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Ancient Egypt /
Government
Ancient Egypt was almost continuously ruled by kings, even if there were several changes in dynasties. The legitimacy of the king was substantiated through myths in which the institution of kingship was established by the gods: The king was defined as the son of Osiris, and often represented as Horus in the shape of a human being.
The position of the king was passed on, generally to the oldest son of the king's chief wife. In some cases, when the chief wife could not bear a son, the oldest daughter would claim the throne. At least 4 times Egypt did get a female ruler in this way.
Exercising power was in the hands of the viziers. By the middle of the 2nd millennium BCE, there were two viziers, one for the Delta area, and one for the southern parts of the Nile.
Ancient Egypt was divided into 42 nomes, or provinces. To each of these, the king appointed a nomarch as governor. The main responsibilities in each nome were to collect taxes and provide for security through the courts. Cases of major crimes were decided not by the courts, but by the king.
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By: Tore Kjeilen
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