- The Egyptians had a highly developed social system with numerous level of power.
- The top of the Social pyramid was only the gods and those considered to be gods or Pharaohs. The Pharaoh is the absolute monarch of Egypt with complete political, military, and religious power.
- The next level consists of government officials who help manage the nation. The three groups that made up this category were Viziers, Priests, and Nobles. The Viziers were people who were appointed by the Pharaoh who was given a specific precinct to manage. Priests were of course religious leaders, and the Nobles were just families which held some power one way or another. Most government positions were actually held by Nobles.
- The next level was Soldiers. Soldiers, in addition to going to war and quelling domestic uprising, also supervised the peasants, farmers, and slaves who were involved in building the pyramids.
- Scribes were highly educated individuals who could read and write the complex writing system of the Egyptians, hieroglyphs. They helped Viziers and other high ranking individuals by keeping records.
- Merchants and Artisans were what could be considered the free working class or middle class. The Merchants sold material to Artisans and sold the goods that the Artisans made.
- The lowest social classes were the Farmers and the Slaves. The Farmers had to pay a large tax to there landowners which were almost always Nobles or possible the Pharaoh himself. The slaves had no rights and there treatment was dependent on their master and nothing else.
Social Aspects
In the picture to the left, you will see a pyramid. This pyramid depicts Social Hierarchy of Ancient Egypt.