The female condition in ancient Egypt
The ancient Egyptian women, representatives on Earth of the divine Isis, were emancipated and respected, unlike the rest of the ancient world. They were greatly loved and revered by their husbands and sons for 3,000 years, then the Ptolemies took away their autonomy.
Jean Françoise Champollion, decipherer of hieroglyphics and the first true Egyptologist, wrote that
"one can assess the degree of civilization of peoples by the more or less bearable status of women within the social organization"
The status of ancient Egyptian women was indeed very high compared to that of their contemporaries and almost identical to that of Western women today. In Egypt, women (single or married, widowed or divorced) enjoyed privileges unimaginable for the time: they could choose their own husbands, name and be named heirs, sell, buy, work, and participate in social and political life. In short, they benefited from the same rights as men and were approximately considered on the same level. This may seem a bit of a platitude to us, but in the end it is not: women have had to fight a lot in the past for freedom and equality (and in some states they still fight for it); just think that until 60 years ago in Italy, only men had the right to vote.
From the many sculptures that have come down to us, one can easily guess the position of Egyptian women in society: many women were the same height as their husbands, put an arm around their spouses as a sign of affection, and were looked upon by the latter with love and complicity.
The elevated status enjoyed by Egyptian women somewhat scandalized the Greek historian Herodotus, who was accustomed to his female compatriots being cooped up all the time within the domestic walls. On the Nile, by contrast, the woman was free to go out, and her husband or relatives had no right to forbid her to do so. In legal terms, too, ancient Egyptians had nothing to fear: they could testify and their statements were taken into account; if they were wronged, no one prevented them from seeking justice. With rights also came duties, and if a woman committed a crime she was punished in the same way as a man, except in exceptional cases. There was no favoritism!
When Egyptian women married, they always kept their names, were not subservient to their husbands, and did not lose their legal and judicial autonomy. In addition, they had the responsibility of taking care of the running of their household; in fact, the married woman was called "Nebet Per" ("Lady of the House"), the equivalent of our housewife. Egyptian women were allowed to work and received wages equal to those of men. They could be weavers, bakers, brewers, millers, breeders, saleswomen, peasants, and in special cases scribes.
There has often been talk of polygamy in the land of the Pharaohs, but it must be said that it was the prerogative of the ruler to have many wives to make sure he had an heir to succeed him. Pharaoh's various consorts were also very often foreign princesses, sent by Egypt's neighboring monarchs to form alliances. A case in point may be that of Rameses II who, after the Battle of Qadesh, received from the Hittite king Muwatalliws two daughters in marriage to seal the non-aggression pact. There was also the case of a Babylonian king who asked the ninth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty to send him one of his daughters as his wife. To this question, Amenhotep III, outraged, replied that "from time immemorial no daughter of the king of Egypt has been given in marriage to anyone." Although princesses were forbidden to marry a foreigner, ordinary women were prevented from doing so by no one.
Unfortunately, the autonomy of Egyptian women ended with the advent of the Ptolemies on the throne of Egypt, who were Greeks and therefore convinced of the inferiority of the female gender. From then on, every woman had to have a guardian who controlled her and made the most important decisions in her place. It took about 2,000 years for women's social position to be restored to a level slightly above that of the Egyptians.
In conclusion, I believe that the Ancient Egyptians once again deserve gratitude from us representatives of the fairer sex, for they were the first (and until the early 1900s the only ones) not to discriminate against women, but rather exalted them for their ability to generate life. Thus stated wise Any, in his 38th maxim, addressing husbands about their female companions, "Admire her work and keep silent. There are women whose nature consists in doing everything to the praise of the great god. A woman who keeps house well is an invaluable wealth."
