Kids are endlessly fascinated with Ancient Egypt. The pyramids, the tombs, the mummies, the jackal- and ibis- and cow-headed gods, the Book of the Dead - what a thrill! The modern approach to Egyptian history for kids focuses almost entirely on the archaeology, the material culture, and the mythology of Ancient Egypt. Today's kids study mummification and pyramid-building theories in minute detail, but they miss out almost entirely on the vast body of traditional knowledge flowing from the legends and biographical anecdotes of the historical figures of that era.
Most of the known historical figures of Ancient Egypt are kings and queens. They come to us mainly as blurry silhouettes fading into legend. Nevertheless, from Herodotus to the early-20th-century, people learned about Ancient Egypt from the stories of these leaders, be they fact- or legend-based. Yes, modern archaeology has brought us a lot of knowledge about the material culture and the timelines of Egyptian history, but today's educational curricula should also include the many stories narrated by Herodotus, Tacitus, Diodorus Siculus, Valerius Maximus, and other classical writers. Remember, kids learn best from stories, not from timelines and descriptions of artifacts.
For over two thousand years, kids have read about the megalomania of pharaohs Cheops (Khufu) and Ozymandias (Ramses II), the plight of Pharaoh Mycerinus (Menkaure), the destiny of Pharaoh Psammetichus (Psamtik I), the pranks of Pharaoh Ahmose (Amasis II), and other stories. For our ancestors, those stories were the full history of Ancient Egypt - glorified in endless historical paintings, illustrations and works of poetry, such as 'Ozymandias' by Shelly or 'Mycerinus' by Matthew Arnold. This traditional knowledge of Egyptian history is a part of our European cultural heritage that has fallen largely out of view.
'Ancient Egypt for Kids through the Lives and Legends of its Pharaohs and Queens' seeks to restore that traditional, story-based, route of teaching the history of Ancient Egypt - blending the biography-focused approach of classical writers with the facts established by modern archaeology and other sciences. These stories - historical anecdotes and legends - are either directly quoted in this book or retold in their entirety without adding any fictional color. I have omitted some things, however. Anything gruesome, off-color, or outside traditional-family-friendly morality is not included. I also bring in the information retrieved from inscriptions and papyri translated since the Rosetta Stone (such as the stories of the battle of Megiddo and the Battle of Kadesh), and facts uncovered thanks to archaeology.
The book is also richly illustrated with paintings portraying events of Egyptian history as narrated by classical writers, and with many photos of archaeological artifacts.
Historical Figures included in this Book:
Pharaohs - Menes, Djoser, Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure, Thutmose III, Akhenaten,
Tutankhamun, Ramses II, Psamtik I, Amasis II, Alexander the Great, Ptolemy Soter
Queens - Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, Cleopatra VII
