The social classes of ancient Egypt remained rigidly fixed, allowing very few to rise above the station in life to which they were born. Egyptian society imitated the pyramid: The largest number of people lived among the lowest classes of peasants and artisans while a single individual reigned at the apex, exercising absolute power as the king, a representative of the gods on earth. For the pharaoh, daily life was unlike that of any other Egyptian.

A Living Symbol of Egypt

In Egypt, kings were considered living embodiments of the nation and of the gods. In temple and tomb paintings, kings were depicted with the head of a falcon, a symbol of the god Horus, who according to myth was the first king of the land. The kings also possessed the power of magical utterance, in which they might summon...