Ptahhotep was a vizier, a kind of prime minister, in the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt’s
Old Kingdom. He was revered for his wisdom for centuries after his death
because of a remarkable composition attributed to him, The Instructions of
Ptahhotep. These maxims contain both moral precepts and practical advice for
getting along in social situations and the proper behavior of a man towards his
superiors and inferiors. This text is adapted from Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient
Egyptian Literature, University of California Press (1975), Volume 1, 61 – 80.
Questions for Analysis:
1) What kind of society was Ancient Egypt? Was it egalitarian or
hierarchical?
2) What kinds of behaviors and personal qualities did an ideal man have in
Ptahhotep’s view? How did he behave towards others?
3) What does Ptahhotep say about how a man should behave towards his
father? What were the qualities of an ideal son?
4) What does Ptahhotep say about relations between men and women?
What kind of role did women have in society?
“The Instruction by the Mayor of the city, the Vizier Ptahhotep, under the Majesty