The Rise and Fall of Ancient EgyptIn this landmark work, one of the world's most renowned Egyptologists tells the epic story of this great civilization, from its birth as the first nation-state to its final absorption into the Roman Empire--three thousand years of wild drama, bold spectacle, and unforgettable characters. Award-winning scholar Toby Wilkinson captures not only the lavish pomp and artistic grandeur of this land of pyramids and pharaohs but for the first time reveals the constant propaganda and repression that were its foundations. Drawing upon forty years of archaeological research, Wilkinson takes us inside an exotic tribal society with a pre-monetary economy and decadent, divine kings who ruled with all-too-recognizable human emotions. Here are the years of the Old Kingdom, where Pepi II, made king as an infant, was later undermined by rumors of his affair with an army general, and the Middle Kingdom, a golden age of literature and jewelry in which the benefits of the afterlife became available for all, not just royalty--a concept later underlying Christianity. Wilkinson then explores the legendary era of the New Kingdom, a lost world of breathtaking opulence founded by Ahmose, whose parents were siblings, and who married his sister and transformed worship of his family into a national cult. Other leaders include Akhenaten, the "heretic king," who with his wife Nefertiti brought about a revolution with a bold new religion; his son Tutankhamun, whose dazzling tomb would remain hidden for three millennia; and eleven pharaohs called Ramesses, the last of whom presided over the militarism, lawlessness, and corruption that caused a crucial political and societal decline. Riveting and revelatory, filled with new information and unique interpretations, "The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt "will become the standard source about this great civilization, one that lasted--so far--longer than any other. |
Contents
Prologue | 1 |
In the Beginning In the Beginning | 17 |
God Incarnate God Incarnate | 38 |
Absolute Power Absolute Power | 54 |
Heaven on Earth Heaven on Earth | 72 |
Eternity Assu Eternity Assuredred | 92 |
Civil War Civil War | 119 |
Paradise Postponed Paradise Postponed | 141 |
Martial Law Martial Law | 305 |
War and Peace War and Peace | 324 |
Triumph and Tragedy Triumph and Tragedy | 346 |
Doubleedged Sword Doubleedged Sword | 364 |
A House Divided A House Divided | 387 |
A Tarnished Throne A Tarnished Throne | 405 |
Fortunes Fickle Wheel Fortunes Fickle Wheel | 422 |
Invasion and Introspection Invasion and Introspection | 445 |
The Face of Tyranny The Face of Tyranny | 159 |
Bitter Harvest Bitter Harvest | 182 |
Order Reimposed Order Reimposed | 203 |
Pushing the Boundaries Pushing the Boundaries | 222 |
King and Country King and Country | 243 |
Golden Age Golden Age | 261 |
Royal Revolution Royal Revolution | 279 |
The Long Goodbye The Long Goodbye | 469 |
FinisFinis | 491 |
Epilogue | 510 |
Further Notes | 524 |
Bibliography | 587 |
Acknowledgements | 625 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abdju afterlife Ahmose Akhenaten Alexandria Amarna Amenemhat Amenhotep Amenhotep III Amun Amun-Ra ancient Egypt ancient Egyptian army Assyrian Aten battle burial campaign centre centuries Cleopatra country’s court cult culture death decoration deities Delta desert divine early East Egyptian history Eighteenth Dynasty enemy forces foreign funerary god’s gods Greek Hatshepsut High Priest Hittite Horemheb Horus Hutwaret Hyksos Ibid II’s III’s inscription Intef Intermediate Period Ipetsut Kadesh Kenneth Kitchen king king’s kingship Kush Kushite land Libyan Lower Egypt Mediterranean Memphis Middle Kingdom military monarchy monuments Narmer Nekhen Nile Valley Nubia officials Old Kingdom Osiris Osorkon palace Per-Ramesses Persian pharaoh Piankhi political Prince province Psamtek Ptolemy pyramid Ramesses Ramesses II Ramesside reign royal tomb rule ruler sacred Saqqara scenes Senusret Seti Shoshenq status stela stone successor Texts Theban Thebes throne Thutmose Thutmose III tion Toby Wilkinson town traditional Tutankhamun Twelfth Dynasty Upper Egypt victory vizier