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Why Is Ancient Egypt So Successful

Decent Essays

Ancient Egypt prospered, expanded and flourished during the reign of the pharaohs. Although their society is very different from ours, it is still found to be successful and is a large part of why we study Egypt and why we find it to be historically significant. Egyptian civilizations were so successful because of pharaohs, geography and social hierarchy. The secret to Egypt’s stability, consolidation and expansion is portrayed through its location and society, while also being influenced by social, economic and political structures. I displayed this idea within a digital art piece. It consists of a pyramid showcasing the different levels of social hierarchy, topped with the mask of a pharaoh. This pyramid is pictured in the desert with farmland running on one side next to the Nile and palm trees on the other. Primarily, the success of the Egyptian civilization is accredited to the presence of pharaohs. A pharaoh is the head of the government and high priest of every temple and is considered to be half god and half human. Because of this, they are associated with divinity and are the supreme power of Egypt; essentially, ancient Egyptian pharaohs hold the same power as a dictator. Citizens of Egypt looked to the pharaoh to ensure their well-being. They wanted the pharaoh to keep the gods happy so the Nile would flood and there would be a bountiful harvest. Pharaohs also had to maintain and strengthen the army to defend the country from outside threats and internal difficulties. In terms of political structure, the ancient Egyptian government is mainly focused on and is controlled by the pharaohs. The government brought order to society through laws, taxes, the organization of labor, trade, defense, and temples. At a time when there was decentralized power in Egypt (pharaoh was not the center of power) there was a large loss of territory and attracted Nubian, Assyrian, and later, Persian invaders. Because of the Pharaoh’s contributions and necessity in maintaining stability, they sit atop the pyramid of social class. They are on top of the pyramid of social hierarchy because they do a lot for their people and thereby hold great significance to the populous. To add to this, the success of the Egyptian

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