The Egyptians

by Sergio Donadoni (Editor)

The Egyptians is a vibrant, accessible introduction to the people who lived along the Nile for almost thirty-five centuries. In this collection of essays, eleven internationally renowned Egyptologists present studies of ancient Egyptians arranged by social type—slaves, craftsmen, priests, bureaucrats, the pharaoh, peasants, and women, among others. These individual essays are filled with a wealth of historical detail that both informs and we learn, for example, that Egyptian peasants could not afford burial (their corpses were abandoned on the desert fringe), and that it was the bureaucrats who made the Egyptian system tick (the pyramids could not have been built without them).

Read consecutively, the portraits merge to create a larger picture of Egyptian culture, state, and society. The framework of the Egyptian state, in particular, is touched upon in each essay, describing the meticulous administration and well-organized hierarchical system that fostered centuries of stability and prosperity.

Genres: History, Egyptology, Egypt, Ancient History

377 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Vladimiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non un libro di facile lettura. E' una raccolta di saggi su varie figure della società egiziana: contadino, sacerdote, funzionario, soldato, scriba ecc. l'indirizzo unitario c'è: descrivere l'evoluzione di queste figure e, soprattutto, la loro personalità, il loro ruolo all'interno della società, le aspirazioni. Ogni tanto si esagera nel dettaglio, forse perchè le fonti sono poche e parziali.

Comunque si scoprono un sacco di cose, la più importante è che il pregiudizio "società egizia immobile per 3000 anni" è chiaramente smentito a più riprese.

Consiglio di leggerlo dopo un saggio più generale e introduttivo.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, to the point, and dry. A great way to look at societal groups in the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. I enjoyed how short this book was (many history books can be incredibly exhaustive) and how it gave a great overview of how daily life played out in Egypt.

[Lonely Panda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fluid read. It was very straight to the point and well explained. It provided a good overview of Egyptians in different aspects of their lives going from the slave to the pharaoh. I had to read it for a dissertation and was not bored or tired through it.

[Bárbara Andrea Neira Concha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una mirada aguda de varios autores sobre la vida cotidiana del hombre egipcio

[Aimi Tedresalu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ei saa isegi aru, miks selle raamatu lugemine nii kaua venis. Tegelikult oli ju väga huvitav ja selgelt kirjutatud teos. Tekst oli muidugi tihe ja et iga peatüki oli kirjutanud erinev ajaloolane, siis kubisesid need kõik rohkest infost, mille kõik need oma eriala spetsalistid üritasid nappi mahtu kokku suruda. Seega oli tekstis päris palju aastaarve ja nimesid, aga mitte kuivalt ega igavalt. Igas peatükis käsitleti n-ö erineva ameti inimesi vanas Egitpuses, alates talupoegadest ja lõpetades naiste ja orjadega. Osati oli loetu ootuspärane (talupoegade higi ja veri kõige aluses), teisalt jälle pakkus uut teadmisrõõmu (naiste oluord polnudki võib-olla nii trööstitu). Muidugi rõhutatakse, et teatud tekst on kallutatud ehk elukutselised kirjutajad kirjutasid ju oma isandatest nende käsul ikka parimat, sest kes ei tahaks ülistatuna ajalukku jääda. Üldkokkuvõttes huvitav ja lugemist väärt teos.