History
10 shocking facts about ancient Egyptian pharaohs
## 10 Shocking Facts About Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs You Didn't Learn in History Class The allure of ancient Egypt, with its golden treasures, toweri...
1. 10 Shocking Facts About Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs You Didn't Learn in History Class
The allure of ancient Egypt, with its golden treasures, towering pyramids, and enigmatic hieroglyphs, has captivated the world for centuries. At the heart of this grand civilization were the pharaohs, rulers who were not just kings but were considered living gods on Earth. While history books often paint a picture of stoic, powerful monarchs, the reality of their lives was far stranger, more complex, and frankly, more shocking than you can imagine. These divine rulers, revered by their people and entombed in splendor, engaged in practices that defy modern sensibilities and were bound by traditions that were bizarre even by ancient standards.
From their peculiar personal habits and controversial family dynamics to their revolutionary ideas that threatened to upend millennia of tradition, the lives of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs were anything but ordinary. They were figures of immense power, but also individuals beset by physical ailments and driven by beliefs that led to some of history's most unusual events. Prepare to have your perception of these iconic rulers shattered as we delve into the secrets and scandals that were buried with them in their lavish tombs. Here are ten shocking facts about ancient Egyptian pharaohs that reveal the truly strange and fascinating world they inhabited.
1. Royal Incest Was a Divine Duty
To preserve the purity of their sacred bloodline, ancient Egyptian pharaohs frequently married their own relatives. This practice, shocking by today's standards, was not only accepted but was considered a divine mandate.
### Emulating the Gods
The justification for royal incest was rooted in Egyptian mythology. The divine sibling pair of Osiris and Isis, who were both brother and sister and husband and wife, were central figures in their pantheon. Since pharaohs were believed to be the living embodiment of the god Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris, they sought to emulate the gods' actions to reinforce their divine status. By marrying a sister or half-sister, a pharaoh was mirroring the actions of the gods, thereby strengthening their claim to divinity and their legitimacy to rule.
#### A Widespread, Yet Exclusive Practice
While not all pharaohs engaged in incestuous marriages, it was a common practice among many of Egypt's most famous dynasties. Perhaps the most well-known example is Tutankhamun, whose parents were siblings. He himself went on to marry his half-sister, Ankhesenamun. The last active ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty, the famed Cleopatra VII, also married her younger brother, Ptolemy XIII, as was customary in her family. This practice, however, was largely confined to the royal family. Studies have shown that incest was not a common practice among the general Egyptian population, highlighting its role as a specific tool for maintaining royal power and religious purity.
### The Genetic Consequences
While sibling marriages served political and religious purposes, they came with significant biological costs. Studies of royal mummies have revealed evidence of genetic disorders, likely caused by generations of inbreeding. Tutankhamun, for example, is known to have suffered from a number of health issues linked to his family's inbreeding, including a club foot and a bone disease, which may have contributed to his early death at the age of 19. These physical ailments, hidden beneath golden masks and elaborate sarcophagi, tell a story of a royal lineage paying a heavy price for its divine ambitions.
2. A Pharaoh Attempted to Erase a 2,000-Year-Old Religion
In a move of shocking religious rebellion, one pharaoh attempted to completely overthrow Egypt's polytheistic traditions and enforce the worship of a single deity. This ruler was Akhenaten, and his religious revolution sent shockwaves through the ancient world.
### The Rise of Atenism
Ascending the throne as Amenhotep IV, Akhenaten initially followed the traditional religious practices of his predecessors. However, in the fifth year of his reign, he underwent a dramatic transformation. He changed his name to Akhenaten, meaning "Effective for Aten," and declared the sun disk, Aten, to be the one true god. This new religion, known as Atenism, was a form of monotheism or monolatry that was radically different from the polytheistic beliefs that had defined Egyptian culture for millennia.
#### A New Capital and a New Art Style
To further cement his new religion, Akhenaten moved the capital of Egypt from Thebes to a brand new city he had built, called Akhetaten ("Horizon of Aten"). This massive settlement was erected on a previously unoccupied stretch of the Nile. Along with this new capital came a revolutionary new style of art. The traditional, idealized depictions of pharaohs were replaced with a more naturalistic and sometimes even strangely exaggerated style, showing the royal family with elongated heads, slender necks, and prominent bellies. This "Amarna style" was as radical a departure from tradition as the new religion itself.
### The Backlash and Restoration
Akhenaten's religious revolution was met with strong opposition, particularly from the powerful priests of Amun, who had been the dominant religious authority. His attempts to erase the names and images of the old gods from monuments were seen by many as a betrayal of their culture and traditions. After Akhenaten's death, his radical changes were swiftly undone. His successor, Tutankhamun, whose birth name was Tutankhaten ("Living Image of Aten"), changed his name and restored the worship of the old gods, effectively ending one of the most bizarre and revolutionary periods in the history of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs.
3. King Tut Was Buried with a Dagger Made from a Meteorite
The tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered in 1922, is famous for its incredible wealth of treasures. Among the golden chariots, intricate jewelry, and solid gold coffins, one small object stands out for its otherworldly origins: a dagger made of iron that came from outer space.
### A Blade from the Heavens
The dagger, found wrapped in the mummy of the young pharaoh, has an iron blade that puzzled scientists for decades. Iron was a rare and precious metal in the Bronze Age, and the technology to smelt iron ore was not yet widespread. Analysis of the blade's composition revealed high levels of nickel and cobalt, a chemical signature that is characteristic of iron meteorites. This confirmed that the iron used to forge this remarkable weapon had fallen from the sky.
#### The Significance of "Iron from the Sky"
The ancient Egyptians had a term for this special material: "iron from the sky." This suggests that they were aware of its celestial origins and likely considered it to be a divine gift. The fact that this incredibly rare and valuable material was used to craft a dagger for the pharaoh's personal use in the afterlife underscores the immense importance placed upon it. It was a weapon not just of earthly power, but of cosmic significance.
### More Than Just a Weapon
The dagger was not the only remarkable object in Tutankhamun's tomb. The sheer volume of over 5,000 artifacts, including thrones, statues, and even a board game, provided an unprecedented glimpse into the life and death of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. However, the meteoric iron dagger remains one of the most fascinating discoveries, a tangible link between the celestial beliefs of the ancient Egyptians and the cutting-edge science of today. It is a testament to their keen observation of the natural world and their ability to incorporate even the rarest of materials into their most sacred rituals.
4. Pharaohs Kept a Bizarre Array of Exotic Pets
While many people today keep cats and dogs, the ancient Egyptian pharaohs took pet ownership to a whole new level, maintaining royal menageries filled with some of the most exotic and dangerous animals imaginable.
### A Symbol of Power and Divine Connection
For the pharaohs, keeping exotic animals was not just a hobby; it was a powerful statement. By owning and controlling large, wild creatures, the pharaoh demonstrated their own strength and power over the natural world. These animals also had deep religious significance. Falcons, for example, were associated with the god Horus and were kept by kings as a symbol of divine power. Lions were linked to royalty and were seen as emblems of kingship due to their strength and ferocity.
#### From Baboons to Crocodiles
The range of animals kept as pets by the pharaohs was astonishing. Archaeological evidence and tomb paintings reveal that they kept everything from dogs and cats to baboons, monkeys, gazelles, and even hippos and crocodiles. Crocodiles were considered sacred animals associated with the god Sobek and were kept in temples. Baboons and monkeys were popular pets, often trained to entertain their owners. Some were even mummified and buried with their royal masters, a testament to the deep affection the pharaohs had for their animal companions.
### Royal Treatment in Life and Death
These royal pets were treated with the utmost care and respect. They were often depicted in tomb paintings alongside their masters, participating in daily life and even hunting expeditions. When they died, they were frequently mummified with the same care as humans and given elaborate burials. The discovery of mummified pets, from a gazelle wrapped in royal cloths to a beloved dog named Abutiu who was given a grand burial by an unnamed pharaoh, highlights the profound bond between the ancient Egyptian pharaohs and their extraordinary menagerie of animal companions.
5. Female Pharaohs Wore Fake Beards
In a society where kingship was overwhelmingly male, the few women who rose to the rank of pharaoh had to adopt the symbols of male power to legitimize their rule. The most striking of these was the fake beard.
### The Beard of Divinity
In ancient Egypt, the beard was not just a sign of masculinity; it was a symbol of divine authority. The god Osiris, ruler of the afterlife, was always depicted with a long, braided beard. By wearing a false beard, a pharaoh was visually linking themselves to Osiris and reinforcing their god-like status. This was such an important part of royal iconography that even male pharaohs, who were typically clean-shaven for hygiene reasons, wore these fake beards during religious ceremonies and on official depictions.
#### Hatshepsut: The King in a Woman's Body
The most famous female pharaoh to adopt this practice was Hatshepsut, one of Egypt's most successful rulers. During her 20-year reign, she was often depicted in statues and reliefs with the full regalia of a male king, including a kilt, a muscular physique, and the ceremonial false beard. This was a calculated political move to assert her authority and to be seen not as a queen regent, but as a true king of Egypt. By adopting male iconography, she navigated the complex gender politics of her time and ruled with power and prosperity.
### A Symbol of Power, Not Gender
The use of the fake beard by female pharaohs like Hatshepsut demonstrates that in ancient Egypt, the symbols of kingship could transcend gender. It was a testament to their political acumen and their ability to wield the powerful imagery of their office to command respect and maintain control. This bizarre fashion choice was a serious and effective tool of propaganda, allowing these remarkable women to be seen as legitimate and powerful rulers in a male-dominated world.
6. Pharaohs Suffered from Modern-Day Diseases
Despite living in a pre-industrial world, the elite of ancient Egypt, including the pharaohs, were afflicted by a surprising number of diseases that we often associate with modern lifestyles.
### The Afflictions of the Elite
Studies of Egyptian mummies have revealed that cardiovascular disease, particularly atherosclerosis (the hardening of the arteries), was surprisingly common among the upper classes. Researchers using CT scans on mummies have found evidence of clogged arteries in individuals who lived over 3,000 years ago. This challenges the common assumption that heart disease is solely a product of modern habits like smoking and sedentary lifestyles.
#### A Diet of the Rich
The diet of the wealthy and elite Egyptians likely contributed to these health problems. While the common people ate a relatively healthy diet of bread, vegetables, and fish, the pharaohs and their courts indulged in rich foods, including large quantities of meat from cows, sheep, and goats, as well as honey and cakes made with butter. This fatty diet, combined with a potential genetic predisposition, could explain the prevalence of heart disease among the ruling class.
### Other Health Woes
Beyond heart disease, mummies have revealed a host of other health issues that plagued the ancient Egyptian pharaohs. These include infectious diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, as well as parasitic infections. Dental problems, such as worn teeth and abscesses, were also common due to the grit and sand that contaminated their food. Some pharaohs, like Ramesses II, suffered from age-related ailments like arthritis. These findings provide a fascinating, and often painful, glimpse into the real-life health struggles of these supposedly divine rulers.
7. A Bizarre Ritual Involved Masturbating into the Nile
Among the many strange religious practices of the ancient Egyptians, one of the most shocking to modern sensibilities was a fertility ritual performed by the pharaoh that involved ceremonially masturbating into the Nile River.
### The Creation Myth of Atum
This bizarre practice was rooted in the Egyptian creation myth. According to their beliefs, the universe was created when the god Atum masturbated, and his ejaculation brought forth the first divine beings. The Nile River itself was believed to be connected to Atum's creative act, with its flow representing his life-giving seed.
#### The Pharaoh's Divine Duty
As the earthly embodiment of the gods, the pharaoh was expected to reenact this divine act of creation. It was believed that by performing this ritual, the pharaoh was helping to ensure the annual flooding of the Nile, which was essential for fertilizing the land and guaranteeing a bountiful harvest. This ceremony was a powerful symbol of the pharaoh's role as the sustainer of life and prosperity in Egypt.
### A Public Spectacle
This was not a private act but a public ceremony, a testament to how central this belief was to their understanding of the cosmos and the pharaoh's role within it. While details are sparse, it stands as one of the most striking examples of how the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs led to practices that are almost incomprehensible to us today. It highlights the vast cultural and ideological gap between the ancient world and our own.
8. Cleopatra's Death is Shrouded in Mystery
The dramatic suicide of Cleopatra VII, the last pharaoh of Egypt, is one of the most famous death scenes in history. The popular story tells of her allowing an asp to bite her, a symbol of divine royalty. However, the true circumstances of her death are far from certain.
### The Asp Legend
The account of Cleopatra's death by snakebite was popularized by ancient writers like Plutarch. According to this version, after the defeat of her forces and the suicide of her lover, Mark Antony, Cleopatra had a venomous snake, likely an Egyptian cobra, brought to her in a basket of figs. This method of death was seen as befitting a queen, as the snake was a symbol of divine royalty and would grant her immortality.
#### Doubts and Alternative Theories
Modern scholars and historians, however, have raised doubts about this dramatic tale. Some argue that it would have been difficult to conceal a snake large enough to kill a person, and that death from a cobra bite can be slow and painful, not the swift and peaceful end often depicted. Alternative theories suggest that Cleopatra may have used a fast-acting poison, possibly ingested or introduced through a sharp object like a hairpin.
### A Forced Suicide?
Another intriguing possibility is that her death was not entirely her own choice. Some academics hypothesize that her Roman rival, Octavian (the future Emperor Augustus), may have forced her to commit suicide in a manner of her choosing. By dying, Cleopatra avoided the humiliation of being paraded as a prisoner in a Roman triumph, a fate she would have dreaded. The exact location of her tomb remains unknown, adding another layer of mystery to the final moments of the last of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs.
9. Pharaohs Employed Honey-Coated Slaves as Fly Catchers
The personal habits of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs could be as strange as their religious rituals. One particularly bizarre and cruel practice was the use of honey-coated slaves to act as living fly traps.
### A Sticky Solution
Flies were a constant nuisance in the hot climate of ancient Egypt, and the pharaohs, who valued their comfort and divinity, would not tolerate being bothered by them. To keep the pests at bay, some pharaohs reportedly had slaves stripped naked and covered in honey. The sticky sweetness of the honey would attract the flies, luring them away from the pharaoh.
#### A Display of Power
This practice, while disgustingly effective, was also a brutal display of the pharaoh's absolute power and the dehumanization of their servants. The slaves were treated as mere objects, their bodies used as tools to provide minor comfort to their ruler. This shocking custom reveals the darker side of pharaonic rule, a world where the life and dignity of a slave were considered utterly disposable.
### Other Bizarre Practices
This was not the only strange custom of the pharaohs. Other bizarre practices included the use of crocodile dung as a form of contraception and gruesome "sports" that involved knocking people into crocodile-infested waters. While the grandeur of their monuments speaks to their incredible achievements, these disturbing practices offer a chilling reminder of the immense and often cruel power wielded by the ancient Egyptian pharaohs.
10. The "Curse of the Pharaohs" May Have a Scientific Explanation
The legend of the "Curse of the Pharaohs," which gained notoriety after a series of mysterious deaths followed the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922, has long been dismissed as mere superstition. However, recent scientific theories suggest there may be a natural explanation for this deadly phenomenon.
### The Legend of the Curse
The curse legend was fueled by the death of Lord Carnarvon, the financial backer of the excavation, who died from an infected mosquito bite just a few months after entering the tomb. His death was followed by a number of other untimely demises among those who had visited the tomb, leading to widespread speculation about a supernatural curse protecting the pharaoh's eternal rest.
#### A Scientific Culprit: Radiation?
A modern theory proposes that the "curse" may have been caused by natural radiation. Some research suggests that the granite used in the construction of tombs, as well as the surrounding rock, could contain naturally occurring uranium. Over thousands of years in a sealed environment, this could lead to the buildup of radioactive radon gas. Exposure to these high levels of radiation could have led to cancers and other illnesses, appearing as a "curse" to those who disturbed the tombs.
### Toxic Fungi and Bacteria
Another plausible scientific explanation involves ancient, toxic fungi and bacteria. Sealed for millennia, the tombs could have been breeding grounds for dangerous pathogens. When the tombs were opened, these dormant spores could have been inhaled by the excavators, leading to severe and sometimes fatal respiratory infections. This theory is supported by the fact that some of the deaths were attributed to pneumonia-like illnesses. While perhaps not as dramatic as a supernatural curse, the idea of death by ancient microbes is, in its own way, just as terrifying.
The world of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs was one of stark contrasts. It was a civilization of unparalleled architectural and artistic achievement, yet it was also a society steeped in bizarre rituals, deadly family politics, and strange beliefs. The shocking truths behind their divine facades reveal them not just as distant, golden figures, but as complex human beings who ruled, loved, and died in a world that was far stranger than we can imagine. Their secrets, once sealed in stone and sand, continue to be unveiled, each revelation adding a new and surprising chapter to their incredible story.