Egypt: Land of Culture

[ChineseWarlord]

So, in order to keep this story going, I'll set a rule for myself. No quitting until I die, or reach the present day.

I'll be trying to play as the people of the age would, so following the historical victory goals and not using "gamey" tactics, such as, for example founding all the religions as China.

Suggestions for my writing and my gameplay are always welcome, ESPECIALLY when I get to the harder parts.

The Early Dynastic Period, and subsequently, the history of Egypt, can be said to begin with the Consolidation of "Upper" and "Lower" Egypt into one unified realm, at least in theory. Ironically, "Upper" Egypt was in a lower geographical position than "Lower" Egypt. For the purposes of this text I will refer to "Lower" Egypt as Mediterranean Egypt and "Upper" Egypt as Central Egypt, as it was the place where the Pharaoh's power held the most sway. Central Egypt was the place where much of the events in early Egyptian history took place.

Although the gods had always been a part of Egyptian cultural life, they were never thought to be concerned with human affairs until a couple of hundred years after the unification of Central and Mediterranean Egypt. Even then, the Gods could only be reached through the ceremonies of priests, whose titles were hereditary. Although this may have been seen as legitimate at the time, the modern reader can easily see that it was more a cynical ploy to maintain power over the masses. Unfortunately, this ploy would be the norm of much of Egypt's early history.

Poorly disguised grabs for power were not the only way Egyptian society could evolve and change however. A few hundred years after the "priesthood" was developed, the Egpytians developed their building techniques. Later, these techniques would be used to commit one of the greatest atrocities of the ancient Egyptian world. Then, however, the building techniques were only a boon to all classes of Egyptian society.

As high-class and middle-class techniques for creating a better life evolved, so too did lower-class techniques, with the dawn of animal husbandry. Most animals such as goats and donkeys were raised for work directly beneficial to humans, but there were other animals such as oxen that were used to be sacrificed to the gods. Out of all of these animals, the ones most useful to Egyptian society would ultimately be the horse, but there will be more on that later. Shortly after the arrival of domestication however, tragedy struck.

The Great Sphinx, one of the most famous distinctly Egyptian creation aside from the Pyramids, had a tragic backstory. In order to build it, the Pharaoh ordered the many workers on it to give their utmost building it, which led to most of the workers either dying of exhaustion, or being executed for not working hard enough. Half of early Egypt's population died in the creation of the Sphinx. This was a tragedy that could only happen in a society where rulers were the only ones who heard the gods. After all, if the Pharaoh wasn't the voice of the Gods, along with the priests of course, there would be nothing stopping a popular uprising from deposing him and his cronies. With the creation of the Sphinx, the Early dynastic period had come to a close.

 

[citis]

So, in order to keep this story going, I'll set a rule for myself. No quitting until I die, or reach the present day.

That's the spirit

 

[ChineseWarlord]

The Early Old Kingdom era can be said to have begun with the invention of hieroglyphics. This writing system so iconic of ancient Egypt, was mainly used (at least in its dawn) to record ceremonial events that had little to no use concerning the recording of real knowledge. Long a disappointment to Egyptologists, they do at least give us a rudimentary understanding of temple foundations, and paved the way for real knowledge to be recorded. And of course, they are simply fascinating to look at.

The Early Old Kingdom period also marks the institution of the pharaohs building Pyramids, the ultimate symbol of ancient Egypt. These magnificent structures were designed mainly to be tombs, making the modern reader wonder how such expense for a rather ceremonial building could be justified. However, in addition to ensuring the pharaoh's safe journey to the afterlife, they also provided a symbol and a point of pride for the average Egyptian to rally behind. The importance of the pyramids is often understated.

A less well-known, but overall more unique development was the establishment of the official known as the assistant priest. These men were chosen by merit to act as assistants to the standard priests whose positions were hereditary. At least in theory. For you see, even for the position of assistant priest, corruption and nepotism ensured that the positions were almost always filled by various nobles.

The Early Old Kingdom period ended with the development of Mediterranean Egypt, culminating in the foundation of the coastal city of Pi-Ramesses. Pi-Ramesses was a vital city, not only giving the Egyptians access to the sea, but also giving access to other famous civilizations that also tasted the bounty of the Mediterranean.

In closing, the Early Old Kingdom period was a time in which the foundations of ancient Egypt would begin to take hold.

 

[ChineseWarlord]

The Standard Old Kingdom era was marked by a buildup in Egypt's miliatary might. Discontent among the Nubian slave classes prompted the wise Pharaoh Ramesses II to build a force of War Chariots. Although the force was small even by ancient standards, it was considered enough to defend against slave revolts, and as for external enemies, Egypt had never had any. When the revolt came, it was swiftly brought down.

Before the first slave revolt had occured, the advisor Ptah-Hotep had realized that as long as the wealthy and powerful of Egyptian society treated their slaves without respect, revolts would always be an ongoing problem. In an attempt to remedy the situation, he wrote The Maxims of Ptah-Hotep, a brilliant piece of ancient literature that, in addition to advising high-class men to treat their slaves decently, also gave advice to young noblemen on how to become a good human being. Unfortunately, it was widely believed in Ptah-Hotep's time that another slave revolt would never occur as long as the slaves were treated harshly. Because of this, Ptah-Hotep's advice for young noblemen was similarly ignored. It would not be until after many slave revolts that the Egyptian upperclass paid attention to Ptah-Hotep's ideas.

Egypt advanced to the Late Old Kingdom Period with the creation of more detailed hieroglyphics. As they took more time and effort to draw, the detailed hieroglyphics were often used for ceremonial and artistic writings, while the standard hieroglyphics were mainly used for practical writings.

The Standard Old Kingdom era was where Egypt first began to be truly tested. It's trials would only increase across the coming centuries.

 

[Niccolo Edwards]

Subbing.

 

[Noyyau]

Your writing has definitely improved!

 

[ChineseWarlord]

Your writing has definitely improved!

Really? Personally, I think it's a bit sparse. But hey, whatever works.

It was during the Late Old Kingdom Period that the Egyptians made token efforts to explore other lands, efforts that were abandoned after establishing contacts with the Romans. The Romans, always considering themselves the civilized power of the world, were nontheless impressed by the ceremonial calligraphy in the Egyptian ceremonies, and fused it with their own alphabet to create a new writing system. The Egyptians, for their part, were dully impressed by the Romans and learned Roman pottery, hunting and bronze working techniques. While it may seem strange that the Egyptians were so willing to abandon exploration after such a fruitful discovery, it is worth noting that this was still the age in which every nation considered themselves the best, and usually only, true nation. Perhaps the Egyptian top brass were afraid that any further amazing discoveries from other nations would make the Egyptian people lose faith in their own. After all, they had already taken some of the Romans' Gods as their own.

Sadly, the Late Old Kingdom Period was also when the upper strata of Egyptian society recommenced on working the lower classes harshly, often working them to the point of death. The memories of the Great Sphinx tragedy had largely faded from the imaginations of the Egyptians over the years, and along with the fact that Egypt's population wasn't as small as it used to be, meant that Egyptian nobles could justify working a large segment of the population to the death on ambitious projects. The Great Lighthouse was one such project. Half of Pi-Ramesses' population died in its creation. Any murmurs of rebellion were dealt with by instilling fear both by making examples of people who had not followed orders and making very real threats of the main Egyptian force coming to reestablish "order" in the city should the populace try to rebel.

When faced with such atrocities, there are always some admirable people who step back and reconsider their actions. The ones who died on these projects of the Egyptian nobles were by and large slaves, and those few just nobles who understood and cared about the slaves' plights, wanted to ease their burdens. However, Egypt was always a very traditionalist society, so any attempt at reform would have to fit into the ideas of the past. It is no coincidence that around this time, Ptah-Hotep's ideas became reexamined. The reforms were just getting off of the ground though, when a crisis ended the Old Kingdom.

A young military officer who was loved by both the priesthood and the people launched a coup, deposing the reigning Pharaoh and ushering in the First Intermediate period. Seeing an opportunity to expand their influence, the Greek City States to the north of Egypt invaded Egypt on flimsy pretexts, destroying what little stability remained in the upper government, and threatening the lives of average Egyptians.

The Late Old Kingdom Period is often considered the swan song for the peaceful years of the classical Egyptian era. Egyptians would not feel the same peace and stability that characterized the Old Kingdom until the Classical age had long passed.

 

[Niccolo Edwards]

So is it over?
That would make me sad.

 

[ChineseWarlord]

No but it might be soon. Don't worry, I'm planning to do all the civs in doc.

 

[ChineseWarlord]

The First Intermediate Period is sometimes called the First War Era, in reference to Egypt's first conflict with a foreign major power. For the purposes of consistency, we will continue calling the period the First Intermediate Period. Egypt had built up a large army of war chariots over the years, and should have been perfectly able to down the Greek Hoplites, who were not used to foreign combat, easily. However, the effects of the chaos in the central government also took place in the battlefield. Despite the military being in a less than coordinated position, Egypt was eventually able to defeat the Greek invasion, but only after its military was almost completely destroyed.

The key battle to determine Egypt's fate took place in a small town south west of Pi-Ramesses, whose name has been lost to history. It was late in the war, and Egypt's forces were almost depleted. Rather than defend, and have the Greeks raze the countryside to the ground and starve the city, the Egyptian generals made a last-ditch effort to launch a two-pronged assault with Egypt's remaining forces. It worked, but at a huge cost. Egypt's forces were almost completely destroyed. But, they had stopped the Greek invasion.

The First Intermediate Period ended with a slave rebellion brought on by the harsh conditions imposed upon them by the war. What made this slave rebellion special was that Egypt no longer had the forces required to defend against the slaves. It seemed that Egypt was doomed after its hard won victory over the Greeks. But the slaves had no real experience in war or politics, and so they simply razed the countryside until Egypt could gather the forces necessary to defeat them.

 

[Spirictum]

Good luck with Egypt in DoC! I recommend you find a way of winning this game prior to the Renaissance because if not it'll become a really hard game

 

[ChineseWarlord]

No chance of me winning a historical victory, so really, I'm just going along for the ride.

 

[Dumanios]

Subbed.

 

[ChineseWarlord]

During the very beginning of the early New Kingdom period, it seemed that Egypt would get back on its feet. It experienced a miniature renaissance when it became popular for wealthy nobles to erect statues of themselves. While the renaissance of marble sculpture was over quite quickly, it did cause a sharp, but temporary, increase in government revenue from taxes. Unfortunately, this peace would not last.

Rome, ever the mighty empire builder, desired Egypt's lands for its own. Much like the Greeks, it launched a sudden and brutal attack. The only difference was that Rome's army was made up of Legions, powerful warriors who could hold their own against war chariots easily. Knowing this, the Egyptian government dedicated more of its resources, both tangible and intangible, to ensuring that the army would prove an orderly, effective fighting force. It was, but there was still an incredible loss of life on the battlefield. Egypt would have not repelled the invasion if it were not for their superior numbers.

During this time of strife and suffering, the priest Imhotep was born in Central Egypt. While he did his duties as a priest, his real passion was building. Knowing that it would take a long time, longer than his lifespan, to defeat the Romans, Imhotep dedicated his spare time to writing down his architectural theories and observations. Even though Imhotep was not an outstanding figure during his life, he would eventually be worshiped as a God after his death.

One final interesting feature of the Early New Kingdom period was the Egyptian contact with the Kingdom of Axum. As usual, the non-Egyptian party was amazed and impressed by Egyptian calligraphic hieroglyphics, and adopted them into their own ceremonial and artistic writings. For its part, Egypt learned Ethiopian bow-making techniques. In addition, a small number of the Egyptians who met the Ethiopians were impressed by the Ethiopian pantheon, and adopted some of the Ethiopian Gods as their own. However, unlike the Roman Gods, their worship never was practiced on a national and official scale.

 

[TheNoob]

We'll have to figure out a way to keep out those legions in the Levant now

 

[ChineseWarlord]

Well you guys're probably going to have a better chance of figuring that out than I.

 

[ChineseWarlord]

After the Romans were successfully repelled from Egypt, the old Pharaoh died and the new Pharaoh, named Narmer after the legendary unifier of Central and Mediterranean Egypt, came into power. The new Pharaoh did not live up to his namesake in terms of conquest, but he did provide Egypt with sweeping military reforms to assist Egypt's ability to defend itself in case of another invasion. In addition to that, he also implemented many of the late Imhotep's suggested architectural reforms. making Egyptian buildings safer and easier to build. Despite never taking armies to the field of battle, he is remembered as one of the greatest kings Egypt had ever had.

During his reign, Narmer of the New Kingdom also improved relations with the Kingdom of Axum, and implemented many of their ideas in regards to the king's rights and responsibilities. During this time, Egyptian literature also became very popular in Axum's upper circles and would inform Axum's literary traditions for years to come.

The positive relation between Egyptians and Axumites often puzzle many novice students of Egyptian history. How could Egyptians be willing to trade ideas and knowledge so willingly with foreigners who were of the same skin color as Nubian slaves? The answer lies in the fact of Egypt barely winning two wars against foreign powers. They had realized that foreigners, inferior though they may be, did have some things to offer, and could represent a threat.

Such ideas would prove true in regards to the Roman's second invasion of Egypt, carried out by the province of Africa. The invasion force was very small, but it was also big; War Elephants, used by the Carthaginians before Roman conquest descended upon it, were used agianst Egypt. Scholars often debate about why the Africans would use such a small force to carry out their conquest; The preferred explanation is that they were hoping that the Egyptians would be too startled by such huge beasts to offer any resistance. They were proved wrong, but at a rather heavy cost; The War Elephants were unsurprisingly powerful.

 

[ChineseWarlord]

The Late New Kingdom Period unsurprisingly marks the end of the New Kingdom, but it also marks the final stage of glorious Classical Egypt. Although Egypt had suffered greatly before this time, as has been mentioned, there was always the hope shared by all classes of Egyptian society that the Kingdom would rise up and reclaim its position as the father of civilization. The continued military reforms of the New Kingdom Narmer helped stoke that hope, but not even a God on earth could stay there forever, or even longer than a hundred years at the most. Once he died, any realistic hope of a revitalized classical Egypt died with him.

A few years after Narmer's death, Egypt was invaded by Numidian Berbers. In the past Egypt had enough troops to barely defend its home. It was not the case this time. The mighty city of Pi-Ramesses, capital of Mediterranean Egypt, was captured, and by uncivilized barbarians no less.

Understandably, lower class Egyptians attempted to revolt and take charge of the government themselves upon hearing the news. Although the government showed admirable restraint in dealing with the rebels, all hope of peacefully coming to a solution that satisfied, or at least placated all classes of Egyptian society was lost when a horrifying piece of news came to the Pharaoh. The Romans had launched another invasion. And this time, they had enough men to conquer the whole of Egypt several times over.

If things weren't already impossible to salvage, another slave revolt aimed at supporting the Romans by removing Egypt's access to Copper and Horses completely removed any last realistic chance of victory. There are records of the Pharaoh upon hearing this news, demanding that he go to the front lines to at least die an honorable death among his men. A wise advisor, however, said that the best thing he could do for his men was to retreat, keep Egypt alive, and keep alive the possibility that one day, long after everyone alive then was long dead, Egypt could regain its historic heartland. The Pharaoh agreed, and ordered his retinue to escape along with him to a large town southwest of Niwt-Rst, called Abu-Simbel.

During this time, stoic philosophy caught on in Egypt, albeit modified with a distinctly Egyptian flavor. It was believed that the Gods would never abandon Egypt, and that the best thing to do would be to spend all your time either working towards a better tomorrow, or praying for it. These ideas caught on to the lower class as well. For the first time, every Egyptian, from the Pharaoh to the lowest slave, had a stake in Egyptian spiritual life.

This development must have pleased the Gods, as a miracle soon took place. Roman Egypt was invaded by the Arabians, who carried with them a new monotheistic religion with ties to, although distinctly different from, Judeo-Christian beliefs. All the Egyptians cared about, though, was that their main enemy was now a power that did not seem intent on conquering them...Yet. For the time being, the only question was where Egypt, or what was left of it anyway, should go.

 

[ChineseWarlord]

The question, tragically, could never be answered. A few short years after the Pharaoh's retreat to Abu-Simbel, Arabia sent a small force to conquer the last Egyptian holdout. With an recent failed Roman invasion inflicting casualties, Egypt was conquered by the Arabs quite easily. Egypt eventually regained its independence, but it was as an Arab nation, not a truly Egyptian one. The true Egypt, the nation that worshiped the Gods, not the God, existed only in memory.


THE END.

Don't worry guys, I'll be doing China next.