The Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs
Men and Gods

How far would ancient Egypt have gotten without belief in the divinity of the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs? That's a question that can only be answered by understanding what a Pharaoh does and what he represents to the Egyptian people.

A Pharaoh is usually born into the role. He inherits the thrown of Egypt and hands it down to a son.

He was not only the King of Egypt, but he was also seen as the reincarnation of the God Horus. Being a reincarnation of such a powerful God gave the Pharaoh immeasurable power and respect - which got a lot of things done.

That may be one of the reasons that such unbelievable accomplishments were the norm in ancient Egypt. They didn't need slaves to build pyramids - the people were "asked" to go to work for their king whom they considered a God in his own right. Of course they would comply ;)

As Gods on Earth, ancient Egyptian Pharaohs had many responsibilities that went along with the immense power of such a title. They were the military, political and religious heads of state. They were also expected to vouch for their people to the Gods whom they communicated with.

Alive they were reincarnations of Gods; after death they became true Gods...

You probably noticed that I've been referring to them as male thus far, and that's because that is mostly the case. However, there were a few exceptions of ancient Egyptian queens who ruled Egypt and became Pharaohs themselves.

But for the majority of the royal women, that was not their reality. The usual roles of Egyptian Queens were very limiting.

Another thing that I'd like to mention is that although the Pharaohs were deified automatically, there were kings of ancient Egypt who were not - while there were Egyptians who were not kings that were deified.

Also, it is difficult for Egyptologists to give exact dates and accounts of reigns and events in ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians didn't have a standardized calendar system, and they were not very objective in their record-keeping. So keep this in mind, but on this site I'll be using the most commonly accepted dates and facts.

Click here to find out more about how we know about the reigns, and the actual kingship of the Pharaohs.

The Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs

So without further ado, here are The Pharaohs... just click on the pics!


King Narmer: Successor to King Scorpion and succeeded by King Hor-Aha.

Dynasty 0 begins with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt with King Narmer as the first ruler of the "Two Lands", in approx. 3100 BC. He is considered the first of the True ancient Egyptian Pharaohs.


King Hor-Aha: Successor to King Narmer and succeeded by King Djer.

The first king of the first Dynasty around 3050 BC, his reign began by inheriting Egypt and fighting to keep it. He founded the capital city of Memphis and ruled for many years. He then died in the mighty grip of a Nile hippopotamus.


King Djoser: Successor to King Sanakhte and succeeded by King Sekhemkhet.

The second king of the third Dynasty (approx. 2668-2649 BC), he was the first to build an Egyptian pyramid - the Step Pyramid. He was advised by his Vizier Imhotep and faced the obstacles of a 7 year long drought and famine.


King Snefru: Successor to King Huni and succeeded by King Khufu.

Dynasty 4 (approx. 2613 BC) begins with King Snefru inheriting the throne of his father and completing his unfinished pyramid. He goes on to build two of his own, one of which is the first True Pyramid.

King Khufu: Successor to King Snefru and succeeded by King Djedefre.

The second king of the forth Dynasty, King Khufu is the builder of the only wonder of the ancient world still standing out of the 7. His success as builder of the tallest man-made structure was never again matched until the 19th century, 4.5 thousand years later.


King Khafre: Successor to King Djedefre and succeeded by King Menkaure.

The 4th king of the 4th Dynasty, King Khafre is the builder of the second Pyramid at Giza and is thought to be the builder of the Sphinx as well as it being his portrait. His reign brought prosperity to the country.

King Menkaure: Successor to King Khafre and succeeded by King Shepseskaf.

The 5th king of the 4th Dynasty, King Menkaure is the builder of the third and final pyramid of Giza, and is said to have been a kinder and gentler pharaoh than his predecessors. Herodotus recorded a legend about his reign in which he had to appease the Gods to lift a curse on the land.


King Menuhotep I: Successor to King Inteff III and succeeded by King Menuhotep II.

The 4th king of the 11th Dynasty (approx. 2060-2010 BC), he won the throne after many battles for control with King Inteff III and rival nomarchs. He managed to unify Egypt once again after 140 years of unrest and chaos.

Queen Hatshepsut: Successor to King Thutmosis II and succeeded by King Thutmosis III.

Co-regent with her half-brother, Queen Hatshepsut ruled during the 18th Dynasty for 20 years until her death. She had suppressed the rule of Thutmosis III and appointed herself as King; she also built one of Egypt's most famous mortuary temples - a masterpiece in architecture.

King Thutmosis III: Successor to King Thutmosis II and succeeded by King Amenhotep II.

The 5th ancient Egyptian Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty (approx. 1504-1450), King Thutmosis III was known as the Egyptian Napoleon for his ambitious empire-building. He ruled after Hatshepsut, who had usurped his position as the true heir, had died (or was killed).

Queen Nefertiti: Great Royal Wife of King Akhenaten, successor to King Amenhotep III.

Although she was not the ruler of ancient Egypt herself, her fame and power are notable enough to give her a spot on the list of famous ancient Egyptian Pharaohs. She was an enigma and a beauty, whose origin as well as death are shrouded in mystery.

King Tutankhamun: Successor to King Akhenaten and succeeded by King Ay.

The boy king who took over the throne of Egypt at the age of 9. He is the center of much speculation regarding the cause of his death at age 19. One of the most famous ancient Egyptian pharaohs due to the discovery of his tomb in tact and full of mystical treasures, espcially his alluring golden death mask.

Queen Cleopatra: Successor to King Ptolemy XII and was the last Pharaoh to rule Egypt.

A descendant of one of Alexander's generals, Macedonian/Greek by blood, Queen Cleopatra VII took over the throne at age 19 after her father's death. She was to co-rule with her brother and husband, but she managed to dispose of him. She seduced Rome's Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, ruling Egypt till her suicide in 30 BC.

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