What Was the Daily Life of Egyptian Pharaohs Like?
The daily life of Egyptian pharaohs typically involved attending meetings, accepting gifts, paying tribute to the chief god known as Amen-Re, touring the city and performing a ceremony in the temple. Egyptian pharaohs were surrounded by slaves, servants and officials throughout the day.
The day of an Egyptian pharaoh typically started with servants cleaning and dressing him. Servants would embellish him with various types of jewelry, especially gold. Once dressed, the pharaoh entered the audience chamber to hold a daily meeting. Guests that entered the room would kneel down before the pharaoh to display their reverence. The pharaoh often received numerous gifts from ambassadors of foreign countries, noble people, special envoys and generals.
After the meeting, the pharaoh paid tribute to Amen-Re to keep the empire’s divine order. He would ask questions to Amen-Re and get answers from the high priest. After asking questions and offering prayers, the sacred butcher would cut the throat of a large bull and present it to the gods as a sacrifice.
In the afternoon, the pharaoh would roam the city and visit construction sites to see new structures that were built in his honor. Next, he would return to the palace and relax in the garden as the day ended. Finally, the pharaoh would go back to the temple for a ceremony that signified the end of the day.
