History of how the nobles lived and what they did. The life of a nobleman in ancient Egypt. House arrangement and state duties of a nobleman. In what things were kept

Lesson questions

Society of Ancient Egypt

Housing of noble people

One day in the life of a noble

In the last lesson, we talked about the life of ordinary Egyptians: farmers and artisans. And how did rich people live in ancient Egypt? In fact, much more is known about the life of the pharaohs and nobles than about the life of commoners. This is because during their lifetime rich people built their own tombs. The walls of the tombs were replete with images of scenes from the life of the nobleman himself. Therefore, we can judge not only about the houses in which the nobles of Egypt lived, what they ate, but also what they did, what they loved and what they did not like.

But first, let's imagine how society was organized in ancient Egypt.

At the head of the state was Pharaoh - the king who owned all the power in Egypt. The ancient Egyptians revered the Pharaoh as a god and obeyed him unquestioningly.

Pharaoh ruled the state with the help of nobles, advisers, chief priests, military leaders, officials. The main official under the pharaoh was chati (in Russian literature you can find another name - vizier). All other officials obeyed him.

Officials ruled in cities and villages, were responsible for collecting taxes, supervised construction work, followed everything that happened in the country.

The official had scribes and soldiers at his disposal. Scribes carried out a census of the population, counted the harvested crop or captured booty. Although the position of scribe was one of the lowest in the hierarchy of officials, it was no less honorable because of this.

A noble Egyptian taught his son: “Become a scribe! He is exempt from duties, he is protected from all kinds of work, he is removed from the hoe and the pick. The best is all posts. When he (the scribe) is still a child, they already greet him. Look, there is no position where there is no chief, except for the position of a scribe, for he is the chief himself. " .

The warriors provided security for officials and used force to suppress protests.

At the lowest levels of Egyptian society were peasants and artisans, who constituted a significant part of the population of Egypt, as well as slaves.

Noble Egyptians lived in luxurious palacessurrounded by high clay walls. Palaces, like all houses in Ancient Egypt, were built of bricks. On the flat roof of the house, in the evenings, when the heat subsides, the whole family would gather to relax.

The palace was certainly located in a garden among flowers and fruit trees. There was a pond in the middle of the garden. Geese and ducks swam in it. A little further off there is a grain storage, a kitchen, a bakery, a well, and also huts for servants.

Now let's introduce you to one day in the life of an Egyptian noble... Meet his name is Ipuser. He is the governor of the pharaoh in one of the cities located near Memphis (the capital of Egypt), and at the court he occupies a high position.

The nobleman's morning begins with washing.

The ancient Egyptians (from Pharaoh to peasant) were distinguished by their cleanliness. They washed themselves several times a day: in the morning, before and after each meal. For washing the Egyptians used special basins - “ shawty". Cleansing salt was poured into the mouthwash.

Following the example of Pharaoh, Ipuser turned his morning toilet into a real ceremony. Numerous relatives gather around the owner of the house. The scribes are squatting in front of the nobleman, ready to write down orders.

After the morning bath, barbers and servants shave the master's cheeks and head, do manicure and pedicure, anoint his body with oils and incense, and eyeliner.

Egyptians (both women and men) liked elongated eyes. In addition to beauty, such make-up protected delicate eyes from inflammation caused by too bright sun, wind, dust, insects .

After washing his face, Ipuser quickly eats his breakfast of bread, a piece of meat, pie and beer, and rushes to the service at the Pharaoh's palace. Today he will report to the lord of both lands on the state of affairs in the construction of canals and dams.

Ipuser sits on a stretcher carried by dark-skinned slaves. Light-skinned slaves walk side by side and cover their master with fans from the rays of the scorching sun.

Many nobles and officials gathered in the palace of the pharaoh. Everyone is waiting for the start of the appointment. Pharaoh is seated on the throne. In his hands he holds the symbols of the highest power - a rod and a whip. Showing his respect to the Pharaoh, Ipuser approaches the lord with his hands raised in a prayer gesture. Approaching the throne, he kneels down, lowers his face and waits for the Pharaoh to allow him to speak.

Ipuser ends his speech to Pharaoh with the phrase: "Let the sovereign do as he pleases, for we all breathe air only by his grace." Pharaoh was pleased with Ipuser and praised him for his service.

Our nobleman returns home in a good mood.

An unusual bustle reigns in the palace today. This is a sure sign that they are preparing to receive guests. Servants water flowers and trees, pound something in stupas. Female slaves grind grain with stone graters, prepare various dishes.

Finally, servants cover the floor of the largest room with fresh reed mats. Numerous garlands of lotus flowers are hung around. By this time, the fire in the bronze brazier had burned out. Pieces of fragrant straw are placed on the coals, and everything around is filled with the sweet smell of incense. The musicians can be heard tuning their instruments. Acrobats and dancers are waiting for their turn. Drinks and food are served. Geese are fried on spits, a whole line of jugs of wines, liqueurs and beer lined up on the tables. Fruits are laid in baskets and on stands: dates, figs, grapes, bananas. Everything is ready to receive guests.

Especially honorable guests are met and escorted by the owner himself, the rest - by his children or servants. Guests greet the host with flattering speeches: « May the mercy of Amun be in your heart! May he send you a happy old age! May you spend your life in joy and achieve honor! Your lips are healthy, your limbs are mighty. Your eye sees far. Your clothes are linen. Your mouth is filled with wine and beer, bread, meat and pies. Your barn is full of calves. Your spinners are doing well. You are indestructible, and your enemies fall. "

In response to such praises, the owner responds in a patronizing tone: "Welcome!"

After finishing their greetings, Ipuser and his guests walk to the table. The owner of the house sits in a gilded chair adorned with precious stones. The same luxurious armchairs are served to the most honored guests. The guests are simpler to sit on stools or even on mats spread right on the floor. The feast begins.

Revels are always accompanied by music. The guests' ears are delighted by the sounds of flute, harp and oboe.

Servants and maids scurry among the guests. They distribute flowers and incense to guests, and serve dishes prepared by skilled chefs. Today the feast will last all night.

And tomorrow? Who knows? Perhaps the gods will not be so supportive of the fate of Ipuser. For any offense, the pharaoh can get angry and order to take away a beautiful house with a garden, and beat the unfortunate one with sticks. Who knows! After all, not only ordinary Egyptians must obey the orders of the pharaoh and please his whims. He considers nobles as his servants.

Ancient Egypt is one of the most ancient civilizations in the world, which originated in northeastern Africa. The ruler of Egypt was considered the pharaoh, who was served by nobles. Artisans and farmers represented a large stratum of the population of Ancient Egypt and were subordinate to the nobles. In the gradation of the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt, these two estates occupied low positions. Next, we will tell you how the farmers and artisans lived in Egypt.

Work days

Farmers and artisans fed not only themselves, but also nobles, scribes, and Pharaoh's warriors. Most of the accumulated work by farmers and artisans went to the state treasury. The Farmer's Day in Ancient Egypt began at sunrise and ended at sunset. The entire life of the farmer was closely connected with the Nile - one of the greatest river systems in the world. When the river overflowed, it was necessary to ensure that not only fields and lands near the Nile, but also those that were at some distance, remained irrigated. In fields that were located far from the Nile River, the ancient Egyptians dug canals, which they blocked with special dams. When the Nile flooded, the dams were opened.

After the irrigation process, the peasants began sowing. The soft, fertile Egyptian soil was fertilized with silt and did not require any colossal efforts in cultivation. Egyptian farmers and peasants reaped with wooden sickles, where silicon inserts were used as the cutting part. Later, sickles were made of bronze. The first harvested ears were taken by the peasants to their master - a nobleman.

Another large stratum of society in Ancient Egypt was made up of artisans: potters, tanners, weavers.

They did not sell the products of their labor, since at that time there were no commodity-money relations. However, historians have opinions and hypotheses that there was a certain measure of value; in ancient Egyptian images you can see how some buyers carry small boxes with them. Presumably, these were boxes for measuring grain. The exchange process often featured not only goods, but also services. For example, one wealthy nobleman very generously rewarded the craftsmen who built him a luxurious tomb.

Dwelling

How was the life of artisans and farmers in Ancient Egypt from an everyday point of view?

It should be said that the houses of artisans and farmers could not boast of particularly exquisite decoration. The main purpose of their home was to protect them from the heat during the day and from the piercing cold and wind at night. Not stone was used as a building material, which is strange, because Egypt is a country rich in stone, but clay. Moreover, the brick was molded from a mixture of clay and reeds with manure. This gave additional strength to the structure. To get to the artisan's house, you had to go down a couple of steps, since the floor level in the house was lower than the ground level. They did this so that the house was always cool.

Food

Craftsmen and farmers ate quite tasteless, but satisfying food - barley cakes. They rarely ate meat and vegetables and, as a rule, received them from the nobles. The staple food of the artisan and peasant classes was the rhizome of papyrus, prepared in a special way and acquiring a starchy taste during the cooking process. As for the drinks of the common people, beer was the main one. In agricultural work, there was a special person who made sure that the farmer was served on time with a drink. Many scientists believe that it was still not beer, but kvass.

Appearance

The clothing attributes of farmers and artisans did not differ in particular variety. The standard suit looked like this: a loincloth or knee-length skirt, a headband. Peasants walked barefoot, sandals began to be used in Ancient Egypt in a later period of the heyday of civilization.

§ 6-7. Pharaohs and nobles, peasants and slaves

Egyptian pharaohs

The Egyptians believed that the rulers of the state were descended from the powerful sun god Ra and were themselves deities. They believed that the pharaohs can communicate with the gods as equals and through them the gods communicate their will to people. Therefore, the orders of the pharaohs were carried out without question.

Pharaoh and his wife. Image on the wall of the tomb

Pharaoh had unlimited power over his subjects. In his hands were the life and death of any of them, including the most noble nobles. It happened that the kings of Egypt awarded people from the common people for merits. But it happened that even the most noble nobles, falling out of favor, were deprived of all riches and titles and were exiled to the quarries.

Pharaoh's power was inherited. All the land in the state belonged to him. Part of it he granted for service to soldiers, officials, nobles. Along with the allotments of land, the pharaoh gave agricultural workers who cultivated it.

Egyptian nobles

The most notable and influential among the nobles were the rulers of the nomes. After the unification of Egypt, the nomarchs lost their former independence, but retained power over their lands, as well as the right to transfer them by inheritance. On behalf of Pharaoh, they administered judgment, looked after order, and made sure that taxes were regularly transferred to the royal treasury.

Many noble nobles lived at the court of the pharaoh, making up his retinue. They performed the duties of treasurer, steward of feasts and entertainments, keeper of royal sandals and many others. Lesser nobles commanded the troops, supervised the construction of fortresses, canals and roads, disposed of work in the royal workshops, mines and quarries.

The nobles owned hundreds of slaves, huge herds and vast lands with farmers working for them. The nobles dressed in luxurious clothes made of the finest linen fabric. They wore expensive jewelry made of gold, silver and precious stones. They had many servants. The cooks prepared delicious dishes, hairdressers looked after the hair, doctors looked after health, and servants with fans protected them from the hot sunlight. If the nobleman left his house, he was carried on a stretcher so that his feet would not touch the road dust.

Noble Egyptian. Wood sculpture

Farmers' labor

The main occupation of the inhabitants of Egypt was agriculture. Fighting waterlogging, the Egyptians built along the banks of the Nile dams. Through the holes in them, as much water passed to the fields as was required for irrigation. Canals stretched deep into the country. They contributed to a more even irrigation of the entire valley. Over time, the entire valley of Egypt was covered with a dense network of irrigation facilities.

Egyptian farmers learned to irrigate even the highlands and hillsides that surrounded the valley. They supplied water there with the help of special devices - shadufs. Shaduf resembled a well-crane: a leather bucket was tied to its end, with which they scooped up water from a reservoir, and then lifted it and poured it into a reservoir located higher up the slope. There was another shaduf, who supplied water even higher, and so on.

Ancient Egyptian farmers. Drawing on the wall of the tomb

In ancient times, the Egyptians cultivated fields with hoes, then they began to use a wooden plow with a copper tip.

How the farmers lived

Simple Egyptians lived in small houses built of baked bricks in the sun and covered with palm leaves. Small gardens were laid out near the houses. There were pomegranate trees, fig trees, date palms and grapes. Fig fruits, dates and grapes were eaten fresh and dried for future use. Wine was also made from dates and grapes.

Ancient Egyptian earthen vessel

Each family had a small vegetable garden where onions, beans, cucumbers, and melons grew. Almost every family had domestic animals - cows, pigs, goats, sheep. They gave milk, wool, meat, and were also used in agricultural work. Birds were also bred - pigeons, ducks, geese, even cranes.

River hunting. Drawing on papyrus

Common Egyptians wore coarse linen. Because of the hot climate, men wore only loincloths of bleached linen, while women wore straight, tight dresses.

Ancient Egyptian artisans

There were many different crafts in ancient Egypt. Blacksmiths made tools and weapons from copper. Weavers spun and weaved linen. Potters sculpted beautiful clay dishes. There were artisans of other specialties: builders, carpenters, shipbuilders, tanners.

Egyptian jewelers were especially famous. They knew how to make magnificent jewelry from precious stones, gold, silver. But there was no silver in Egypt; it was brought from distant countries. Therefore, it was valued even higher than gold. For a long time, iron was also considered a precious metal in Egypt. They did not know how to smelt it, but got it from the found meteorites. Therefore, iron in ancient times was called "heavenly metal" and as the greatest jewel was framed in gold and silver.

Ancient Egyptian artisans. Drawing on the wall of the tomb

Artisans did not engage in agriculture, devoting their time only to craft. They exchanged the food they needed with the farmers for dishes, copper tools, fabrics or inexpensive jewelry. There was still no money at that time, and therefore various products and objects were simply exchanged for each other. Craftsmen, like farmers, had to pay taxes and duties to the Pharaoh. They gave part of their products for taxes.

Slave figurine

Slaves in Ancient Egypt

The hardest life in ancient Egypt was the life of slaves. They were used for the most difficult jobs. Slaves built canals and roads, worked in mines and quarries, were porters and rowers on ships. Female slaves were used in the homes of wealthy Egyptians as servants. They grinded grain, looked after the children, served at the table, helped with the housework.

The slaves had no property and belonged to their master. He was free to do whatever he liked with them: sell, punish, even kill.

Let's sum up

Egyptian nobles were the richest and most distinguished people of Ancient Egypt. With their help, the pharaoh ruled the state. Farmers, artisans and slaves were the most numerous, but also the most powerless part of the population of Egypt. But it was with their hands that all the wealth of Egypt was created.

Dam - earthen embankment.

Meteorites - small celestial bodies, sometimes falling to the ground.

“The governor of the region transferred taxes from it to the king and constantly supported labor activity in it; under him there was never a famine, all the fields were cultivated ... "

From the inscription in the tomb of the official

Questions and tasks

1. What authority did the pharaohs have, and what was it based on?

2. Who are the nobles? What place did they occupy in the management of the Egyptian state?

3. Why did the Egyptians build dams and canals?

4. Tell us how the common Egyptians dressed, how they lived and what they ate.

5. What place did slaves occupy in Ancient Egypt and what types of work did they perform?

6. Using the illustrations and text of the textbook, compose a story about the work of Egyptian farmers.

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Egyptian pharaohs. The Egyptians believed that their rulers descended from the powerful sun god Ra and were themselves deities. They believed that the pharaohs can communicate with the gods as equals and through them the gods communicate their will to people. Therefore, the orders of the pharaohs were carried out without question.

Pharaoh had unlimited power over his subjects. In his hands were the life and death of any of them, including the most noble nobles. It happened that for the merits of the kings of Egypt exalted people from the common people. But it happened that even the most noble nobles, falling out of favor, were deprived of all riches and titles and were exiled to the quarries.

Figure: Pharaoh and his wife. Image on the wall of the tomb

Pharaoh's power was inherited. All the land in the state belonged to him. Part of it he granted for service to soldiers, officials, nobles. Along with the allotments of land, Pharaoh gave them agricultural workers who cultivated this land.

Egyptian nobles. The most notable and influential among the nobles were the rulers of the homob. After the unification of Egypt, the nomarchs lost their former independence, but retained power over their lands, as well as the right to transfer them by inheritance. On behalf of Pharaoh, they administered judgment, looked after order, and made sure that taxes were regularly transferred to the royal treasury.

Figure: Noble Egyptian. Wood sculpture

Many noble nobles lived at the court of the pharaoh, making up his retinue. They performed the duties of treasurer, steward of feasts and entertainments, keeper of royal sandals and many others. The nobles of a lower rank commanded the troops, supervised the construction of fortresses, canals and roads, disposed of the work in the royal workshops, mines and quarries.

Figure: In the house of an ancient Egyptian nobleman. Modern drawing

• On behalf of the Egyptian poor man, invent a story about how he came to a luxurious nobleman's palace to borrow some money. Imagine what he could tell in the evening with his family.

The nobles owned hundreds of slaves, huge herds and vast lands with farmers working for them. The nobles dressed in luxurious clothes made of the finest linen fabric. They wore expensive jewelry made of gold, silver and precious stones. They had many servants. The cooks prepared delicious dishes, hairdressers looked after the hair, doctors looked after health, and servants with fans protected from the hot sun rays. If a nobleman left his home, he was carried on a stretcher so that the dignitary's feet would not touch the road dust.

Farmers' labor. The main occupation of the inhabitants of Egypt was agriculture. Fighting waterlogging, the Egyptians built dams along the banks of the Nile. Through the holes in them, as much water passed to the fields as was required for irrigation. Canals stretched deep into the country. They contributed to a more even irrigation of the entire valley. Over time, the entire valley of Egypt was covered with a dense network of irrigation facilities.

Figure: Ancient Egyptian farmers. Image on the wall of the tomb

Egyptian farmers learned to irrigate even the highlands and hillsides that surrounded the valley. They supplied water there with the help of special devices - shadufs. Shaduf resembled a well crane: a leather bucket was tied to its end, with which they scooped up water from a reservoir, and then lifted and poured it into a reservoir located higher up the slope. There was another shaduf, supplying water even higher, and so on.

In ancient times, the Egyptians cultivated fields with hoes, then they began to use a wooden plow with a copper tip.

How the farmers lived. Simple Egyptians lived in small houses built of baked bricks in the sun and covered with palm leaves. Small gardens were laid out near the houses. There were pomegranate trees, fig trees, date palms and grapes. Fig fruits, dates and grapes were eaten fresh and dried for future use. Wine was also made from dates and grapes.

Each family had a small vegetable garden where onions, beans, cucumbers, and melons grew. There were also domestic animals on the farm - cows, pigs, goats, sheep. They gave milk, wool, meat. In addition, animals were used in agricultural work. Birds were also bred - pigeons, ducks, geese, even cranes.

Common Egyptians wore coarse linen. Because of the hot climate, men wore only loincloths made of bleached linen, while women wore straight, tight dresses.

Craftsmen of Ancient Egypt. There were many different crafts in ancient Egypt. Blacksmiths made tools and weapons from copper. Weavers spun and weaved linen. Potters sculpted beautiful clay dishes. There were artisans of other specialties: builders, carpenters, shipbuilders, tanners. Egyptian jewelers were especially famous. They knew how to make magnificent jewelry from precious stones, gold, silver. But there was no silver in Egypt; it was brought from distant countries.

Figure: Ancient Egyptian earthen vessel

Therefore, it was valued even higher than gold. For a long time, iron was also considered a precious metal in Egypt. They did not know how to smelt it, but received it from the found meteorites. Therefore, iron in ancient times was called "heavenly metal" and as the greatest jewel was framed in gold and silver.

Figure: River hunting. Drawing on papyrus

Artisans did not engage in agriculture, devoting their time only to craft. They exchanged the food they needed with the farmers for dishes, copper tools, fabrics or inexpensive jewelry. There was still no money at that time, and therefore various products and objects were simply exchanged for each other. Craftsmen, like farmers, had to pay taxes and duties to the Pharaoh. They gave away part of their products for taxes.

Figure: Ancient Egyptian artisans. Image on the wall of the tomb

Slaves in Ancient Egypt. The most difficult life in ancient Egypt was the life of slaves. Usually these were foreigners captured during the war. The Egyptians themselves rarely fell into slavery. Slaves were used to perform the most difficult jobs. They built canals and roads, worked in mines, were porters and rowers on ships. Slave women were used as servants in the homes of wealthy Egyptians. They watched the children, served at the table, helped with the housework.

Figure: Slave figurine

• What do you think this slave is doing?

The slaves had no property and belonged to their master. He was free to do whatever he liked with them: sell, punish, even kill.

Let's sum up

Egyptian nobles were the richest and most distinguished people of Ancient Egypt. With their help, the pharaoh ruled the state. Farmers, artisans and slaves were the most numerous, but also the most powerless part of the population of Egypt.

Dam - earthen embankment.

Meteorites - small celestial bodies, sometimes falling to the ground.

Questions and tasks

1. What kind of power did the Egyptian pharaohs have?
2. Who are the nobles? What was their role in the state?
3. Why did the Egyptians build dams and canals?
4. Tell us how the ordinary Egyptians dressed, how they lived and what they ate.
5. What crafts did the ancient Egyptians know? In which of them did they achieve the highest skill?
6. What was the place of slaves in Ancient Egypt and what types of work did they perform?