Social Classes in Ancient Egypt Leah V. Gordon
1
Table of Contents Lower Class……………………………………………..2 Middle Class…………………………………………….3 Pharaoh…………………………………………….….3-4 Social Classes Today…………………………………5 Glossary……………………………………………………6 Bibliography…………………………………………..…7
2
There are many ancient Egyptian social classes from the Pharaoh to the Slaves. They are categorized through upper class (the richest), middle class (the rich), and lower class (the poor). Some had to work very hard and some not as much. You would be born into your social class; if your father was a pharaoh then you were a pharaoh.
This paper will tell you what you need to know
and learn about ancient Egyptian social classes. Lower Class The lower class people didn’t have all the same jobs, in fact each of them were very different and useful in their own way. So I’m guessing you think the same amounts of people are in the same social class. Well if you did you’re not right. Many people were poor. 80-85 % of the populations were in the lower class. Did you know if you were a boy you would have to do the same work as your father? If you were a girl you were raised to be a good wife. Women could only work outside of their home, like being a market stall selling surplus products. Pharaoh thought he was the
Fascinating Fact You could only get married if a man and woman had the same social class, but the only way to go to school was if you moved up a social class.
person who kept Egypt so wonderful, but it was actually the slaves. There were a lot of salves in ancient Egypt. If you were walking around there you could spot many. The slaves could be bought and sold. Their freedom had a limit. Almost all of the slaves were prisoners who had been captured. One of the major jobs was being one of the peasant farmers. They would most likely harvest the crops in their field. The farmers would be registered with the government. The lower class people were very hard workers.
3
Middle Class Not as many people were in the middle class as the lower class. 10-15 % of the population worked in the middle class. A scribe was located in the middle class. One of the scribes named Horemheb worked so hard in training he became king, and this was very rare. A craftsman is very poor. He would have to eat on the floor with his family. He couldn’t afford a chair. He was able to send his kids to school, but not all people are able to. A nobleman got up in the morning to get the secretary to bring him his schedule. He would wear a linen kilt and leather sandals. When a nobleman’s wife left the room, the slaves were forced to help him shave, get dressed, and get his clothing out. A noblewoman had a servant, which would help her get out her glass jewelry and linen dress. The middle class were rich. Upper Class The pharaoh was at the top in the upper class. 5% of the population in the Egypt lived in the upper class. He was called a king or a god, but most called him the pharaoh. Pharaoh is a word
4
Fascinating Fact If you have ever heard of the Sphinx, that was in honor of a pharaoh that was a girl.
that is a respectful way of referring to the king describing him as “great house” (ore-ah), means a palace where the pharaoh lived. The Pharaoh had the power over his subjects. He had to rule through a hierarchy of officials. The pharaoh would have many wives. One of them was chief wife and queen. The Pharaoh, his chief wife, and honored guests watched parties from a raised dais. The pharaoh owned a lot of palaces. He moved to each one by royal barge. Only
sometimes (rarely) did a woman get to be pharaoh. The queen of Egypt would have been known as the goddess but was usually called “Great Royal Wife.”
Fascinating Fact The greatest pharaoh’s name was Ramses II who ruled from 1213 B.C.E.
5
Social Classes Today Today the social classes exist, but they are not the same. The social classes today are really just divided into three group’s high, middle class, and low. Most that are the upper class have at least $100,000. They are people such as lawyers, professors, scientist, or engineers. People in that group have a great education. They would most likely go to a good school. Anyone in upper class has gotten a graduate degree. Most people who are in the middle class have at least $75,000. If you were a lower class resident you would have at least $10,000. A big change from ancient Egyptian social classes is that when you were born in ancient Egyptian times is when you were born you would be assigned to do whatever your father or mother did. Now you just have to try the best, your hardest, and hope to get where you want to end up when you grow up. Now you are an expert on ancient Egyptian social classes and have learned things such as the workers in the lower class, the jobs in the middle class, and everything about the upper class, and our social classes today. So go out and teach your friends, family, even aunts and uncles.
6
Glossary craftsmen: A craftsman is someone who has a simple house and isn’t the richest kind. hierarchy: A system organized in which people or groups are ranked one above another. lower class: A lower class in ancient Egypt is someone such as a slave, servant, or farmer, ext. middle class: A middle class Egyptian is someone such as a craftsmen, scribe, noblemen, visor, and ext. peasant Farmer: A peasant farmer is someone who worked the land owned by the state and temples, and who were buried in a simple desert graves. pharaoh: The title meaning “great house” given to the rulers of ancient Egypt. scribe: A scribe is someone who can read and write ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. servant: A servant is someone who got everything out for their owner and helped the people get ready. slave: The slaves were the people who helped out. upper Class: The upper class in Egyptian times is someone very rich who is such as a pharaoh. visor: A visor is the second most powerful official in the social pyramid.
7
Bibliography
Www. A Day in The Life. org(2006, March 15). Retrieved March 21, 2013, from A Day in The Life: Pbs.org/empires/egypt/special/index.hm Hart, G. (2008). Acient Egypt. London: D.K. Smith, M. (2010). Acient Egypt. New York: King Fisher. Steel, P. (2000). Find Out About Acient Egypt. London: South Water. Tyldesley, J. (2007). Egypt. New York: Simson&Shusters Books for young readers.