03: Horus vs Seth

01/14/13 • 41 min

1 Listener

Warring gods, divided dynasties. Following the First Dynasty of rulers, the Egyptian royal family seems to divide. Shadowy records hint at civil conflicts, and archaeological information reveals climate change and economic decay. These troubles shattered royal unity, but they may have had a larger legacy: inspiring tales of the gods Horus and Seth, who waged a decades-long battle for the kingship of Egypt...

Time period: 2850 – 2700 BCE.
Kings: Peribsen, Khasekhemwy.
Notable sites: Saqqara, Abydos.
Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com.
The History of Egypt Podcast website www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.com.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

Erik Hornung, Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt: the One and the Many, 1996 (Amazon).
John Romer, A History of Egypt: from the First Farmers to the Great Pyramid, 2013 (Amazon).
Toby Wilkinson, Early Dynastic Egypt, 2001 (Amazon).
David Wengrow, The Archaeology of Early Egypt, 2006 (Amazon).
Robert Wenke, The Ancient Egyptian State, 2009 (Amazon).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time period: 2850 – 2700 BCE.
Kings: Peribsen, Khasekhemwy.
Notable sites: Saqqara, Abydos.
Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com.
The History of Egypt Podcast website www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.com.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

Erik Hornung, Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt: the One and the Many, 1996 (Amazon).
John Romer, A History of Egypt: from the First Farmers to the Great Pyramid, 2013 (Amazon).
Toby Wilkinson, Early Dynastic Egypt, 2001 (Amazon).
David Wengrow, The Archaeology of Early Egypt, 2006 (Amazon).
Robert Wenke, The Ancient Egyptian State, 2009 (Amazon).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Previous Episode

02: Horus Takes Flight

Egypt's earliest monarchs are a curious bunch. Powerful figures like Aha and Merneith left their mark on this "First Dynasty," with lavish tombs and extensive records. Egyptians led campaigns and trading expeditions to foreign lands. Along the way, they achieved a form of immortality...

Time period: circa 3000-2900 BCE
Kings: Aha, Djer, Wadjet, Mer-Neith, Den.
Notable sites: Abdju (Abydos), Nekhen (Hierakonpolis), Saqqara (necropolis of Memphis).
Gods: Horus, Neith
Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com.
The History of Egypt Podcast website www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.com.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Select Bibliography:

Erik Hornung, Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt: the One and the Many, 1996 (Amazon).
John Romer, A History of Egypt: from the First Farmers to the Great Pyramid, 2013 (Amazon).
Toby Wilkinson, Early Dynastic Egypt, 2001 (Amazon).
David Wengrow, The Archaeology of Early Egypt, 2006 (Amazon).
Robert Wenke, The Ancient Egyptian State, 2009 (Amazon).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next Episode

Interlude: Infinite Waters

Atum Creates the Universe. The stories of how ancient Egypt (and the world) came into existence are beautiful. In this episode, we explore three Creation myths: the tale of Atum and the primeval Ocean; the tale of Ptah and the divine word; and the story of the Ogdoad, the Council of Eight Gods. Each tale gives its own spin on the origins of life, the universe, and everything...