Transcript - bYTEBoss

Roles of the Viziers, Nomarchs &
Officials
Old Kingdom Egypt
Dynasties III- IV
VIZIER
 Most powerful official: 2nd only to Pharaoh
 Wore King’s 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)
VIZIER’S DUTIES
 Supreme Judge
 Evidence: Inscription on 6th Dynasty vizier Weni describes himself as
‘the prophet of Ma’at’ (goddess of truth)
 Was no evidence of a written law code so he relied on Pharaoh’s 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
Known Viziers
Dynasty
3
Pharaoh
Vizier
Djoser
Imhotep
Huni
Snefru
4
5
6
Khufu
Kagemni
Hemiunu
Ankh-khaf
Khafre
Menkhaf
Nyuserre
Ptahshepses
Isesi
Ptah-hotep
Teti
Mereruka
Pepi II
Diau
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
Famous Viziers
 Ptahshepses of Abusir
- Fifth Dynasty
-Vizier to Neuserre
- Married the king’s daughter
- Honoured with title ‘sa nesew’, ‘king’s 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
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.
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.
Mereruka
Life size statue at his
mastaba tomb at
Saqqara
Nomarchs
 The division of provinces within Egypt were known as
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‘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.
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
Officials
 Most important duties often given to relatives of pharaoh.
 Sandal-bearers, keepers of the robes and crowns, barbers,
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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
The Hierarchical form of government – Old Kingdom
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
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
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…).
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
king’s trust -
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 Sanddwellers…after it had thrown fire in all its troops…and having carried away
a great multitude as living captives.
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
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 ofWawat.Then the negro chiefs of Irthet,
Wawat,Yam, and Mazoi supplied timber for the boats and I did the whole in
only one year.
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.
Autobiographies
Harkhuf: 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.
1st
Journey
The majesty of Merenere, my lord, sent me,
together with my father, the sole companion and
ritual priest Iri, toYam in order to explore a road
to this country. I did it in only 7 months & I
brought all kinds of gifts from it…
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 toYam before this, succeeded.
3rd
Journey
His majesty sent me a 3rd time toYam…I found
the chief ofYam going to the land of Temeh to
smite it…I went forth after him and pacified
him…
I returned with 300 assess laden with incense,
ebony, grain, panthers…ivory…now when the
chief of Irthet…saw how strong and numerous
was the troop ofYam…and the soldiers who had
been sent with me, then this chief brought and
gave to me bulls and small cattle…
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 letter…you have
brought a dancing dwarf…like the dwarf the
treasurer of the god Burded brought from Punt in
the time of Isesi…My majesty desires to see this
dwarf more than the gifts of Sinai and of Punt.
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.
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.
PRIESTS
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
Many Types...
 Wab – Purifying priest
 Lector – Read out prayers and rites at funerals and in services
 Sem – Mortuary Rituals
 Hem netjer – Assisted in Temples
Daily Plan
What they were
taught
 Morning – Dressed,
 Quietude
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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
 Modesty
 Self-sacrifice
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
PRIESTS...
 Accumulated massive wealth
 Closed social class
 Hierarchy within priesthood.
 Rising power and wealth of provincial cults & their
priesthoods
Identification
 Wore WHITE when in temples and SANDALS
 Wearing different skins (eg leopard), pendants and hair
plaited denoted different ranks of priests.
Priest making an offering
Temple Plan
Outer Hall
Sanctuary
Shrine
Courtyard
Pylon
Inner Hall
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.
SCRIBES
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
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.
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
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 King’s mortuary cult
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
Studying...
 Started from the age of 5
 Studied for almost 12 years
 Learnt 700 hieroglyphics
 Taught by qualified scribes or by their fathers
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”
Representations
Shown
wearing white
kilts
Holding pen in
hand
Holding a
Papyrus roll
Heti
Dynasty IV
Engrossed in
accounting