Pharaohs
of Ancient
Egypt
Pharaohs
 Pharaohs were the kings of Egypt
 Pharaoh was believed by the
Egyptians to be the supreme ruler
chosen by the gods to lead his
people
 They believed that when a man
became a pharaoh, he also became a
god
 According to Egyptian legend, the
first kings of Egypt were later some
of the most famous gods
Pharaohs
 The title “Pharaoh” originated from
the Greek language and it is used
in the Old Testament
 Meaning: “Great House”
 Shared resources with the people in
return for taxes and obedience.
Responsibility of Pharaohs
 Pharaohs ruled with absolute power
 Complete control over all their people
 Despite absolute power the
Pharaoh’s rule was subject to Ma’at
and was expected to govern
according its principles
 Ma’at was the goddess and symbol
of the equilibrium of the universe
 Any King that attempted to radically
change society would be seen as
destroying the equilibrium that was
so important to Egyptian tradition
resulting in civil war or a challenge
in his authority
Pharaohs Regalia
1. Hedjet (symbol of upper Egypt)
2. Deshret (symbol of lower Egypt)
3. Pschent (symbolized the king’s rule of both
Upper and Lower Egypt)
Menes
(c. 3100 – 3050 B.C.E.)
 Considered the first pharaoh
of Ancient Egypt
 United Upper and Lower
Egypt
 Also known as Narmer
 First to wear the Pschent
Menes
(c. 3100 – 3050 B.C.E.)
 Given the credit for founding
Memphis
 According to a papyrus,
Menes reigned for about 62
years and was killed by
a hippopotamus.
Djoser ( 2630-2611B.C.E)
 Reign lasted about 19
years
 Great technological
advances in the use of
stone architecture
 First stepped pyramid
 Saqaura
Sneferu ( 2611-2589B.C.E)
 Credited with building the
first smooth-sided pyramid.
 Built at least three famous
pyramids that survive to this
day including the Bent
Pyramid
 Introduced major innovations
in the design and
construction of pyramids in
Ancient Egypt.
Khufu (2589-2566 B.C.E)
 Greek name Cheops
 Most remembered for
building Great Pyramid
of Giza ( stood 481 feet
tall)
 Not much is known
about Khufu besides
being Sneferu’s son and
building the Great
Pyramid
Khafra
 Son of Khufu
 Built the second largest
pyramid at Giza and
the Sphinx
 Many suggest the face
of the Sphinx is Khafra.
 Rumors that he
murdered brother to
get the throne.
Thutmose I (1493-1482 B.C.E.)
 Expanded Egypt into
Nubia ( present day
Sudan) and as far east
as Syria.
 First king to build a
tomb in the Valley of
the Kings
Hatshepsut (c. 1470-1450 B.C.E)
 Daughter of Thutmose I and wife of Thutmose II.
 Became
regent whenTHutmose II died and the new
pharaoh was very young (son of a minor wife)
 regent- Someone who rules for a child until the child
is old enough to rule for him/herself
 Seven years later she declared herself “king” and began
wearing the false beard and garments of a pharaoh
 Power grab was controversial so wanted to reinvent image
Hatshepsut (c. 1470- 1450 B.C.E)
 Extended Egyptian trade and oversaw ambitious building
projects, most notably the memorial temple of Deir elBahri, located in western Thebes.
 Egypt prospered while she was in power as she
established famous trade and economic expedition
 Prolific builder and commissioned many architectural
projects and the restoration of older temples.
 Had her father buried with her.
Hatshepsut
Thutmose III
(c. 1450 B.C.E.)
 Pushed into the background as Hatshepsut( step-mother
and aunt ruled Egypt a 20 year period)
 Took throne when Hatshepsut died.
 Believed as an act of revenge or retribution, he destroyed
as many of Hatshepsut's statues, monuments, and
buildings.
 He is remembered as “the Napoleon of Egypt;” a great
warrior king who expanded the empire to its greatest size
through his successful military campaigns
 Wealth of the New kingdom came from tributes paid by
people he conquered
Thutmose III (c. 1450 B.C.E.)
Akhenaton (c. 1350 B.C.E.)
 Original name was Amonhotep IV but his name to Akhenaton
which means “he who serves Aton”
 Married to Nefertiti
 First attempt at radically changing the polytheistic Egyptian
religion with a monotheistic religion
 Wanted to change the Egyptian supreme god from Amon-Re to Aton
 Built a new city called Akhetaton which contained new priests
and government
 More concerned with building his vision of a new society than
focusing on war and conquest
 Religious revolution led to tension and revolt in Egypt
Akhenaton (c. 1350 B.C.E.)
Nefertiti (c. 1370-1330 B.C.E.)
 Queen of Egypt, who was married to Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV)
and is known as the most beautiful woman in history
 In artwork, her status is evident and indicates that she had almost
as much influence as her husband
 For example, she is depicted nearly twice as often in reliefs as her
husband, at least during the first five years of his reign
 It is believed that Nefertiti was active in the religious and cultural
changes initiated by her husband (some even maintain that it was
she who initiated the new religion)

 She also had the position as a priest, and she was a devoted
worshipper of the god Aten.
Tutankhamen
(c. 1334 B.C.E.)
 Known as the Boy King of Egypt, he came to the throne
when his father Akhenaton died, he became King around
age nine
 Helped restore Egypt's old beliefs from when his father
tried to make Egypt a monotheism society and moved the
capital back to Thebes
 Died suddenly at the young age of 18 by a blow to the back
of his head
 Since his tomb had not yet been made, he was laid in a
tomb of a member of the nobility
 He is famous today because of his tomb being found intact
by archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922
Tutankhamen
(c. 1334 B.C.E.)
Ramses II (c. 1290 B.C.E.)
 Went to the throne at the age of 20 and reigned for 67 years;
the second longest reign for any Egyptian King
 Considered to be the last great Egyptian King bringing Egypt
peace and stability
 Probably the most prolific of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs,
siring over 100 children with more than a dozen wives
Ramses II (c. 1290 B.C.E.)
 Signed earliest known peace treaty in world history after the
Battle of Kadesh with the new Hittite king
 Ramses is remembered for constructing many architectural
marvels including the two huge temples at Abu Simbel
 Constructed more colossal statues, large statues of human
or human like figures, than any other Egyptian King
 Ruled during the time of Moses and used many Jewish
slaves to build his monuments and statues
 A Macedonian general
under Alexander the
Great, who became
ruler of Egypt and
started the Ptolemaic
dynasty
Cleopatra (c. 30 B.C.E.)
 Last independent ruler of Egypt
 Not of Egyptian lineage; descended from Ptolemy who was a
general in Alexander the Great’s army (Greek Ptolemy family
ruled Egypt for 300 years)
 She is best known for her beauty who seduced Caesar and
fell in love with Marc Antony
 Co- ruler with brother
 Disagreement led to Cleopatra fleeing to Syria
 Rounded up mercenaries and fought to get solo control of throne
Cleopatra (c. 30 B.C.E.)
 Committed suicide
when Octavian forces
invaded Egypt
 Marc Antony stabbed
himself
 Cleopatra is believed to
have a cobra bite her
 After her death, Egypt
was ruled as a Roman
province.