Ancient Egyptian Government
Government Team: Sean D, Andrew I,Greg D,Griffin F, Michael M
The structure of the Ancient Egyptian Government was based on a class system. We will try to explain to you who established and who enforced the laws, what the laws were, what they're based on and how the laws affected different classes of people. We will also compare the government of ancient Egypt to our society today.
The Ancient Egyptian Government was dominated by a single man, the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh was the person who established the laws. The Pharaoh is like the king of Egypt. He controls its people, population, government, economy, and almost everything else. His Vizier is second in command and controls everything the Pharaoh cannot. He is the Pharaoh's right-hand man and never leaves his side. The Pharaoh establishes the laws and the Vizier helps him. The people of Egypt follow the Pharaoh because they believe the Pharaoh is half-man and half-god.
The people who enforced the laws daily were called officials. The officials were the police force; they kept things in order by roaming around making sure there were no problems. If there was a crime, they would be brought before the Vizier or the Pharaoh who would be the judge. The land itself was divided up into provinces called nomes. The officials policed each nome, and each nome had a governor, who was appointed by the Pharaoh, and responsible to the vizier.
The laws were based on Ma'at, which stood for truth and justice, it was fair to everyone except slaves. Slaves had no rights. The laws were based on a common sense view of right and wrong. Ma'at is truth, order, balance and justice in the universe. Ancient Egypt was also a theocracy, controlled by the clergy. The Pharaoh's advisors and ministers were almost always priests, who were considered the only ones worthy and able to carry out the Pharaoh's commands. As in most religious ancient societies, priests had special status above the rest of the citizens, forming a kind of nobility. They were part of the upper class system.
There were different classes of people in Egypt. It went from highest in power to lowest in power. The Pharaoh came first, as the king. Then came his Visier. There were members of the government, priests and clergy, and royal family members as long as there were no women. They felt women could not be trusted. Officials and scribes came next for they were highly respected, and could read and write. Next, the crafts people and the peasants were the lower of the classes. Last came slaves, they had no privileges at all. There may have been different classes of people but high class or low class; everybody had a fair chance at justice, except slaves.
Taxes were paid in goods and labor. Citizens were drafted into the army and forced labor for periods of time to pay what was called a corvee, the labor tax. Slaves, mercenaries, and draftees were often used in the army. Slaves could not be used to construct sacred monuments because they weren't worthy.
The government of ancient Egypt is different from today's society because in the United States we are a democracy. We elect our president. Priests and clergy do not advise our President on important issues and we have a division between church and state. In Egypt today they have elections and their president is Hosni Mubarak. He is part of the National Democratic Party in Egypt. Over time, the class system of government began to change, now there are no more slaves, but there still is a lower class of workers. There are no more set borders between classes in the society we live in.
Definitions:
Vizier law enforcer, prime minister, pharaoh's right-hand-man, always by his side
Ma'at law codes of truth and justice, common sense view of right and wrong
theocracy society controlled by the clergy
nomes land divided into provinces, each had a governor, appointed by the Pharaoh and answers
to the vizier.
corvee labor tax, citizens were drafted into the army and forced labor for periods of time
Pharaohs tail-the tail to remind people that the Pharaoh had magical powers
Pharaoh's flail whip that reminded the Egyptians to obey the Pharaoh
embalming the way of preserving the Pharaoh in the after-life
HERE IS A LIST OF ALL THE PHAROHS of all the kingdoms!!!!!:: http://www.touregypt.net/kings.htm
The ancient egyptians belived in many gods there was the god of re the sun god,the god of nunthe god of dark waters,the first god Atum the first god of ancient egypt they belived in many gods because the thaught they would grant them power and unity.
- King Tut was one of the youngest pharoahs to serve in ancient egypt. He started being king at age 9. He was known as the boy king and he ruled in the new kingdom. King tut was married to queen Ankhesenpaaten was posibly his half sister.
egyptian gods PCA830S4UCACT2NITCAM5ULE2CABUSZEGCAJ1IBV8CAPCH5MLCANHFCMXCAZ1DTCPCAIUHN6SCASFZD1CCATBOUSSCA8WJ13DCAP2TJYQCARO3RXACAG6YQL8CA2UR8HBCALITN9JCAPFHVVFCACVWEFL.jpg
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Comments (Show all 41)
wikiuser0012 said
at 9:02 pm on Oct 3, 2008
Good Luck!!!
wikiuser0008 said
at 1:53 pm on Oct 6, 2008
hi andrew
wikiuser0009 said
at 1:54 pm on Oct 6, 2008
yomatoes
wikiuser0009 said
at 1:55 pm on Oct 6, 2008
wiki9 said cheese.
cheese.
wikiuser0009 said
at 1:57 pm on Oct 6, 2008
Hi, Miss Paduano
wikiuser0006 said
at 2:04 pm on Oct 6, 2008
good luck
wikiuser0017 said
at 2:08 pm on Oct 6, 2008
hi
wikiuser0025 said
at 6:31 pm on Oct 6, 2008
Heyyy Guys Im just sayin u should add some color and add pictures and answer the questions...........take a look at my page i am the writing team well c u l8ta
~elaine~
Miss Paduano said
at 10:32 pm on Oct 6, 2008
Please get to work Government team! If you need additional help, please let me know ASAP! You may look at your classmates pages to get some ideas. Also use the questions as a guide.
Miss Paduano
wikiuser0010 said
at 5:08 pm on Oct 7, 2008
u guys should get started. . . . . . .. . . .. . . like pronto!!!!!!
wikiuser0011 said
at 5:37 pm on Oct 7, 2008
who is in this group????????.......... 1st of all, you need to add your names, 2nd you should check out the other pages for ideas................ everyone is pretty much on to a great start............. we really want to see your page when it's finished............ you can also check out my page for ideas, I am ART AND ARCHITECTURE. My group has a lot sooooooo far.........
Just trying to help, Taylor
wikiuser0010 said
at 5:39 pm on Oct 7, 2008
yeah listen to taylor!!!!!!
wikiuser0010 said
at 9:30 pm on Oct 7, 2008
u finally put your names down.!!!!! yay!!!!! u did it , u did it yay
wikiuser0025 said
at 10:26 pm on Oct 7, 2008
Ok griffin plezz get started the project is due the 20th OF OCTOBER thats coming up just get strted add some color add pictures make it pop griff if u need any help ust ak me or miss paduano dont get lykee JV he is a bad example dont listen to him
~laney~
wikiuser0024 said
at 1:57 pm on Oct 8, 2008
Hey its Anjelica i would add some color and pictures!!!
*Anjelica*
ps add some questions to lol!!!
Miss Paduano said
at 7:09 pm on Oct 8, 2008
Team,
Please get to work! The vocabulary person seems to be the only one who has been doing his/her work. Let me know if I can help.
Miss Paduano
wikiuser0011 said
at 7:50 pm on Oct 8, 2008
You need more information.
- Taylor
wikiuser0012 said
at 9:03 am on Oct 9, 2008
hi guys good job but i think you should start a little
wikiuser0010 said
at 1:24 pm on Oct 9, 2008
U GUYS SHOULD GET STARTED!!!! NOW!!!
wikiuser0010 said
at 2:24 pm on Oct 9, 2008
good job on the names...........
-taylor
wikiuser0010 said
at 2:25 pm on Oct 9, 2008
now u need everything else. . . . . . . . .
wikiuser0010 said
at 2:45 pm on Oct 9, 2008
YOU NEED MORE STUFF. THE DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 20TH. ITS OCTOBER 9TH. I SUGGEST U GET 2 WORK.
-TAYLOR
Mrs. Olsen said
at 9:20 pm on Oct 9, 2008
Hi Government Team!
Time to get busy. Don't worry about formatting until you have all of your information on your page. Be sure to see me or Ms. Paduano as soon as possible if you need help.
Mrs. Olsen
wikiuser0007 said
at 10:02 pm on Oct 9, 2008
yeah yeah we got started!!! ok taylor?? sheesh.
wikiuser0021 said
at 12:58 pm on Oct 11, 2008
get working
wikiuser0024 said
at 6:41 pm on Oct 11, 2008
HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Mrs. Gallagher said
at 4:58 pm on Oct 12, 2008
Do you think that the Egyptian laws were fair? Should the family suffer because of one of the individuals? In the United States, do we have any laws like that?
Mrs. Gallagher
wikiuser0011 said
at 7:45 pm on Oct 12, 2008
good job
-taylor
Miss Paduano said
at 5:23 pm on Oct 13, 2008
Hi Team,
I'm glad to see you completed some work over the weekend. Adding pictures and citing resources is a must, so please see me or Mrs. Olsen if you need help doing so.
Keep up the good work.
Miss Paduano
wikiuser0011 said
at 5:24 pm on Oct 14, 2008
hey cool page
wikiuser0027 said
at 7:55 pm on Oct 14, 2008
....... cool page.........
............................
it is awsome
wikiuser0017 said
at 3:17 pm on Oct 16, 2008
andrew if you are the researcher check out www.crystalinks.com/akhenaton.htm
wikiuser0017 said
at 4:10 pm on Oct 16, 2008
what website can i go to to get pictures cant get any they all get picilated every picture i put but i put some youtube videos
wikiuser0017 said
at 4:10 pm on Oct 16, 2008
what website can i go to to get pictures cant get any they all get picilated every picture i put but i put some youtube videos
wikiuser0017 said
at 4:43 pm on Oct 16, 2008
Nevermind about the pictures
wikiuser0007 said
at 9:11 pm on Oct 16, 2008
WHO STOLE MY LOCK!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! WOW I PUT SO MUCH STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wikiuser0007 said
at 9:18 pm on Oct 16, 2008
ok whoever stole my lock this is for you =[ i got the link back but now we lost some stuff. NICEE
wikiuser0025 said
at 6:11 pm on Oct 17, 2008
Heyyy Griffin, Your team is doing A GREAT JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ill c u in skool!!!!!!!!!!!! xoxoxo elaine, peace out!
wikiuser0024 said
at 9:01 am on Oct 18, 2008
Looking good you guys.
*Anjelica*
wikiuser0012 said
at 8:45 pm on Oct 20, 2008
good job but you just might want to sepwrate the pics around rather than putting them right after another
GREAT JOB !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
~Nicole~
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