Royalty in Ancient Egypt Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pharaoh

The pharaoh was the highest member in Egyptian society. He was an all-powerful god-king and was the focus of all loyalty and attention. The pharaohs often worked with their heirs and ruled as co-agents to make sure that the transition between powers was orderly.

Although it was the chief priest that carried out the duties at the temples, the pharaoh was the high priest, and had the power to appoint a new chief priest. It has to be noted of course, that pharaohs weren't always males, and that there were some female pharaohs.

Answer: Menutuhotep

Nebhepetre Menutuhotep's reign gave way to the Middle Kingdom during which Egypt prospered. The pharaoh gained more power, which lead to more commercial expansions and a new army. In addition, he merged the god "Amun" with the god "Re" to become the sun god "Amun-Re"

Answer: Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut assumed the role of pharaoh when her husband died, and was crowned in a ceremony at Karnak. She dominated Egyptian life for thirty years, while her stepson, who was the rightful pharaoh, remained in the background. She was often portrayed in later statues and portraits in a male garb, including the decorative beard male pharaohs sometimes taped to their chins.

Answer: Amenhotep IV

Amenhotep IV became pharaoh at the age of twelve after marrying Nefertiti, his father's eighteen-year-old widow. Amenhotep dedicated his life to the worship of the sun god and so he changed his name to Akhenaten. He also changed the name of the city Amarna to Akhetaten and ordered the removal of the name of the previous sun god "Amun" from the faces of all public buildings.

Answer: Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun (1334-1325 B.C.) was the successor of Akhenaten. His name had originally been Tutankhaten, but it was changed to Tutankhamun, and the capital was moved from Amarna to Thebes to honour the sun god 'Amun', who had been disregarded when Akhenaten was in power. Tutankhamun's reign was short; it only lasted nine years, because it came to an end when he died at the age of eighteen.

Answer: The Hittites

The Hittite Empire had posed a threat to the Egyptian interest beyond the Nile. When Ramses II lead his armies into Syria for a second time (the first attack had been unsuccessful) he negotiated a treaty that meant that the Egyptians and the Hittites would not attack each other, and instead provide defense for one another. Once this was done, Ramses II enlarged the temples in Luxor, Karnak, and Thebes, and among other projects, built rock-cut temples at Abu Simbel for himself and his wife.

Answer: Nefertiti

Nefertiti lived from 1353-1336 BC, and was linked to several reliefs found in el-Amarna, which showed her with her husband Akhenaton. She had six daughters, two of whom became Queens. Nefertiti's death still remains a mystery, as it is not certain whether she was killed, or died from an illness or a natural death.

Answer: Cleopatra VII

Cleopatra VII, who was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt had ruled with her two brothers, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV before she killed them. She is well known for her affair with Julius Caesar, who was assassinated, and for her to marriage to Mark Antony, both of whom were Roman.

Her marriage to Antony angered Octivian (who would later be known as Augustus) because his sister had been wed to Antony earlier. While in Alexandria, Antony gave Roman lands to Cleopatra VII and her family. Octavian declared war on the two, and defeated them in the Battle of Actium.

It was this defeat that led to the suicides of Antony and Cleopatra.

Answer: Great House

'Per aa' literally translates to "great house." It had originally been used to refer to the royal palace, but in the beginning of the 18th dynasty, it was changed to refer to the ruler himself. In addition, he was also known as the King of both Upper and Lower Egypt, and had a personal name and a coronation name.

These two names (the personal and the coronation) would be inscribed into a cartouche, an oval figure that enclosed the names of royalty.

Answer: Ra and Osiris

The Ancient Egyptians considered their Pharaoh to be divine, and that this virtue would continue with him in his after life. Therefore his burial ceremonies ensured that not only would he stay a god, but also that he would be associated with Ra, the sun god and Osiris, the ruler of the dead. While alive, the king was associated with Horus, the sky god who was said to be the son of Osiris.