Student Number: 2020-09411-MN-0 Date: December 20, 2021

Name: Salazar, Mary Rose C. Section: BAPE 2-2

The Ancient Egyptian Dynasties

Ancient Egypt was one of the most powerful and important civilizations that is
divided into three periods: the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom.
The New Kingdom was succeeded by the Late New Kingdom, in which power was handed
from one dynasty to another. A dynasty was governed until it was deposed, or no
successors were left to rule. It also leaves several monuments, papers, and works of art
that scholars are still studying today.

Ancient Egypt had 31 dynasties that worked together to hold Egypt together.
Periods of chaos, cutthroat competition, and outsiders attempting to seize the territory
confronted rulers. Egypt's earliest dynasty dates back around 5,000 years, during what is
known as the archaic period. The monarchs' divine power started, and under this dynasty,
a separate Egyptian culture formed, including the development of writing, arts, and
sciences. Furthermore, until the end of the Old Kingdom, this dynasty referred to its rulers
as pharaohs rather than kings, and they were addressed as "your majesty."

The seventh and eighth dynasties ushered in a rapid succession of Memphis-based

rulers until approximately 2160 BC, when the central authority was completely removed,
culminating in a civil war among provincial governors. Governmental failure, a natural
disaster, or a combination of the two resulted in famine and local violence, leaving the
country impoverished and disordered at that time (Ancient Egypt: Civilization, Empire &
Culture n.d.). Inscriptions discovered in the Min temple at Qift in the south indicate that
these two dynasties’ reigns were acknowledged across Egypt.

As the eighth dynasty ended, kings from Hierakonpolis declared their home city to
be the capital, while Memphis remained prominent. They were recognized through
writings by nomarchs in the south suggest that the kings' control was only nominal. The
nomarch's provision of food for his people during times of famine, as well as his
effectiveness in driving irrigation works, are major subjects of the period's inscriptions.
This reign also left inscriptions that describe the nomarchs' digging canals, reducing
taxation, reaping rich harvests, raising cattle herds, and maintaining an army and fleet,
which helped to change the status of ordinary Egyptians. Additionally, one of the notable
events from this dynasty is the protests of Egyptians against injustice at the highest levels.

The House of Khety is the name given to the 10th dynasty after its progenitor, Khety.
God's Wife was the goddess Mut's human embodiment and became the primary priestess
of Amun's worship in Thebes by the Late Period. In the Abydos region, the boundary
between the two kingdoms shifted, causing periodic warfare. Instead of launching an open
conflict with Thebes, this dynasty adopted a semi-peaceful cohabitation strategy with the
southern rivals of the 11th Dynasty and focused on expanding the economy (Egyptian
Dynasties Middle Kingdom n.d.). The Middle Kingdom Egypt pursued an aggressive
foreign policy, colonizing and repelling the Bedouins who had infiltrated Egypt during the
First Intermediate Period, a practice that began with Amenemhet I.
 The 12th dynasty established diplomatic and commercial contacts with Syria,
Palestine, and other countries, as well as undertaking construction projects like military
strongholds and mining quarries and returning to the Old Kingdom's pyramid-building
heritage (Ancient Egypt: Civilization, Empire & Culture n.d.). The written language from
this era is regularized in its traditional Middle Egyptian form. Even though the majority are
credited to Old Kingdom scribes, this is the earliest category of literary works where one
of the most notable works is the “Instruction for Meri Kare”, a discourse on kingship and
moral obligation (Egyptian Dynasties Middle Kingdom n.d.).

Despite the lack of a definite chronology for the 13th dynasty, it marked the
beginning of another period in Egyptian history in which a succession of rulers battled for
power. Several kings reigned for a short time, none of whom hailed from a single
bloodline, and some of them were born commoners. Moreover, this dynasty continued
pyramid construction, and a large quantity of literary and scientific books were produced.
The ancient Egyptian 14th dynasty coexisted with the 13th dynasty. Several waves of
nomadic people from Palestine settled in the Delta, and its first king appears to have
reigned for a long time (Egyptian Dynasties Middle Kingdom n.d.). This dynasty
strengthens the relationship with the Kushite kingdom after one of its kings married a
Nubian princess.

During the 15th dynasty, the Hyksos destroyed Memphis and built their capital at
Avaris in the Delta. The dynasty consisted of five to six monarchs who introduced new
musical instruments and genres to Egypt, as well as technological accomplishments such
as bronze work, pottery, and weaving. In addition, new varieties of animals and crops were
introduced (Egyptian Dynasties Middle Kingdom n.d.).

Upper and Lower Egypt were split between the pharaohs of Thebes and the Hyksos
monarchs of Avaris when the second intermediate period started, with the 16 th dynasty
ruling in Upper Egypt for 50 years. An inscription on the tomb of Amenemhet, a court
official, depicts a water clock made from a stone vase with a small hole at the bottom that
enabled water to drip at a steady rate that was used to track the passage of time.

When the Hyksos ruled northern Egypt in the 17th century, a new line of local
monarchs developed in Thebes. They reigned over an area that stretched from
Elephantine in the south to Abydos in the middle. Early monarchs did not attempt to
confront the Hyksos while maintaining an unstable alliance. Later kings, on the other hand,
turned against the Hyksos, resulting in several wars (Egyptian Dynasties Middle Kingdom
n.d.). The Thebans gathered to expel the foreigners from Egypt because of the
disagreement, which was exacerbated by Apepi's unorthodox theological ideas.

Egypt recovered control of Nubia and conducted military incursions into Palestine
under the authority of the 18th dynasty's ruler, battling with other area kingdoms such as
the Mitannians and Hittites. Following Akhenaton's death, Thebes was reestablished as
the Egyptian capital, and the Egyptians resumed their worship of a multitude of gods.
Tomb painting, the Colossi of Memnon, and figurative art are among the most notable
achievements of this era (Egyptian Dynasties New Kingdom n.d.).

Horemheb was the first post-Amarna ruler to be acknowledged as the epoch's

founder by the 19th dynasty. Considering his lack of a son, he appointed Ramses, his
commander and vizier, to succeed him. The Temple of Seti I, the Temple of Luxor, and
the Temple of Abu Simbelare were the most noteworthy achievements of this era.

During the 20th dynasty, Setnakht ruled for only a few years, but was able to restore
order. His son, on the other hand, vanquished the sea peoples who had ravaged the Hittite
Empire and swept everything in their way as they marched south. As Ramses III was
deified as a form of Amon-Re known as Imbued with Eternity, the king's burial temple was
integrated within the domains of the temple of Amon, which shows prominently on the
papyrus (Baines, et al. 2021).

Smendes crowned himself king of the 21st dynasty upon Rameses XI's death and
ruled from Tanis in the Delta. The country of Thebes was gradually divided between the
rulers and the high priests of Amun. The methodical removal of valuables from royal tombs
and coffin faces became necessary as a barrier to protect worldly remnants, or souls.

Shoshenk brought most of the country's factions together in the 22nd dynasty. After
the death of Solomon of Israel, he fought against Jerusalem and seized the kingdoms of
Judah and Israel. He ultimately came to a halt at Megiddo, where Thutmose III had
triumphed 500 years before. By placing their sons as high priests and fostering marriages,
this dynasty was able to overcome the country's administrative divide.

During Shoshenk III's reign, Pedubast, a prince from the central Delta, crowned
himself king at Leontopolis. As a result, two dynasties reigned at the same time: the
twenty-second at Tanis and the twenty-third at Leontopolis. They are described as more
Egyptians than the Egyptians themselves, as they were more dedicated to temples,
depicted themselves as pharaohs, and respected Egyptian customs and deities. Thus,
after being defeated by the Assyrians, they were forced to retreat to Nubia.

The Nubian kingdom to the south reaped the benefits of the country's separation.
Around 752 BCE, the Nubian monarch Kashta persuaded Shepenupet to adopt his
daughter, Amenirdis, as her heir, extending Nubia's authority into the Egyptian metropolis
of Thebes. These tactics paid off for Nubia twenty years later, about 732 BCE, when
Kashta's successor, Piye, marched north into Egypt in his Year 20 war and overcame the
united power of the local Egyptian monarchs (The Third Intermediate Period n.d.). The
Theban Triad, a triad of Egyptian gods, is one of the finest achievements of this era.

The 25th dynasty was founded by local kings of Kush who invaded and enthroned
themselves in a degraded Egypt. They resurrected Egypt's traditional rituals by having old
books recopied, constructing sacred structures in Thebes, and reviving the practice of
pyramid burials.

In the 26th dynasty, Psamtek I reunited Egypt, liberated it from the Assyrians, and
established the Saite dynasty. He overhauled Egypt's Psamtek and Amose II and executed
several projects, including Neko II's groundbreaking design to construct a canal between
the Red Sea and the Nile (Egyptian Dynasties Late Period n.d.).

With the help of Polycrates and Arabs, Cambyses II founded the Persian empire by
conquering Egypt. Cambyses seized Heliopolis and Memphis after winning the Battle of
Pelusium, and the Egyptian resistance crumbled. One of its pharaohs formalized Egypt's
laws and, more importantly, finished the excavation of a canal system at Suez, allowing
access from the Bitter Lakes to the Red Sea, considerably more convenient than the hard
desert land journey.

For over a decade, Amyrtacus led a revolt against Persian rule. With the help of
Cretan mercenaries, Amyrtaeus expelled the Persians from Memphis and declared
himself Pharaoh of Egypt. Although Artaxerxes II attempted to lead an expedition to retake
Egypt, he was unable to do so due to political problems with his brother that helped
Amyrtaeus to strengthen Egyptian dominance over Egypt. The painters of this time were
given more freedom to express themselves. Also, statuary was constructed, and work in
metals such as gold, silver, and bronze were accomplished.

Egypt was freed from foreign rule, and the 29th dynasty enjoyed a period of
restoration and stability. After Nepherites I died, a power struggle erupted, with Hakor
emerging triumphant. During his fourteen-year rule, he accomplished a handful of
achievements, including negotiating a peace with Athens against the Persians and
surviving three Persian assaults with the help of Greek mercenaries.

During Nectanebo I's 18-year rule, Egypt was assaulted by an army of Persians and
Greeks. They first crushed the Egyptians, but Nectanebo counterattacked and annihilated
them. After being beaten by the Persian monarch Artaxerxes III, he escaped to Memphis,
then Upper Egypt, and eventually Nubia, where he vanished from history. All organized
resistance to the Persians dissolved with Nectanebo's escape, and Egypt was subjugated
to a satrapy of the Persian Empire once more. Thus, this dynasty made a significant
contribution to the period's architectural revival.

The final Egyptian dynasty began with Artaxerxes failed attempt to capture Egypt,
which had been independent since 404 BC. A few years later, he tried again and beat
Nectanebo II in Pelusium. Artaxerxes is claimed to have slaughtered the Apis bull with his
own hands, destroying the walls of Egypt's towns and plundering its temples. Darius III
was the Persian Empire's final ruler. The lighthouse of Pharos, one of the seven wonders
of the ancient world, was located here.
 References
n.d. Ancient Egypt: Civilization, Empire & Culture . Accessed December 20, 2021.
https://www.history.com/.amp/topics/ancient-history/ancient-egypt.
Baines, John R, Alan K Bowman, Peter F Dorman, Alan Edouard Samuel, and Edward
Wente. 2021. May 26. Accessed December 20, 2021.
https://www.britannica.com/place/ancient-Egypt/The-Early-Dynastic-period-c-
2925-c-2575-bce#ref22291.
n.d. Egyptian Dynasties Late Period. Accessed December 20, 2021.
https://discoveringegypt.com/ancient-egyptian-kings-queens/egyptian-dynasties-
late-period/.
n.d. Egyptian Dynasties Middle Kingdom. Accessed December 20, 2021.
https://discoveringegypt.com/ancient-egyptian-kings-queens/egyptian-dynasties-
middle-kingdom/.
n.d. Egyptian Dynasties New Kingdom. Accessed December 20, 2021.
https://discoveringegypt.com/ancient-egyptian-kings-queens/egyptian-dynasties-
new-kingdom/.
n.d. The Old Kingdom. Accessed December 20, 2021.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-worldhistory/chapter/the-old-
kingdom/.
n.d. The Third Intermediate Period. Accessed December 20, 2021.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-herkimer-westerncivilization/chapter/the-
third-intermediate-period/.