The Middle Kingdom Time Period The Middle Kingdom lasted from 2055 B.C. to 1650 B.C. and included the 11th and 13th dynasty. First Pharaoh Mentuhotep II is credited with being the founder of the Middle Kingdom. He ruled from Thebes after defeating the 10th dynasty rulers who controlled Lower Egypt, and re-unified the country. Dynasty/Rulers 11th Dynasty Rulers: Mentuhotem I Intef I […]

The Old Kingdom Time Period The Old Kingdom lasted from 2686 B.C. to 2181 B.C. It included the 3rd through the 6th dynasty. First Pharaoh The first pharaoh of the Old Kingdom was Djoser, who ruled Egypt from 2630-2611 B.C. He was responsible for the construction of one of the very first pyramids ever built by the ancient Egyptians. His […]

Origins Pharaoh Ay is believed to have been a native Egyptian commoner by birth and born in Akhmim. He is thought to have been the son of Yuya, an Egyptian priest who also held various other offices in the land. © Ashley Van Haeften – Birth name of Ay This conjecture is speculative only and is based on physical […]

Jobs for Slaves in Ancient Egypt A lot of people are under the misconception that most jobs in ancient Egypt, particularly building the pyramids, was accomplished with slavery. The reality is that there were not that many slaves in Egypt until the Greeks conquered the nation and ended the ancient Egyptian dynasties. Only the wealthiest could afford […]

Definition: the word pharaoh refers to the title of the ancient Egyptian kings. The title “pharaoh” means the “great house” and refers to the royal palace. Pharaohs were the god kings of ancient Egypt who ruled between 3150 B.C. and 30 B.C. (when Rome conquered Egypt). Each time a new family took control of the throne, a […]

Caesar openly claimed their son and declared he would marry Cleopatra despite laws against bigamy and foreign marriage. Upon his orders, a gold-plated statue depicting Cleopatra was placed in the temple of Venus Genetrix. Caesar continued to conquer his rivals with Cleopatra by his side. He had politically placed himself as dictator of Rome. On March 15, 44, a […]

@ Jason Devaun – Cleopatra, depiction on a Ptolemaic coin Roman Invasion While Cleopatra fought to regain control of Egypt, the Roman guardian Pompey was fighting his own battles against his fellow Romans. Pompey sought refuge with Ptolemy XIII only to be murdered the moment he arrived at Alexandria. Four days later, Julius Caesar arrived in Alexandria with 3,200 […]

Raised to Rule       © Tiffany Silva – Statue of Queen Cleopatra For more than 300 years, Cleopatra’s family ruled Egypt. She was born the third child of King Ptolemy XII in 69 BC. Her name meant “glory of the father”. Cleopatra’s two older sisters died before her father, leaving her with the rights […]

Considered by some scholars to be history’s first woman of importance, Hatshepsut ascended to the status of pharaoh in the very male-dominated ancient Egypt, and her ascension was even more remarkable as she declared herself ruler through a bold power-play. Her reign, circa 1473-1458 BC, was during a particularly fruitful portion of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty. During her time in […]