Russia was being decided, they were bought by France, and only by chance did they end up in St. Petersburg. This happened due to the revolution that began in France. The French government began to sell the sculptures that had not been exported at a large discount, and it was then that Russia was able to purchase them on much more favorable terms than before.
Who is Pharaoh Amenhotep III, of whom these sculptures serve as a reminder to this day? It is known that he was a special zealot for art and culture, and raised the status of the state in the international arena to unprecedented heights, incomparable even with the reign of Thutmose III. His energetic and intelligent wife, Tiya, had a special influence on the activities of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. She was from Nubia. Perhaps thanks to her, the reign of Amenhotep III brought peace and tranquility to Egypt. But we cannot remain silent about several military campaigns that nevertheless took place during the years of his power: to the country of Kush, to the state of Uneshei, as well as the suppression of rebels in the area of the second Nile cataract. All descriptions of his military prowess point to high level mastery of military science.
Ramses II: political decisions
The reign of this couple is very controversial. On the one hand, wars with the Hittites for power over Palestine, Phenicia and Syria, clashes with sea pirates - the Sherdens, military campaigns in Nubia and Libya, on the other hand - large-scale stone construction of temples and tombs. But there is one thing in common - ruin due to exorbitant taxes in favor of the royal treasury of the working population of the state. At the same time, the nobility and priests, on the contrary, had the opportunity to increase their material wealth. Expenditures from the treasury also increased due to the fact that egyptian pharaoh Ramses II recruited mercenaries into his army.
From the point of view domestic policy Ramses II should be noted that the time of his reign was the time of the next rise of Ancient Egypt. Realizing the need to be permanently in the north of the state, the pharaoh moves the capital from Memphis to a new city - Per-Ramses in the Nile Delta. As a result, the power of the aristocracy was weakened, which, however, did not affect the strengthening of the power of the priests.
Ramses II and his "stone" activities
The unusually fruitful temple architecture of the reign of Ramses II is associated primarily with the construction of such famous temples as the Greater and Lesser Abu Simbel in Abydos and Thebes, extensions to the temples in Luxor and Karnak, and the temple in Edfu.
The temple at Abu Simbel, consisting of two rock-type temples, was built in the place of the Nile where the famous Aswan Dam would be built in the 20th century jointly with the USSR. The nearby quarries of Aswan made it possible to decorate the temple portals with giant statues of the pharaoh and his wife, as well as images of the gods. Great Temple was dedicated to Ramses himself and three other gods - Amon, Ra-Horakhta and Ptah. It was these three gods who were sculpted and placed in the sanctuary of the rock temple. The entrance to the temple was decorated with sitting stone giants - statues of Ramses II - three on each side.
The small temple was dedicated to Nefertari-Merenmut and the goddess Hathor. Decorated at the entrance with full-length figures of Ramses II and his wife, alternating four on each side of the entrance. In addition, the Small Temple at Abu Simbel was also considered as the tomb of Nefertari.
Amenemhet III and the Hermitage collection
There is a sculpture made of black basalt in the Hermitage exhibition in St. Petersburg, depicting this pharaoh sitting in a canonical pose. Thanks to well-preserved writings, we learn that Amenemhet III was the ruler of the Middle Kingdom, who devoted a lot of time and effort to building the most beautiful temples. These include, first of all, the labyrinth temple in the area of the Fayum oasis.
Thanks to his wise internal policy, Amenemhat III managed to greatly reduce the influence of the rulers of individual nomes - the nomarchs - and unite them, founding the Middle Kingdom. This pharaoh almost did not undertake military campaigns to expand his borders. An exception may be the war in Nubia and military campaigns in Asian countries, as a result of which they were opened. Among them was Syria.
The main activity of Amenemhet III is the construction and improvement of life in the colonies. Thanks to this, colonies were created on the Sinai Peninsula, rich in copper mines, which were developed for the Middle Kingdom of Amenemhat III. Turquoise deposits were also developed here. Work on irrigation of lands in the area of the Fayum oasis was also large-scale. An embankment was erected, thanks to which the drained soils of a large area of the oasis became available for agriculture. In these same territories, Amenemhet III founded the city of the god Sebek - Crocodilopolis.
Akhenaten the reformer and Queen Nefertiti
Among the names of the great Egyptian pharaohs, the name of Amenhotep IV, or Akhenaten, stands out. The son of Amenhotep III was considered a heretic - he, having betrayed his father’s faith, believed in the god Aten, embodied in the solar disk and depicted on reliefs in the form of a multi-armed solar disk. He changed the name given by his father and meaning “Loyal to Amun” to one that meant “Pleasing to Aten.”
And he moved the capital to a new city called Aten-per-Ahetaten, in the region of Egypt El-Amarna. This decision was made in connection with the greatly strengthened power of the priests, who actually replaced the power of the pharaoh. Akhenaten’s reform ideas also affected art: for the first time, reliefs and fresco paintings of tombs and temples began to depict the romantic relationship of the pharaoh and his wife, Queen Nefertiti. Moreover, in terms of the features of the image, they no longer resembled the canonical ones; rather, they could be called the forerunner of naturalistic painting.
Cleopatra - Queen of Egypt
Among all the Egyptian pharaohs and queens, Cleopatra is perhaps considered the most famous. In world history, she is often called both the fatal and Egyptian Aphrodite. She was the heir to the great dynasty of Egyptian pharaohs from the Macedonian family of Ptolemies, appointed to this position by Alexander the Great. Cleopatra, the wife of Mark Antony and the mistress of Julius Caesar, was the last queen of Egypt during the Hellenistic period. She was highly educated, musically gifted, knew eight foreign languages and enjoyed visiting the Library of Alexandria, participating in philosophical conversations of learned men. The personality of Cleopatra evokes many fantasies and legends, but there is very little factual information about her contribution to the development of Egypt. Until now, she remains the most mysterious and enigmatic of all the rulers of the Egyptian land.
The list of Egyptian pharaohs could be continued, because among them there were also persons worthy of a separate discussion. The history of Egypt arouses the constant attention of people of different generations, and interest in it does not dry out.
The ancient Egyptians did not call their rulers “pharaohs.” This word was used by the Greeks and Jews. Science cannot indicate the exact number of rulers of Ancient Egypt, since the history of this great civilization is quite fragmented and there were cases when several kings ruled at the same time in different regions.
Predynastic period
II Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
3890 - 2686 BC
Hetepsekheivi (Hotepsekhemvi)
Reneb (Nebra)
Ninetjer (Ninetjer)
Peribsen (Seth - Peribsen)
Khasezemvi
Ancient Kingdom of Egypt
Ancient Egypt and Dunshur were built during this period.
III Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Sanakhte (Nebka) 2650 - 2630 BC
Netderichet (Djoser) 2630 – 2611 BC
Sekhemkhet (Djoser Teti) 2611 – 2603 BC
Khaba 2603 – 2599 BC
599 – 2575 BC
IV Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Snefru 2575 – 2551 BC
2551 - 2528 BC
Djedefre 2528 - 2520 BC
Khafre (Khefren) 2520 - 2494 BC
Mikerin (Mykerina) 2490 - 2472 BC
Shepseskaf 2472 - 2467 BC
V dynasty
Userkafa 2465 - 2458 BC
Sahura 2458 - 2446 BC
Neferirkara Kakai 2477-2467 BC
Shepeseskare Ini 2426 - 2419 BC
Neferefre 2419 - 2416 BC
Menkauhor 2422 - 2414 BC
Djedkare Izezi 2375 - 2345 BC
VI dynasty
Teti 2345 - 2333 BC
Pepi I (Merir) 2332 - 2283 BC
Merenra Nemtiemzaf 2283 2278 BC
Pepi II (Neferkare) 2278 - 2184 BC
First transition period
This was a very troubling time in the history of Ancient Egypt. Power was divided among several kings. Montihotep established his own order in the capital of Thebes.
VII -VIII Dynasties of Ancient Egypt
(2150 – 2135 BC)
Netrikare
Menkare
Neferkare II
Neferkare III
Djedkare II
Neferkare IV
Merenhor
Menkamin
Nikare
Neferkare V
Neferkahor
Neferkare VI
Neferkamin II
Ibi
Neferkaure
Neferkauhor
Neferirkara II
Wajekaire
Sekhemkare
Iti
Isu
Yitenu
IX - X dynasties of Ancient Egypt
2135 – 1986 BC
Neferkare
Several kings named Kheti
Mary – Hathor
XI Dynasty
Iniotef I (Sekhertavi) 2134 – 2117
Iniotef I (Vakhankh) 2117 – 2068
Iniotef I (Nakhtnebtepnefer) 2069 - 2060
This period in the history of Ancient Egypt was marked by the rapid development of foreign trade and large construction projects. A technology for making jewelry was developed. The country's prosperity lasted long enough long time, but the problems of Egypt's internal politics became apparent.
Mentuhotep II 2055 -2004
Mentuhotep III (Sankhkare) 2004 - 1992
Mentuhotep IV (Nebtavire) 1992 - 1987
XII Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Senusret I (Kheperkare) 1956 - 1911
Amenemheta II (Nubkaure) 1911 - 1877
Senusret II (Haheperre) 1877 - 1870
Senusret III (Jacare) 1836 - 1817
Amenemheta III (Nimaatre) 1817 - 1772
Amenemheta IV (Maaherure) 1772 - 1763
Neferusobek (Sobekkare) 1763 - 1759
Second transition period
The Hyxons invaded the territory of Ancient Egypt and conquered it. Some of the Theban princes seized power. At the end of the XIII Dynasty, Pharaoh Kamosa returned power to the Egyptian kings.
XIII Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Vegaf 1783-1779
Amenemheta - Senebef
Sezemre - Khutavi
Amenemhet V
Sehetepibre
Yufni
Amenemhet VI
Semenkare
Sehetepibre II
Sevajkare
Nedjemibre
Sobekhotep
Reniseneb
Nor
Amenemhet VII
Sobekhotep II
Henger
Ymir - Mesha
Antef IV
Set
Sobekhotep III
Neferhotep 1696 - 1686
Sihatator 1685 - 1685
Sobekhotep IV 1685 - 1678
Sobekhotep V 1678 - 1674
Jaib 1674 - 1664
Ai 1664 - 1641
Ini
Sevajti
Ined
Hori
Sobekhotep VI
Dedumes
Ibi II
Nor II
Senebmuy
Sehanre
Merkheperre
Merikare
XIV Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Nehesi
Khatire
Nebfaure
Sekhabre
Merijefare
Sevajkare
Heribre
Sanhibre
Kanefertemre
Neferibre
Ankhkare
XV Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Salitis
Apahnan (Hian)
Apophis (Auserre Apepi)
Hamoudi
XVI Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Anat – Kher
User – Anat
Semken
Zaket
Baka
Cap
Pepi III
Bebanh
Nebmaatra
Nikare II
Aahotepre
Aaneterire
Nibahre
Nubuserre
Hauserre
Hammura
Jacob – Baala
Yakbam
Yoam
Amu
XVII dynasty
Antef V
Rahotep
Sobekemzaf
Djehuti
Mentuhotep VII
Nebirau
Nebirau II
Semenenr
Sobekemzaf II
Antef VI
Antef VII
Tao (Senachtenre)
Tao II (Seqenenre)
Kamosa (Wajkheperre)
New kingdom
This period marks the prosperity and revival of art and grandiose construction projects. Towards the end of the reign of the 19th dynasty of the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, the forces of the priesthood were gaining strength and actually ruled the state. During the 20th Dynasty, the tombs of rulers were looted by officials. The priests begin to acquire secular power.
XVIII Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Ahmose (Nebrekhtire) 1539 - 1514
Amenhotep I (Jeserkare) 1514 - 1493
Thutmose I (Akheperkare) 1493 - 1481
Thutmose II (Aherepenre) 1491 - 1479
1473 — 1458
Thutmose III (Menkheperre) 1504 - 1450
Amenhotep II (Akheperure) 1427 - 1392
Thutmose IV (Menkheperure) 1419 - 1386
Amenhotep III (Nebmaatre) 1382 - 1344
1350 — 1334
Smenkhkara (Ankhehperure) 1336-1334
1334 — 1325
Ai (Kheperkheperure) 1325 - 1321
Horemhebe (Djeserkheperure) 1323 - 1295
XIX dynasty
Ramesses I (Menpekhtire) 1295 - 1294
Seti I (Menmaatre) 1394 - 1279
1279 — 1213
Merepnptah (Baenrekhotehirmaat) 1213 - 1203
Amenmesse (Menmire) 1203 - 1200
Networks II (Userheperuresetepenere) 1200 - 1194
Siptah (Ahenresetepenre) 1194 - 1188
Tausert (Sitremeritamun) 1185-1187
XX Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Setakht (Userhaumeriamun) 1186 - 1184
Ramesses III (Usermaatremeriamun) 1184 - 1153
Ramesses IV (Hekamaamremetepenamun) 1153 - 1147
Ramesses V (Useermaatreseheperenre) 1147 - 1143
Ramesses VI (Nebmaamtpemeriamun) 1143 - 1136
Ramesses VII (Usepmaamresetepenre) 1136 - 1129
Ramses VIII (Usermaamtrihenamun) 1129 - 1126
Ramesses IX (Neferkaresetepenre) 1126 - 1108
Ramses X (Khepermaamtresetepenre) 1108 - 1099
Ramesses XI (Menmaamtremetepenrtah) 1099 - 1069
Third transition period
The capital of Ancient Egypt was moved to and then back to Thebes.
XXI Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Rulers of Upper and Southern Egypt in Thebes:
Smedes (1070 – 1044) Herihor (1080 – 1074)
Amenemnisu (1040) Piankh (1074 – 1070)
Psusennes (1040 – 992) Pinedjem (1070 – 1032)
Amenope (993 – 984) Masakherta (1054 – 1046)
Osohor (984 – 978) Menkheperre (1045 – 992)
Siamun (978 – 959) Smendes II (992 – 990)
Psusennes II (959 – 945) Pinedjem II (990 – 969)
Psusennes III (969-945)
XII Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Shoshenq I 945-924
Osorkona 924-909
Takelot 909 (?)
Sheshenkom II 883
Osorkona II 883-855
Takelot II 860-835
Sheshenkom III 835-783
Pami 783-773
Sheshenkom IV 773-735
Osorkona IV 735-712
XXIII Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Pedubaste 828-803
Osorkon IV 777-749
Pefjauvibast 740-725
XXIV Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Shepsespe Tefnakht 725-720
Vahkare Bakenranif 720-715
Later Kingdom of Ancient Egypt
The Assyrians invade ancient Nubia. The Greeks are trying to restore order. During the XXV Dynasty, there was a return to the old style of government in Ancient Egypt.
XXV Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Piye 747-716
Shebaka 712-698
Shebitka 698-690
Taharqa 690-664
Tantamani 664-657
XXVI Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Psammetich I (Psam - Tik) 664-610
Nekau (Necho) II 610-595
Psammetich II 595-589
Apries 589-570
Amasis 570-526
Psammetich III 526-525
XXVII Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Cambyses 525-522
Darius I 521-486
Xerxes I 486-466
Artaxerxes I 465-424
Darius II 424-404
XXVIII Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Amirtaios 404-399
XXIX Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Neferites 399-393
Psammutis 393
Nakoris 393-380
Neferites II 380
XXX dynasty
The last pharaohs of Egyptian origin
Nectaneb 380-362
Teos 365-360
Nectaneb II 360-343
Second Persian period (343-332 BC)
XXXI Dynasty
Founder Manetho
Oh (Artaxerxes III) 343-338
Ass 338-336
Darius III Codomannus 335-332
Greco-Roman period (332 BC - 395 AD)
Macedonian kings in ancient Egypt
Alexander the Great 332-323
Philip Arrhiraus 323-316
Alexander IV 316-304
Ptolemaic Dynasty
Ptolemy I Soter I 323-285
Ptolemy II Philadelphus 282-246
Ptolemy III Euergeter i 246-222
Ptolemy IV Philopator 222-205
Ptolemy V Epiphanes 205-180
Ptolemy VI Philometora 180-164 163-145
Ptolemy VII Neos 145 Philopator
Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II 170-163 and 116-145
Cleopatra and Ptolemy III IX Sotera II 116-107 and 80 - 88
Cleopatra III and Ptolemy X Alexander I 107 - 88
Cleopatra Berenice 81 - 80
Ptolemy XI Alexander II 80
Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysus 80 - 58 and 55 - 51
Berenice IV 58 - 55
Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII 51 - 47
Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIV 47 - 44
and Ptolemy XV Caesarion 44 - 30 BC.
Roman Emperors in Ancient Egypt
August 30 BC - 14 AD
Tiberius 14 - 37
Guy Caligula 37 - 41
Claudia 41 - 54
Nero 54 - 68
Galba 68 - 69
Oton 69
Vitellius 69
Vespasian 69 - 79
Titus 79 - 81
Domitian 81 - 96
Nerves 96 - 98
Trajan 98 - 117
Adrian117 - 138
Antoninus Pius 138 - 161
Marcus Aurelius 161 - 180
Lucius Verruss
Commodus 180 - 192
Pertinax 193
Didius Julianus 193
Septimius Severus 193 - 211
Caracalla 211 - 217
Macrinus 217 - 218
Heliogabala 218 - 222
Alexander Sever 222 - 235
Maximin 235 - 238
Pupienus 238
Gordian 238 - 244
Philip 244 - 249
Decii 249 - 251
Gallus 251 - 253
Valerianus 253 - 260
Gallienae 260 - 268
Claudius II 268 - 270
Aurelian 270 - 275
Tacitus 275 - 276
Florianus 276
Samples 276 - 282
Carus 282 - 283
Numerianus 283 - 284
Diocletian 284 - 305
Galerius 305 - 311
Licinium 308 - 324
Byzantine Christian period
The reign of the Coptic patriarchs began with the reign of Constantine I.
The Egyptian kings were treated as real living gods. They were the rulers of one of the first great civilizations, they lived in luxury, and in their hands was power hitherto incredible for one person. Egyptian rulers lived happily while hundreds or even thousands of people died during the construction of the magnificent pyramids and statues in their honor. And when the pharaohs themselves died, they were buried in giant tombs that hid their bodies from prying eyes for almost 4,000 years.
In the history of mankind, no one before had such absolute power and influence and lived in such prosperity as the pharaohs. Sometimes such omnipotence greatly spoiled the kings, which is not surprising for imperfect human nature.
10. Pygmy obsession and Pharaoh Pepi II
Pepi The Second was about 6 years old when he became king of Egypt, meaning he was just a small child when he was entrusted with ruling over an entire kingdom. Undoubtedly, much more power was concentrated in the hands of Pepi than should be trusted to a 6-year-old fool.
It is not surprising that the young king was a very spoiled child from childhood. Shortly after his accession to the throne, Pepi received a letter from an explorer named Harkhuf, in which he told the pharaoh a story about an encounter with a dancing pygmy (a representative of the short African people, living in equatorial forests). This message so amazed and inspired the pharaoh that he wanted to see the strange pygmy in person.
“Drop everything and come with him to my palace!” Pepi wrote in response. The child ordered that nothing happen to Harkhuf and took serious care of security. “When you board the boat, gather your trusted servants and let them surround the pygmy on all sides as he walks along the ladder so that he does not fall into the water under any circumstances! When the pygmy goes to sleep in his hammock, people devoted to you should also lie around him. Check it 10 times every night!” Pharaoh strictly ordered. As a result, Pepi received his pygmy safe and sound.
Since childhood, he has been accustomed to getting everything he wants and considering himself much more important than anyone else on Earth. By the time he reached adulthood, the pharaoh was already such a spoiled and capricious person that he even forced his slaves to smear themselves with honey and walk around him naked so that Pepi would not be bothered by flies.
9. Giant genital monuments of King Sesostris
Sesostris was one of the greatest military leaders in Egyptian history. He sent warships and armies to all corners of the known world and extended the Egyptian kingdom further than any other ruler of that empire. After each battle, in honor of his success, Sesostris erected huge columns depicting genitals.
The king left these pillars at the sites of all his battles. Many of them were engraved with texts about who he was, how he defeated his enemy, and about his confidence in divine approval of his policy of invading all foreign countries.
In addition, Sesostris left a detail on these columns that was intended to characterize the army of the defeated enemy. If the opponents were strong and fought with dignity, he added an image of a penis to the monument. But if the enemy was weak, an engraving in the form of a vagina appeared on the monument.
These columns were erected throughout the continent, and lasted for a long time. Even the famous ancient Greek historian Herodotus saw several pillories of Sesostris. 1,500 years later, some of them still stood in Syria, a reminder of the defeats of their ancestors.
8. Urine washing and Pharaoh Feros
Sesostris's son, Pheros, was blind. Perhaps it was a hereditary disease, but the official version of the Egyptian chronicles said that the heir to the throne was cursed. According to legend, the banks of the empire began to flood, and Feros became angry that the river was causing damage to his kingdom. In rage, he threw his spear at her. The pharaoh hoped that in this way he would pierce the bottom of the Nile and release all the water, but the gods, outraged by his audacity, cursed the ruler with blindness.
After 10 years, the oracle told Feros that his vision could be restored. All that is required is to wash your face with the urine of a woman who has never slept with anyone other than her own husband.
Feros tried washing his eyes with his wife's urine, but it didn't help. He never regained his sight, and his wife just threw up her hands, assuring that she had not cheated on him. Then Pharaoh gathered all the women in the city, ordered them all to go to the toilet in the same jug in turn, and one by one poured its contents over his eyes.
It worked. After several dozen women, Feros found the most faithful Egyptian woman and was healed. To celebrate, the king married this girl and burned his former wife. At least that's what the legend says. Although it is unlikely that magic urine saved the pharaoh’s sight, and perhaps such a story was invented to justify his strange addiction to female urine.
7. Hatshepsut's fake beard
Hatshepsut was one of the few women awarded the reign over ancient Egypt. She had big plans for the empire, but on the path to success the queen had to overcome some obstacles. At that time, Egypt, although it was a much more progressive country than others, women were not treated equally here, and therefore the queen had a hard time.
To make her situation easier, she even ordered her people to always paint her as a man. In all images, Hatshepsut was supposed to be presented to the public with a muscular body and a beard. The queen called herself the “Son of Ra” and supposedly also always wore a fake beard in public. It seemed to her that this way ordinary subordinates and noble Egyptians would take her more seriously.
Hatshepsut managed to do a lot of good things for her kingdom, and she thought that her tricks and dressing up as a man were largely the reason for this. However, her son ended up doing everything he could to erase his mother's legacy from the country's history so that no one would know that Egypt was ruled by a woman. He succeeded so well that until 1903 no one suspected that Hatshepsut was a woman.
6. The Bad Smelling Diplomacy of King Amasis
Amasis was not the most polite and well-mannered king in the history of ancient Egypt. He was not only an alcoholic, but also a kleptomaniac - the pharaoh stole the things of his friends, and then convinced them that the things were never theirs.
He acquired the throne by force. The former king of the empire sent him to suppress the uprising, but when Amasis arrived, he realized that the rebels had a very good chance of victory. Then he decided to lead them, instead of fulfilling the order of the legitimate pharaoh. Amasis was not a sophisticated diplomat, so he declared war very rudely - he raised his leg, farted and told the messenger: “Tell this to your king!”
All the obscene habits of Amasis had their important consequences. When he was a simple kleptomaniac, Amasis was sent to appear before the priests to decide whether he was guilty or not. When Amasis became pharaoh, he punished all the seers who had acquitted him earlier. The king believed that if the priests were actually talking to the gods, they should have known that he was a thief rather than allow him to escape judgment.
5. The city of noseless criminals and the ruler of Aktisanes
The people of Amasis could not endure such a king for long. He was a very rude and harsh pharaoh, so he was soon overthrown from the throne. This time the Egyptian revolution was led by an Ethiopian named Actisanes, who was going to rule much wiser and more merciful than his predecessor.
He had his own approach to criminals. The executioners cut off the nose of everyone who committed a crime, and then the culprit was sent to live in the city of Rhinocolura, which literally translates as the city of cut off noses.
It was inhabited exclusively by noseless criminals who had to survive in the harshest conditions in the country. The water in Rinocolura was very dirty, and its crippled inhabitants built from fragments of rubble.
At first glance, all this does not fit with the new pharaoh's promise to be gentler than Amasis, but for the 6th century BC this was actually considered the pinnacle of generosity towards criminals. The Romans wrote about Rinocolura that this is an example of Actisanes’ very good attitude towards his subordinates. In ancient times, if your nose was cut off for a crime, it was considered great luck.
4. 100 children of King Ramses II
Ramses the Second lived so long that people even began to worry that he would never die. In a time when most kings were killed during the first years of their reign, Ramses lived a very long time - 91 years. And all this time he was having a good time. Throughout his life, he not only built more statues and monuments than any other king of Egypt, but he also slept with more women than anyone else in the country.
By his old age, Ramses had at least 100 children from 9 wives. To produce so many heirs, you need to spend a lot of time in bed. Ramses married almost every girl he fell in love with. When he invaded the Het kingdom, the pharaoh refused to make peace with the rulers of these lands until they gave him their eldest daughter. He also did not hesitate to turn his gaze to his own daughters. Ramses married three of them, including his first child.
Perhaps the pharaoh had four such wives. Historians are not yet sure whether Henutmire was his daughter or his sister, but since we are talking about Ramses II, it makes no difference who she was before she became his wife.
3. Pharaoh Cambyses' hatred of animals
Cambyses was not an Egyptian, he was a Persian and the son of Cyrus the Great. After his people conquered Egypt, Cambyses was made head of the conquered land. During his reign, he became especially famous for his hatred of animals.
Almost every Egyptian story about Cambyses contains a passage about the killing of some beast. Early in his reign, the pharaoh went to visit Apis, a bull whom the Egyptians idolized. Right in front of the priests caring for the living deity, the king pulled out a dagger and began to beat the animal with it, laughing in the faces of the dignitaries with the words: “This is a god worthy of the Egyptians!”
No matter how it might seem, the reason for killing the unfortunate bull was not his attitude towards the Egyptians. In fact, the son of Cyrus simply really liked to watch the suffering of animals. During his time in power, Cambyses organized fights between lion cubs and puppies, and forced his wife to watch the animals tear each other apart.
2. The city of King Akenaten, built on broken backs
Akhenaten completely changed Egypt. Before he took the throne, the Egyptians had many gods, but Akenaten banned polytheism and left only one idol - Aten, the sun god. This meant serious changes in the life of Egypt, which took a lot of time to implement. So much so that Pharaoh literally tired his people to death.
In honor of the only god Aten, King Akenaten built a whole new city - Amarna. The pharaoh herded 20,000 people to the construction site, and it didn’t matter to him at what cost they would pay to participate in this mission, or how they would feel. The unfortunate Egyptians had to endure all the loads or die. Based on an analysis of bones from the city cemetery, archaeologists concluded that more than two-thirds of the workers who died here had broken bones, and a full third of them had a broken spine.
People were fed very poorly. Almost every resident of the new city was exhausted, and no one was allowed to seek treatment or rest for too long. If someone broke the rules, tried to grab an extra piece of food or was lazy, the disobedient subordinate was sentenced to death and stabbed to death.
All this suffering of the Egyptians turned out to be a futile sacrifice, because immediately after the death of Akenaten, all his undertakings were destroyed, and his inglorious name was almost erased from the history of Egypt.
1. Pharaoh Menkur's refusal to die
Even the pharaoh dies. And although the great names of the Egyptian kings were always accompanied by the title “eternal” or “immortal,” each ruler knew that his turn would come to leave this world. They built pyramids for themselves in order to spend a comfortable afterlife, but still each of the pharaohs once had doubts about what awaits a person after his eyelids close for the last time.
Menkaure, a pharaoh who ruled in the 26th century BC, was definitely unsure about what would happen after his death. When an oracle came to him and reported that the king had only 6 years to live, he was struck to the core and plunged into true horror. Menacur did everything possible to avoid death.
One day he decided that he could outsmart the gods. The pharaoh thought this: if the night never comes, a new day will not come, and if the next day does not come, time will not be able to move forward, and this means that Menakur will not die. Therefore, every evening he lit as many lamps and candles as possible, and convinced himself that he was extending the daylight hours. For the rest of his life, the king hardly slept at night, spending time in the light of man-made lamps, drinking alcohol and having fun until the morning, at the same time fearing that the very moment was about to come when “his candle would go out.”
Pharaoh (Pharaoh) is a youth idol, a new phenomenon in modern Russian rap culture. He is a representative of the so-called “cloud rap”, which is characterized by slow beats, smooth readings and philosophical, often depressive lyrics (although disputes about Pharaoh’s affiliation with cloud rap continue to this day).
At the age of 19, Pharaoh, whose real name was Gleb Golubin, became the leader and ideological inspirer of the Dead Dynasty formation, the leitmotif of which was a defiant mixture of nihilism and rudeness. The main themes of his tracks are drugs, girls and sex.
Childhood and family of Gleb Golubin (rapper Pharaoh)
Gleb Gennadievich Golubin was born and raised in Moscow, in the Izmailovo district, in the family of a sports functionary. His father Gennady Golubin was the general director of the Dynamo football club, and later became the head of a company specializing in sports marketing.Rapper Pharaoh as a child
Naturally, the parents predicted a sports career for their son. From the age of six, the boy played football professionally. At a young age, Gleb managed to play for Lokomotiv, CSKA and Dynamo. Until the age of thirteen, his life consisted mainly of daily training and school. But in adolescence, he realized that he would not turn out to be a second Pele, and his father was not delighted with his son’s sporting achievements.
Music replaced football. At the age of 8, Gleb became interested in the work of the German band Rammstein, for which he even enrolled in German language courses. Another idol of the teenager was American rapper Snoop Dogg. The musical sympathies of the future musician did not find support from his classmates (other performers were in fashion at that time), but this did not bother Gleb.
At the age of 16, the young man went to America for six months. There he finally decided on his musical preferences and opened new horizons for creativity.
Rapper career Pharaoh
In 2013, Gleb returned to Moscow and entered the Faculty of Journalism at Moscow State University. At the same time, he recorded his first track, Cadillak, and began performing as part of the Grindhouse group under the pseudonym Pharaoh.But the video clip for the track “BLACK SIEMENS” brought real fame to the aspiring musician. In it, Gleb raps against the backdrop of a white Lincoln, which Dmitry Dyuzhev drove in the cult TV series “Brigada”. The song constantly repeats the “skrr-skr” sounds, which later became his trademark.
PHARAOH - "BLACK SIEMENS"
Tired of constant questions from fans about what this mysterious “skrr-skr” actually means, Pharaoh eventually explained that this was the sound that Bruce Lee made during training. Another version said that “skrt” is an imitation of the sound of car tires.
Pharaoh's next video, "Champagne Squirt", has nearly 10 million views on YouTube. After the premiere of the video, the phrase “Champagne squirt in the face” spread across social networks, and the Pharaoh became a truly cult character among the youth audience.
Since 2014, Pharaoh has collaborated with rappers Fortnox Pockets, Toyota RAW4, Acid Drop King, Jeembo and Southgarden as part of the Dead Dynasty project.
Pharaoh - 5 Minutes Ago
Due to the mysterious image that Pharaoh cultivates on social networks, fantastic rumors are constantly spreading about his life. In 2015, information appeared that the rapper died of a drug overdose. After this, Pharaoh released a new album, Phosphor (“Phosphorus”), the video for the composition from which “Let’s Stay Home” again gained a huge number of views on the Internet.
In February 2017, he traditionally posted on the Internet a new track “Unplugged (Interlude)”, which stood out from the rapper’s general work - it was recorded with a guitar. Fans of Pharaoh suggested that this is a composition from the upcoming acoustic album, which Pharaoh has mentioned more than once before.
Personal life of Pharaoh
Pharaoh has no shortage of girlfriends. One of his ex-girlfriends– current soloist of the group “Serebro” Katya Kishchuk.At the beginning of 2017, Gleb began dating the scandalous model, daughter of the famous tennis player Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Alesya.
For the first time they appeared in public in one of the capital's cinemas, openly demonstrating their feelings for each other. The model has repeatedly stated that she became a fan of his work long before they met in person. However, in May of the same year, Alesya Kafelnikova wrote on social networks that she was taking a break in her relationship with Pharaoh. Information appeared in the media that the model’s father insisted on separation, who did not like the aura of “notoriety” around her chosen one.
Pharaoh now
In August 2018, Pharaoh presented listeners with a new album “Phuneral” (play on words: pharaoh + funeral, funeral). It is noteworthy that Sergey Shnurov and his project “Ruble” took part in the recording of the tracks “Flashcoffin” and “Solaris”.Pharaoh – Smart
Pharaohs are the omnipotent rulers of Ancient Egypt, whom the Egyptians considered to be the representatives of God in this world and held them responsible for everything that happened in the country. Including for natural disasters.
There were many rulers of Ancient Egypt over its centuries-old history, but today the names of only a few of them are heard, leaving any noticeable mark on history.
Who are the most famous pharaohs of Ancient Egypt and how did they differ from other rulers of this ancient country? Here is a short list of their names and the events that allowed them to be remembered. So,
The most famous pharaohs of Ancient Egypt
Pharaoh Djoser, ruled Ancient Egypt in 2775-2756 BC. He built his first tomb pyramid - the step pyramid at Saqqara.
Pharaoh Khufu (otherwise known as Cheops). Ruled 2695-2672 BC. Built the famous Great Pyramid of Giza.
Pharaoh Pepi (Piopi) II. Ruled, presumably, in 2399-2379 BC. Became pharaoh at age 6.
Female pharaoh Hatshepsut. She ruled as a pharaoh for 20 years (1489-1468 BC), wore a ritual false beard and was therefore often depicted as a man.
Pharaoh Thutmose III. Ruled Egypt from 1490-1436 BC. A great conqueror who significantly expanded the territory of the country.
Pharaoh Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton). Reigned 1365-1348 BC. Together with his wife, Queen Nefertiti, he introduced the cult of the single god Aten (Sun).
Pharaoh Tutankhamun. This is perhaps the most famous pharaoh of Ancient Egypt among the most famous. He reigned in 1347-1338 BC and died as a young man. He is famous mainly for the treasures found in his tomb.
Pharaoh Ramesses II. Ruled Ancient Egypt from 1290-1224 BC. He built a rock temple in Abu Simbel and, in general, built more during the 66 years of his reign than any other pharaoh.
Cleopatra. Ruled Egypt in 51-31 BC. The last queen of Egypt, after whose suicide it was annexed by the Romans.
