Egyptian life

Chapter 1

Egypt’s Social Classes Below the pharaoh were the next two highest classes in the social pyramid—government
officials and priests. They were the most powerful groups
in Egypt.
Government officials carried out the orders of the
pharaoh. Most officials came from noble families. They
were powerful and wealthy, and they enjoyed a high
quality of life.
Priests were also a powerful group, because religion
touched every part of people’s daily lives. Priests were in
charge of the temples and religious rituals. They also
oversaw the important ceremonies surrounding death and
burial.
Next on the social pyramid were scribes. Scribes held a
respected position in society. They recorded information
for government and religious leaders. It took many years
of schooling to become a scribe.
Artisans occupied the next layer of the social pyramid.
This group included craftspeople like carpenters, metalworkers, painters, sculptors, and stone carvers. Artisans were
highly skilled, but they had little social status.
At the bottom of the social pyramid were the peasants. They were the largest social class. Peasants worked the land,
providing the Egyptians with a steady food supply. When not farming, peasants worked on the pharaoh’s massive
building projects.
Life in Egypt’s Social Classes Egypt’s social pyramid was fairly rigid. Most people belonged to the same social
class as their parents. There was little chance of moving to a higher class. Members of different classes may have had
some things in common, but, in general, their lives were quite different.
Egyptians in all social classes cherished family life. Most Egyptians married within their social group. Children were
highly valued.
Men and women had different roles within the family. Men were the heads of their households. They worked to
support the family. Fathers often began to train their sons at a young age to take on their line of work. Women
typically managed the home and raised the children. Upper-class women had servants or slaves to help them. Lower-
class women did the work themselves.
Men were in charge of Egyptian society, but women enjoyed more freedom and rights than most women in the
ancient world. They could own land and run businesses. They could also ask for divorces and represent themselves in
legal matters. Some women in the middle and upper classes worked as doctors, government officials, or priestesses.
Both women and men enjoyed a better quality of life the higher they were on the social pyramid.
The Egyptians believed that their class system created a stable, well-ordered society. Each group had its own role to
play. Let’s take a look at the duties and daily lives of the various social classes during the time of the New Kingdom.