The sun rises on yet another bright day in ancient Egypt. A man wakes up, but this isn't any ordinary man: this is the pharaoh.
This is the last time he will be alone . He has many
officials, servants and slaves to make sure he is always safe and perfectly
presented.
His day begins with cleaning and dressing by servants
including the splendidly named "Chief of the Scented Oils and Pastes for
Rubbing His Majesty's Body". When he is clean, he is dressed and adorned
with a huge amount of jewelry. After all, he's the pharaoh. He owns vast
amounts of gold and he needs to look the part.
The pharaoh then walks to the "audience chamber"
to hold his daily meetings. As guests enter the room they prostrate themselves
in front of him. He is a Divine Majesty - they are mere mortals. As usual,
there are ambassadors who are offering tributes from foreign countries,
generals talking military matters, the usual nobility and some special envoys
from across the empire.
The day's audiences completed, he leaves for the temple. As
pharaoh, he must pay tribute to the chief god, Amen-Re. It's a pain but, if he
doesn't do it, the empire could lose its divine order, or Maat. It could
descend into Isfet (chaos) and he would be held responsible. It's not worth the
risk.
Accompanied by the high priest, the pharaoh walks through
the great temple to the sanctuary, enjoying the cool air and smelling the thick
incense. Inside, he approaches the statue of Amen-Re. He asks the god some
questions and receives answers from the high priest. The questions over, he is
presented with a large bull. After prayers, the sacred butcher cuts the bull's
throat as a sacrifice to the gods.
Afternoon
There's nothing like a slaughter to work up a big appetite,
so the pharaoh returns to his palace for some lunch. Afterwards, he jumps into
his royal chariot for a tour of the city. This is long before photos. Few
people know what he looks like, so crowds of Egyptians gather in the streets to
catch sight of their divine ruler.
Surrounded by bodyguards, he visits some construction sites
where magnificent new buildings are being constructed in his honor. Back at the
palace, he gets a welcome break. After a day surrounded by people, he can
finally be alone and wander through his beautiful gardens.
Evening
His final daily duty comes in the late afternoon. He returns
to the temple for a ceremony that marks the setting of the sun and the end of
the day.
After that, he goes back home for an early night. After all,
even divine majesties need their sleep!
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