Politics of Ancient Egypt Heather Manning Political Structure

Politics of Ancient Egypt Heather Manning

Political Structure • Theocracy – A system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god • Pharaoh was the Head of State, the highest priest and worshipped as Gods. • At a local level it was bureaucratic and regulated by officials. • “invented the concept of the nation-state that still dominates our planet, ”

Pharaohs • The original meaning of the word Pharaoh was “Great House” • The title of Pharaoh was passed from Father to son. • As a sign of authority the Pharaohs wore a false beard, a lions main and a head cloth with a cobra. • Although the power of the Pharaoh was absolute they were required to govern with peace and harmony and to perform certain duties.

Pharaoh’s Responsibilities • • Command the Army Head the War Council Head of administration for the Kingdom Served as Treasurer Ensured the harvest Preside over important religious rituals Enforce the bond between people and the gods.

Bureaucratic Structure • Viziers – “Superintendent of all works of the pharaoh” • Chief Priest of Amun • Overseer of the treasury • High Priests • Council of War • Overseer of Granaries • Priests • Others

Taxation • A strict tax was imposed on all citizens • They kept meticulous records of who owed what. • Taxes were often paid in the form of a portion of a farmers crops, meat or leather from animals or other food goods such as bread or beer. • The taxes (collected goods) were used to pay state employees, sold to finance state building projects or stored for later use. • Punishments for not paying taxes or underpaying were quick and severe.

Judicial System • Although no proof of them exists today, writings of an ancient Greek describe up to 8 books in which Egyptian laws were outlined. • Other documents however, such as the oldest known will, funeral documents, tax records, and court records all give us some insight.

Ma’at • Was an idea of truth, justice, peace, balance, harmony and order that dictated much of Egyptian life, including the justice system. • Under this idea everyone, except slaves, were equals under the law. • It was also personified as a goddess. • It was thought to be the norm for both society and nature.

Trials and Court • No lawyers existed in Ancient Egypt. • Trials were usually held in the courtyard of a temple and simply consisted of a statement by the plaintiff and a reply by the defendant. • The Judge varied but was often a local government official or priest and in rare cases the Pharaoh himself.

Punishements • A common torture/punishment was the beating of the soles of the feet. • Some more severe punishments carried over into the after life. The names and likeness of those punished were removed from their tombs and from records. • Many punishments affected not only the guilty but their entire family. – A man exiled or imprisoned may have to take his children (even if they were grown and innocent) with him.

Military • Ancient Egypt was not a heavily militarized society. • Perhaps at least in part because they did not need to be due to their protection from their geographic location and the displays of brutality when they did battle. • Unlike the Romans, and many other ancient civilizations the Egyptians were not conquerors. • The military was also out of date in their weapons, continuing to use clubs and flint spears while other civilizations had started using metals such as bronze.