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The river Nile was a kind friend but occasionally it was a hard taskmaster. It taught the people who lived along its banks the noble art of "team-work." They depended upon each other to build their irrigation trenches and keep their dikes in repair. In this way they learned how to get along with their neighbors and their mutual-benefit-association quite easily developed into an organized state.

Then one person grew more powerful than most of their neighbors and became the leader of the community and their commander-in-chief when the envious neighbors of western Asia invaded the prosperous valley. In due course of time this person became their King or Queen and ruled all the land from the Mediterranean to the mountains of the west.

But these political adventures of the old Pharaohs (the word meant "the Person who lived in the Big House") rarely interested the patient and toiling peasant of the grain fields. Provided they was not obliged to pay more taxes to their King or Queen than they thought just, they accepted the rule of Pharaoh as they accepted the rule of Mighty Osiris.

It was different however when a foreign invader came and robbed people of their possessions. After twenty centuries of independent life, a savage Arab tribe of shepherds, called the Hyksos, attacked Egypt and for five hundred years they were the masters of the valley of the Nile. They were highly unpopular and great hate was also felt for the Hebrews who came to the land of Goshen to find a shelter after their long wandering through the desert and who helped the foreign usurper by acting as his tax-gatherers and his civil servants.

But shortly after the year 1700 B.C. the people of Thebes began a revolution and after a long struggle the Hyksos were driven out of the country and Egypt was free once more.

A thousand years later, when Assyria conquered all of western Asia, Egypt became part of the empire of Sardanapalus. In the seventh century B.C. it became once more an independent state which obeyed the rule of a king who lived in the city of Sais in the Delta of the Nile. But in the year 525 B.C., Cambyses, the king of the Persians, took possession of Egypt and in the fourth century B.C., when Persia was conquered by Alexander the Great, Egypt too became a Macedonian province. It regained a semblance of independence when one of Alexander's generals set himself up as king of a new Egyptian state and founded the dynasty of the Ptolemies, who resided in the newly built city of Alexandria.

Finally, in the year 89 B.C., the Romans came. The last Egyptian queen, Cleopatra, tried her best to save the country. Her beauty and charm were more dangerous to the Roman generals than half a dozen Egyptian army corps. Twice she was successful in her attacks upon the hearts of her Roman conquerors. But in the year 30 B.C., Augustus, the nephew and heir of Caesar, landed in Alexandria. He did not share his late uncle's admiration for the lovely princess. He destroyed her armies, but spared her life that he might make her march in his triumph as part of the spoils of war. When Cleopatra heard of this plan, she killed herself by taking poison. And Egypt became a Roman province.

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read and/or listen to the story.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Study the vocabulary terms.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Answer the review questions.

Synopsis

An Arab tribe called the Hyksos conquered the Nile Valley and ruled its people. The Egyptian people hated the Hyksos as well as the Hebrews who served as the Hyksos' tax collectors and civil servants. After 500 years of rule, the Egyptian people overthrew the Hyksos. One thousand years later, the Assyrians conquered Egypt. Egypt varied between conquered and free as the Persians and Macedonians also took Egypt. The last Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra, was defeated by the Romans in 30 B.C., and Egypt became a Roman province.

Vocabulary

Hyksos: A people of mixed Semitic and Asian descent who invaded Egypt and settled in the Nile delta c. 1640 BC. They ruled a large part of the country until driven out c. 1532 BC.
Hebrew: A member or descendant of a Semitic people claiming descent from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Civil Servant: A government employee.
Assyrians: A person who resided in the ancient region on the Upper Tigris river, with capital city of Assur.
Persians: A person from the land of ancient Persia, corresponding to modern-day Fars province in southwestern Iran.
Macedonians: A person from Macedonia, an ancient Greek kingdom located to the north of Thessaly.
Cleopatra: A queen of ancient Egypt.
Roman: A citizen or soldier of the ancient Roman Republic or Empire.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Lesson

  • After you read or listen to the lesson, narrate the events aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Study the Cleopatra Coin

  • In art and in film, Cleopatra is portrayed as a beautiful woman.
  • Although Roman writings remark on Cleopatra's wit and cleverness, Cleopatra may not have been conventionally beautiful.
  • See the coin with Cleopatra's image and compare it to Michelangelo's sketch of Cleopatra from Activity 4.

Activity 3: Complete Copywork, Narration, Dictation, and Art   

Click the crayon above. Complete page 17 of 'World History Copywork, Narration, Dictation, and Art for Third Grade.'

Activity 4: Study and Sketch Cleopatra   

Click the crayon above. Complete page 18 of 'World History Copywork, Narration, Dictation, and Art for Third Grade.'

  • Cleopatra was the last Egyptian Queen.
  • See the drawing of Cleopatra created by the great Italian painter and sculptor Michelangelo.
  • Note her headdress and the asp (poisonous snake found in the Nile region) which bites her.
  • Recreate your own sketch of Michelangelo's artwork.

Review

Question 1

Why did the Egyptians hate the Hebrew people?
1 / 2

Answer 1

The Egyptians hated both the Hyksos, who conquered them, as well as the Hebrew people who served as the tax collectors and civil servants for the Hyksos.
1 / 2

Question 2

Why is Cleopatra infamous?
2 / 2

Answer 2

Cleopatra was the last Egyptian Queen. She killed herself when conquered by the Romans.
2 / 2

  1. Why did the Egyptians hate the Hebrew people? The Egyptians hated both the Hyksos, who conquered them, as well as the Hebrew people who served as the tax collectors and civil servants for the Hyksos.
  2. Why is Cleopatra infamous? Cleopatra was the last Egyptian Queen. She killed herself when conquered by the Romans.

References

  1. 'Mark Antony, with Cleopatra VII Coin Picture by CNG. ({PD-old-auto-1923})' Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:011-Mark_Antony,_with_Cleopatra_VII_-3.jpg. n.p.
  2. 'Cleopatra.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

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