Patterns Of Queenship In Ancient Egyptian Myth And History

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Three-fourths of the monuments of ancient Egypt are directly concerned with the religious beliefs of this enigmatic people. Alan W. Shorter discusses the most important facts about the Egyptian gods, their mythology, and more. Includes an expanded bibliography by Bonnie L. Petry.

This study analyzes the anonymous Tractatus de Mulieribus, a brief, virtually unknown Greek work, telling of fourteen outstanding women, Greek and barbarian, notable for their intelligence, initiative and courage. The first part of the book is a comprehensive introduction to the treatise and includes - in addition to the original text and an English translation - an examination of both the content and form of De Mulieribus, particularly as a catalogue of women. The times, methods, and purposes of the anonymous author are also investigated. Commentary-essays on the individual women then follow. A wide variety of sources are utilized in order to sketch the fullest possible portrait of each of these lively women. This book, the very first study of De Mulieribus, is a useful introduction to a remarkable treatise.

Daily life in ancient Egypt was saturated with eroticism and much influenced by cult and magic as well. Ancient Egyptian religion, with its variety of gods living, feeling, and reacting much like mortals, is a valuable index of human lifestyles of the day. This text addresses selected facets of the erotic concepts and practices of the ancient Egyptians, as recorded in art and literature; it also describes some recent archaeological discoveries.

At the beginning of time, there was only Nun, the primeval waters of chaos, then in a great flood, the Sun got interned, rose from the water, and willed himself into creation. Atum then created Ayr, a son he named shu and moisture, a daughter he named Tefnut. They were the first divine pair and soon had children of their own. The earth named gab and the sky called nut the second divine pair then had four children: Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Neftis. They were completing the group of nine primeval gods known as the Ennead. Osiris then married his sister Isis, and the two ruled over Egypt together in an unprecedented time of peace and prosperity; however they're jealous, brother Seth desired the throne for himself and murdered Osiris, dismembering his body scattering the parts across the land. Isis then searched for the pieces of her husband's body and, with the help of her sister Nephthys was eventually able to collect them with the help of the scholar god Thoth and the funeral god Anubis. Isis was able to reconstruct Osiris, creating the first mummy. Osiris impregnated Isis after his resurrection; however, he was too weak to remain in the world, instead of traveling to the Duat, the Land of the Dead, where he became Lord. Seth then took the throne for himself, forcing Isis to flee and give birth to her son Horus in hiding. She raised Horus until he was an adult and able to challenge his uncle Seth for the throne. After a violent contest, the case was settled in a divine legal trial hosted by the Ennead. Acting as judge was Geb, the God of the earth who ruled in favor of Horus, who then took his rightful place as king of Egypt. Future Pharaohs claimed descent from Horus, with it being this divine ancestry that gave them the right to rule. Amun, the hidden one, was the foremost God of Egypt thought to be the invisible force behind all things, even creation itself, unlike other gods linked to only one aspect of the world: the sky, the earth, or the Sun. Amun was a universal God who had links to all parts of the cosmos; his prominence also increased as he absorbed other gods throughout Egyptian history, taking on their roles and powers. The most important of these was his merger with the Sun God Ra combining to become Amon Ra. In this role, he became linked with the Sun, an essential part of the Egyptian world. In this combined state, Amon Ra rose to prominence, becoming Egypt's chief deity and the king of the Gods. Amon became so widely worshipped that he came close to becoming the sole deity of Egypt. The other gods merely being aspects of his great power. Osiris, judge of the Dead and King of the underworld, was one of the most respected ancient Egyptian gods. His death and resurrection story inspired the Egyptians to follow in his footsteps and seek immortality for themselves. The elaborate tombs and burial rituals found in ancient Egypt were all built-in search of this goal, with the funerary practices being done to aid the spirit in its journey through the underworld. Pharaohs and wealthy Nobles could afford more elaborate burials with trinkets and spells to help them in their journey, but the average Egyptian could survive the underworld as well.

The last of the Ptolemaic monarchs who ruled Egypt for 300 years, Cleopatra is the most famous of the Ptolemaic queens. But what of her predecessors? The Last Queens of Egypt examines the roles played by the Ptolemaic royal women and explores their part in religion, politics and court intrigue. Explaining their propensity for incest, murder and power, Sally Ann Ashton shows the extent of the power they enjoyed, the price they paid, and how they shaped Cleopatra's reign.

Provides information on the Egyptian goddesses and their festivals, including Isis and Hathor, Neith the cobra, and Bast the cat, and includes information on astrology, sacred plants, aromatics, and birth and mourning rituals