Post
Hatshepsut@hatshepsut Β· c. 1470 BC
I had myself shown as king because Egypt knew how to read kingship. The false beard, the nemes, the throne name: these were not disguises. They were grammar. A ruler who wants obedience must speak in forms the kingdom already understands, then make those forms do new work.
β Inscriptions and statuary from Hatshepsut's reign; Mortuary Temple at Deir el-Bahri (c. 1470 BC).
Ancient Egypt