Old Kingdom Egypt

1
Roles of the Viziers, Nomarchs Officials

• Old Kingdom Egypt
• Dynasties III- IV

2
VIZIER

• Most powerful official 2nd only to Pharaoh
• Wore Kings seal around his neck and long robe up
  to armpits
• 4th Dynasty Vizier was a royal prince (son of
  king)
• Position gradually moves to nobility and became
  hereditary
• Nobles gain considerable power
• Often 2 viziers operating from at least 5th
  Dynasty
• Appear to have always been male except for one
  record of a female.
• Overseer of all works of the King
• Supporting post of the entire land
• Seal Bearer of the of Lower Egypt (only during
  5th Dynasty)

3
VIZIERS DUTIES

• Supreme Judge
• Evidence Inscription on 6th Dynasty vizier Weni
  describes himself as the prophet of Maat
  (goddess of truth)
• Was no evidence of a written law code so he
  relied on Pharaohs 3 divine qualities of
  authority, perception and justice to decide on
  justice.
• All Royal Commands passed through his hands
• Dispatched messages throughout Europe
• Collector of taxes (not in coinage but in kind
  products of the land )
• Collected tribute from foreign lads met with
  foreign envoys
• Oversaw Public Works and trades

4
Known Viziers
Dynasty Pharaoh Vizier
3 Djoser Imhotep
3 Huni Kagemni
4 Snefru Kagemni
4 Khufu Hemiunu
4 Khufu Ankh-khaf
4 Khafre Menkhaf
5 Nyuserre Ptahshepses
5 Isesi Ptah-hotep
6 Teti Mereruka
6 Pepi II Diau
5
Famous Viziers

• Mereruka
• - Sixth Dynasty
• - Vizier to Teti
• - Had largest number of titles
• - Married the Kings daughter
• - Largest private tomb of old kingdom
• Kai
• - Fifth Dynasty
• - Buried with an amazing life-like statue with
  inlaid eyes of semi precious metals

6
Famous Viziers

• Ptahshepses of Abusir
• - Fifth Dynasty
• - Vizier to Neuserre
• - Married the kings daughter
• - Honoured with title sa nesew, kings son.
• - 2nd Largest private tomb of old kingdom
• Ptahotep (Ptah is satisfied God of Memphis
  Region)
• - Fifth Dynasty
• - Vizier to Djedkare Isesi
• - Wrote The Maxims of Ptahotep. Wisdom
  Literature

7
Ptahotep

• It shows him wearing and holding many status
  symbols, including the fillet worn in the hair by
  Old-Kingdom officials of all levels, the golden
  collar of a nobleman, the long vizier's smock, a
  sekhem-sceptre, and the staff of a high official.

8
The Instruction of Ptah-hotep

• The instruction of the superintendent of the
  capital, the vizier, Ptah-hotep, under the
  majesty of King Isesi, who lives forever and
  ever.

• May you reach me being sound in body, and so that
  the king is satisfied with all that has been
  done, and may you pass many years in life. It is
  not little that I have wrought upon earth. I have
  spent a hundred and ten years in life, which the
  king has given me, and with rewards beyond those
  who have gone before, because I did right for the
  king up to the place of reverence.
• If you be grown great, after you were of small
  account, and have gotten you substance after you
  were aforetime needy, forget not how it fared
  with you in time past. Trust not in your riches,
  that have accrued to you as a gift of the god.
  You are not better than another who is your
  equal, to whom the same has happened.

9
Mereruka

• Life size statue at his mastaba tomb at Saqqara

10
Nomarchs

• The division of provinces within Egypt were known
  as nomes.
• Each nome was run by a nomarch.
• Nomarchs used to shift from nome to nome but this
  was phased out.
• Position begun to be filled through Heredity
  during the Old Kingdom.
• Duties included the collection of taxes,
  overseeing local courts and orchestrating
  projects.
• Effective way to govern large mass of land.
• Tombs were moved from Memphis to own nome.

11
Known Nomarchs

• From an inscription on a chapel at their tombs at
  Meir
• Ni-ankh-Pepi
• Good names, Sebekhotp and Hepi the black
• Sixth Dynasty
• Reign of Pepi I
• Pepiankh
• Good name, Heni the black
• Sixth Dynasty
• Reign of Pepi II

12
Officials

• Most important duties often given to relatives of
  pharaoh.
• Sandal-bearers, keepers of the robes and crowns,
  barbers, physicians, scribes, priests
• Beginning and middle of OKE they were dependant
  upon the king for their positions evidence
  buried around his pyramid
• Evolution of Hereditary positions officials
  grow in importance and power evidence buried
  away from the pharaoh and tombs become larger and
  more sophisticated
• Overseer normally the vizier (acting for pharaoh)
  position disperses by 6th Dynasty.
• All positions are hierarchical
• Each official answered to someone above him

13

• The Hierarchical form of government Old Kingdom

14
Barriers to Promotion

• Possible to gain promotion and gain a position of
  influence
• BUT
• Literacy was an essential requirement
• Number of high positions reduced as some
  officials were given more than one role
• Tendency for important positions to be
  monopolised by small group

15
Governor of Upper Egypt

• Created in the Fifth Dynasty
• Collected taxes in Southern Provinces
• To Counteract the growing power of the provincial
  nobles
• Toward end of Old Kingdom title becomes honorific
  

16
Autobiographies Weni 6th Dynasty

• Begun career under
• Teti I -custodian of the storehouse
• Pepi I - Senior Warden of Nekhen (Judge hearing
  cases in royal harem)
• - Commander of army
• Merenere - Count Governor of Upper Egypt from
  Yebu in the South to Medenyt in the North
  (Collected revenue, levied labour).

17
Under Pepy I

• Sent to organise an army against Bedouins north
  of Sinai.
• He returned 5 timed to quell rebellions.
• Ventures north into Southern Palestine.
• - no military experience but has gained the
  kings trust -

18
PEPY I

• His Majesty made war on the Asiatic
  Sand-dwellers and his majesty made an army of
  many ten thousands.
• The army returned in safety after it had hacked
  up the land of the Sand-dwellersafter it had
  thrown fire in all its troopsand having carried
  away a great multitude as living captives.

19
Under Merenere

• Made Governor of the South
• Sent to dig a canal around the First cataract to
  enable ships to sail further south into Nubia

20
MERENERE

• His majesty sent me to dig 5 canals in the South
  and to make 3 cargo-boats and 4 tow-boats of
  acacia wood of Wawat. Then the negro chiefs of
  Irthet, Wawat, Yam, and Mazoi supplied timber for
  the boats and I did the whole in only one year.

21
Usefulness of Weni

• Supplied information on military activities
  during 6th Dynasty.
• Shows a development in Foreign Contact over the
  period of 3 kings
• First insight into the workings of the army
• Shows the path one takes to becoming a senior
  official. He is always in favour with the King.

22
AutobiographiesHarkhuf 6th Dynasty

• Governor of the south under King Merenere one
  of the most successful caravan merchants from
  Aswan.
• Made 4 trips to the South the last under Pepi
  II.

23
1st Journey

• The majesty of Merenere, my lord, sent me,
  together with my father, the sole companion and
  ritual priest Iri, to Yam in order to explore a
  road to this country. I did it in only 7 months
  I brought all kinds of gifts from it

24
2nd Journey

• My majesty sent me a second time alone I went
  forth upon the Elephantine road and I visited
  Irthet, Mekher, Tereres, Irtheth, altogether
  taking 8 months. When I returned, I brought gifts
  from this country in very great quantity. ..Never
  before had any companion or caravan-leader who
  went forth to Yam before this, succeeded.

25
3rd Journey

• His majesty sent me a 3rd time to YamI found
  the chief of Yam going to the land of Temeh to
  smite itI went forth after him and pacified him
• I returned with 300 assess laden with incense,
  ebony, grain, panthersivorynow when the chief
  of Irthetsaw how strong and numerous was the
  troop of Yamand the soldiers who had been sent
  with me, then this chief brought and gave to me
  bulls and small cattle

26
4th Journey

• Harkhuf wrote to the young king Pepy II to say
  he was returning with gifts a dancing dwarf.
• Kings reply is the only surviving royal letter
  from OKE (it is inscribed in the tomb of
  Harkhuf)
• I have noted the content of your letteryou have
  brought a dancing dwarflike the dwarf the
  treasurer of the god Burded brought from Punt in
  the time of IsesiMy majesty desires to see this
  dwarf more than the gifts of Sinai and of Punt.

27
Afterlife

• Different to King
• Tombs show that it was an idealised version of
  their life on earth
• Did not share the afterlife with the Gods and the
  King
• Separate burials from the king signals a growing
  belief that not only the pharaoh was reborn in
  the afterlife.

28
Growing Power of officials

• End of 5th and 6th Dynasties officials are being
  given greater share in offices of the king.
• 4th Dynasty one Sealbearer of the King of
  Lower Egypt
• 5th 6th there are many.
• Overseer normally the vizier (acting for pharaoh)
  position disperses by 6th Dynasty this may
  demonstrate the loss of centralised authority and
  control by the pharaoh.

29
PRIESTS
30
THEIR JOB...

• MAIN FUNCTION MINISTER TO THE NEEDS OF EACH GOD
• Kept temple and sanctuary areas pure
• Conducted rituals
• Performed great ceremonies for the public
• Education temples learning centre for scribes
  and doctors
• Administrative tasks
• Medical tasks

31
Many Types...

• Wab Purifying priest
• Lector Read out prayers and rites at funerals
  and in services
• Sem Mortuary Rituals
• Hem netjer Assisted in Temples

32
Daily Plan
What they were taught

• Morning Dressed, Incensed Anointed statue of
  god with oils
• Interior shine then closed sealed against
  intruders
• Noon Purifying water was added to holy fonts
• Sanctuaries swept and washed again
• Evening Repetition of midday ritual

• Quietude
• Modesty
• Self-sacrifice

33
PRIESTS...

• Most were married and were succeeded by their
  children
• Were members of a family long connected with a
  particular cult or temple
• Worked their lands when they were not doing
  temple service
• There were some priestesses associated with
  goddess cults
• Emerged during 5th Dynasty as having special
  divine powers of prophecy a ruling caste

34
PRIESTS...

• Accumulated massive wealth
• Closed social class
• Hierarchy within priesthood.
• Rising power and wealth of provincial cults
  their priesthoods

35
Identification

• Wore WHITE when in temples and SANDALS
• Wearing different skins (eg leopard), pendants
  and hair plaited denoted different ranks of
  priests.

36
Priest making an offering
37
Temple Plan
Sanctuary
Outer Hall
Shrine
Courtyard
Inner Hall
Pylon
38
Temple Life

• Priest had no congregation no pastoral duties
• Priests alone could only enter the temples
  worked in a series of chambers of increasing
  seclusion. Determined by rank
• Main function of temple home of the God
• Were the centre of each town but were not open to
  public except on certain feast days.

39
SCRIBES
40
Scribes as Religious writers

• Basic requirement of literacy
• Scribes wrote down magic spells
• Wrote out Royal Decrees funerary rites
• This was their first step to religious office.
  Callender

41
Scribes as Supervisors

• Supervised storage of grain and production of
  bread butter
• Resurveyed the fields after the flood
• Distributed seed
• Responsible for the labour, materials and rations
  on building, quarrying and irrigation projects
• Controlled traffic on the Nile, the caravan
  routes of Nubia and supervised trade in cedar
  from Lebanon.

42
Scribes as Counters/Measurers

• Measures yields of grain
• Counted cattle during census
• Calculated taxes and punished tax evaders
• Ti was 'Overseer of the Pyramids of Niuserre and
  Neferirkare in 5th Dynasty

43
Scribes as Recorders

• Recorded level of the annual Nile Flood (the
  inundation)
• Kept records on all temple activities, including
  keeping inventories of property, monitoring the
  temple workshops weighing gold precious
  metals
• Kept records of the Kings mortuary cult

44
Oh Noble ones...

• 3 Ranks of nobility
• 1. Lower Ranks Majority Filled the role of
  officials with minimal individual
  responsibility
• 2. Middle ranks Considerably less in rank
• 3. Upper Ranks Very Elite Smaller numbers

45
Studying...

• Started from the age of 5
• Studied for almost 12 years
• Learnt 700 hieroglyphics
• Taught by qualified scribes or by their fathers

46
Administration and Officials

• Hallo Simpson
• The land was administered through central
  offices charged with granaries, assessments,
  taxes and disbursements of salaries
• Malek In the shadows of the Pyramid
• Administrative system
• Diverse
• The old kingdom was a centrally planned
  governed bureaucratic state
• All the departments of state administered large
  staffs of scribes

47
Representations

• Shown
• wearing white kilts
• Holding pen in hand
• Holding a Papyrus roll

48
Heti

• Dynasty IV
• Engrossed in accounting