Famous People in Ancient Egypt
Hatshepsut |
Hatshepsut was one of the first Ancient Egyptian female to rule Egypt and the fifth ruler of the New Kingdom. She was the daughter of Pharaoh Thutmose I. When her father died, her step-brother Thutmose II took control of Egypt. Thutmose II became pharaoh and would later marry Hatshepsut. However, only after a few years, he died. Hatshepsut's nephew, Thutmose III became pharaoh, but was too young to rule. Hatshepsut was made a co-regent and ruled together with him. Realizing that she could have more power, she declared herself pharaoh. She became a powerful and intelligent leader who did many things to make Egypt rich. She built massive monuments and traded with people beyond Egypt. However, when she died, Thutmose III destroyed all traces of her, from carvings to statues due to anger and being neglected. In the end, Thutmose III became the pharaoh of Egypt.
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Ramses II |
Ramses II was the greatest pharaoh in Ancient Egypt. He was the son of Seti I. As a young boy, he trained to become a song military leader. He would join his father in campaigns and would even lead battles himself. When his father died, Ramses II became the new pharaoh of Egypt. During his reign, he waged war on neighboring kingdoms such as the Hittites, Syrians, and Nubians. One of his most famous battles was with the Hittites in the Battle of Kadesh. Kadesh at the time was one of the most valuable trading cities at the time. Ramses II fought against the Hittites to take control of Kadesh. In the end, there wasn't an actual victory, so the pharaoh made a peace treaty with the Hittites. It would be the world's first peace treaty. However, he was still praised and returned home as a military hero.
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Tutankhamen |
Tutankhamen was the son of pharaoh Akhenaten. His childhood was never recorded, and carvings only show the king and queen, and their daughters. However, DNA tests show that he was a son of the two. Tutankhamen's father, Akhenaten, was known as a heretic because he erased all of Egypt's gods for an old sun god called Aten. When his father died, Tutankhamen became pharaoh. He returned back the gods and the old traditions. The pharaoh died when he was about eighteen years old. The cause was most likely from an injured leg that became infected. He also had a number of disabilities that could have added to his death.
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Cleopatra |
Cleopatra was a famous Egyptian female pharaoh and would be the last ruler to control Egypt. She was the daughter of Ptolemy VII. At the time Egypt was ruled by the Ptolemy dynasty, established by the Greek general Alexander the Great. Since the family came from Greek descent, they wrote, spoke, and read in Greek. During her childhood, she learned from her father about how to rule the country. When her father died, her brother Ptolemy VIII became pharaoh and was married to Cleopatra. Since he was young, Cleopatra snatched power from him. When he became older, he banished Cleopatra from Egypt. She then sought help from Julius Caesar, an army general from Rome. The two fell in love, had a son and defeated and killed Ptolemy VIII. Cleopatra finally became pharaoh. However, back in Rome, Caesar was assassinated by the Senate. To protect herself, she made a military alliance with a Roman leader named Mark Antony and soon fell in love with him. Another reason they made an alliance was so that they could defeat another Roman leader named Octavian. The two combined their armies and met Octavian at the Battle of Actium. In the end, they were defeated and the two fled away. When Mark Anthony heard false news that Cleopatra had died, he killed himself. Since there was no one else to defend Egypt, Octavian became the new ruler of Egypt. Instead of turning her self as a slave, Cleopatra committed suicide by letting an asp bite her. Egypt would never be ruled by the Egyptians again.
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Trade in Egypt |
Pharaohs in Egypt did extensive trade with kingdoms around the Mediterranean. One of the most famous rulers, Hatshepsut, traded with people in Syria, Turkey, and southern Africa. One kingdom that became important trade partners with the Egyptians was the land of Punt. This mysterious land, most likely located in Somalia, traded with treasures such as gold, copper, and incense such as frankincense and myrrh. Even Cleopatra traded with Arab nations to richen her empire. Trading was key to making Egypt more powerful and wealthy.
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