Africa: Gods, Rulers, and the Social Order (ca. 3100–330 B.C.E.) Chapter 2 Africa: Gods, Rulers, and the Social Order (ca. 3100–330 B.C.E.)

The Gods of Ancient Egypt Associated with the effects of the environment Worship of Amon, the sun god and creator Most powerful – but thousands of lesser deities existed Worship of Aten, symbol of life force Worship of Osiris, symbol of rebirth The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Rulers of Ancient Egypt Union of Upper and Lower Egypt by the first pharaoh, Narmer Dynasties and the role of the pharaoh Theocratic socialism Pharaonic lineage of succession The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Egypt’s Cult of the Dead The pharaoh and the sun-god generally viewed as having shared aspects Burial practices based on stringent belief in reincarnation The pyramids reached a zenith of organizational effort on behalf of the pharaoh’s comfort in the spirit world The Book of the Dead emerged as a lengthy guide for preparing oneself for physical death The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Akhenaten’s Reform Elevated Aten (sun god) to position of supremacy over all other deities to suppress power of priesthood Centered a new city (Akhetaten) between existing political capitol at Memphis and religious center at Thebes, thereby redirecting influences of each The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Social Order The social hierarchy – topped by the ruling dynasty supported by a priestly elite; multiple rungs in the social ladder and anyone could advance through education The role of women – all property inherited through the female line of a family, offering large degrees of economic freedom; women could own and operate businesses The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Arts in Ancient Egypt Literature – no masterpieces of literature emerged from ancient Egypt, but many examples survive of written business records, lyric poetry, and works of advice The visual arts The canon of proportion in painting Spatial depth represented through conceptual stacking The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Arts in Ancient Egypt (continued) Temple architecture Mirrored Egyptian view of the cosmos: pylons, hypostyles, and obelisks Music – many surviving instruments from tombs, and visual representations of musicians The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.