Transcript Life-on-the-Nile2

Life on the Nile
“The Egyptians themselves in
their manners and customs seem to
have reversed the ordinary
practices of mankind.”
~Herodotus
Women
• Possessed rights,
responsibilities,
privileges
– Wrote wills, owned
property, consent to
marriage, etc…
• Women took on many
jobs
– Farmers, weavers,
doctors, musicians,
mothers, etc…
Marriage
• Premarital sex socially
accepted
– Cheating, Big NO-NO!
• No real marriage
ceremony
• Monogamous
• Divorce socially
acceptable
Pregnancy and Childbirth
• Fertility was highly
prized
• Giving birth was risky
– Many women, children
died
– Pregnancy, childbirth,
infancy 3 most
dangerous times in life!
Children
• Child’s birth great joy
– Reflected in names
• “This boy I wanted”
• “She belongs to me”
• Played games/sport,
had dolls
• Childhood ended w/
female menses, male
circumcision
Dress and Fashion
• Linen most common
fabric
• Accessories = fashion
statements
• Hairstyles
– Both Men and Women
wore wigs
• All used large amounts
make-up, perfumes
Entertainment
• Men primarily played
physical sports; women
swam
• Festivals & dancing
• Drinking beer, wine was
common
"I have heard that you
abandoned writing and that
you whirl around in
pleasures, that you go from
street to street and you
reek of beer. "
• Board games were very
popular