Dossier

Eternal Life Achieved: The inspiring legacies of 4 Ancient Egyptians | Laura Roy | TEDxMcMasterU

Laura Ranieri Roy argues that ancient Egyptians achieved a form of eternal life through their legacies, using the examples of Sneferu, Ramses the Great, Hatshepsut, and Akhenaten to show how remarkable achievements endure in memory. Her strongest illustration is Hatshepsut, who successfully ruled as a king, setting precedents for future power structures, and concluding with the challenge to shape one's own lasting legacy today.

## Speakers & Context
- Laura Ranieri Roy, Egyptologist.
- Formerly worked as a writer and actress/performer.
- Motivated in 2010 after seeing a colossal statue in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo to bring Egypt's history to life in a fresh and meaningful way.
- Presented seminar material, including leading tours in Egypt almost every year.

## Theses & Positions
- The ancient Egyptians believed in achieving eternal life and built monuments to make it a reality.
- Legacy is the modern form of achieving "eternal life," as a person's name, works, or ideas continue to inspire or be remembered.
- To shape a lasting legacy today, one can be inspired by the stories of historical titans, whether through art, leadership, science, or controversial ideas.
- The impact of a historical figure can be defined by their ability to create an enduring narrative (e.g., propaganda, art, or institutional change).

## Concepts & Definitions
- **Eternal Life (Ancient Egyptian context):** Believed possible; achieved through monumental construction and complex religion.
- **Per-a-a:** The term used by Hatshepsut to refer to the royal house/lineage, which the Greeks garbled into "Pharaoh."
- **Aton:** The spidery sun disk deity worshipped by Akhenaten.
- **Propaganda Campaign:** The strategy used by Hatshepsut to establish her legitimacy as a ruler.

## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Pyramid Innovation (Sneferu):**
    - Started with the step pyramid of Saqqara, which is cited as the world’s first building in stone.
    - Attempted first true pyramid at Meidum (stepped structure) but abandoned it due to building issues.
    - Moved to Dahshur, creating the Bent Pyramid (initial failure due to stability issues).
    - Successfully built the Red Pyramid by choosing a less ambitious angle and creating a better foundation in the shifting sands.
    - This process established the lineage leading to the Giza Plateau wonders built by Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure.
- **PR Mastery (Ramses the Great):**
    - Used the Battle of Kadesh (fought in modern day Syria against the Hittites) as a propaganda victory, displaying himself as the valiant fighter even though the battle was at best a draw.
    - Later negotiated the first peace treaty with the Hittites.
- **Assumption of Kingship (Hatshepsut):**
    - Initially ruled alongside her nephew/stepson, Thutmose III.
    - Gradually assumed full kingship, using the myth that she sprang from the limbs of the God Amun to legitimize her rule.
    - Elevated the priesthood and made the local god of thieves symbiotic with kingship.
- **Artistic Revolution (Akhenaten):**
    - Changed art and language from rigid and stately to flowing and naturalistic, depicting domestic scenes (e.g., King and Queen Nefertiti playing with their daughters).
    - Portrayed himself as a "man-woman king," exhibiting elongated face and neck, round hips and fleshy belly.

## Timeline & Sequence
- **c. 2600 BCE:** Time setting for Sneferu’s innovations.
- **Before Sneferu:** Step pyramid of Saqqara was built (world’s first building in stone).
- **Ramses the Great:** Ruled at the beginning of the 19th dynasty; was born about 1000 years after Sneferu’s lineage.
- **Pi-Ramesses (Ramesses I):** His mummy was brought over to Canada in the 1860s.
- **Hatshepsut:** Born about 200 years before Ramses the Great.
- **Hatshepsut's Reign:** Lasted 15 years.
- **Akhenaten:** Born under Amenhotep III the Magnificent; ruled for a revolution of only 17 years.
- **Present Day:** Barry Kemp's team is resurrecting Akhenaten's lost kingdom and temple.

## Named Entities
- **Egypt** — The location and subject of the history discussed.
- **Cairo** — Location of the Egyptian Museum.
- **Akhenaten** — Pharaoh who changed art, language, and the image of kingship; changed his name from Amenhotep IV to signify devotion to Aton.
- **Amenhotep III the Magnificent** — King under whose reign Akhenaten was born.
- **Amenhotep IV** — Akhenaten’s original name.
- **Nefertiti** — Wife of Akhenaten, featured in the beautiful bust in the Berlin Museum.
- **Hatshepsut** — Female pharaoh who ruled as king; daughter of a great King of Egypt.
- **Thutmose the second** — Hatshepsut’s husband-brother.
- **Thutmose III** — Hatshepsut's nephew/stepson; reached maturity when Hatshepsut disappeared.
- **Ramses the Great** — King known for building colossal statues and temples.
- **Usermaatre:** The corruption of Ramses the Great's throne name, used in the Ozymandias poem.
- **Pi-Ramesses:** Name associated with Ramesses I.
- **Hittites:** The group with whom Ramses fought at the Battle of Kadesh.
- **Amun:** A major Egyptian god; was father to Hatshepsut's propaganda myth.
- **Deir el Bahri:** Site of Hatshepsut's great temple.
- **Punt:** A land (believed to be present day Somalia or Ethiopia) visited by Hatshepsut for trade.
- **Barry Kemp:** Archaeologist leading the team resurrecting Akhenaten's kingdom.
- **Tutankhamun** — Son of Akhenaten whose treasures are noted.

## Numbers & Data
- Year of Sneferu's innovation: **2600 BCE**.
- Number of pyramids built by Sneferu: **as many as four**.
- Age range for Ramses's rule: He was born about **1000 years after** Sneferu.
- Age at Ramses's death: **91 or 92 years old**.
- Number of children Ramses fathered: **50 sons and 53 daughters**.
- Time period of Hatshepsut's rule: **15 years**.
- Time span of Akhenaten's revolution: **17 years**.
- Modern context: The professor who speaks gave an MA degree and leads tours **almost every year**.

## Examples & Cases
- **Pyramid construction sequence:** Saqqara step pyramid (world’s first in stone) $\rightarrow$ Meidum Pyramid (abandoned) $\rightarrow$ Bent Pyramid $\rightarrow$ Red Pyramid (first true pyramid).
- **Ramses's Propaganda:** Displaying the Battle of Kadesh as a personal victory despite it being a draw, and later negotiating a peace treaty with the Hittites.
- **Hatshepsut's Legitimacy:** Using the divine myth that she sprung from the limbs of the God Amun to rule.
- **Hatshepsut's Trade:** Landmark journey to the land of Punt to gather frankincense and incense trees.
- **Akhenaten's Art:** Changing art from rigid to naturalistic, showing domestic scenes of royalty.
- **The Bust of Nefertiti:** Cited as the beautiful apex of Akhenaten's art, located in the Berlin Museum.

## Tools, Tech & Products
- None mentioned (Focus is historical/cultural legacy, not contemporary tools).

## References Cited
- Percy Bysshe's famous poem *Ozymandias* (The fallen colossal statue).
- The Old Testament (Regarding the City of Pi-Ramesses).

## Trade-offs & Alternatives
- **Architectural Evolution (Pyramids):** Stepped $\rightarrow$ Abandoned $\rightarrow$ Bent $\rightarrow$ True/Stable (Red Pyramid).
- **Hatshepsut's Role:** Rule by divine right/precedent, versus biological succession (nephew/stepson Thutmose III).
- **Kingship:** Traditional male rule vs. a woman ruling as king (Hatshepsut).
- **Religion:** Traditional polytheism vs. the monotheistic focus on Aton (Akhenaten).
- **Modern Legacy:** Building with limestone/granite vs. contemporary media like AI-driven technology.

## Counterarguments & Caveats
- **Ramses's Victory:** The Battle of Kadesh was not actually an Egyptian victory; it was a propaganda win.
- **Hatshepsut's End:** Her stepson had her statues smashed to pieces, and her name was erased on her monuments.
- **Archaeological Proof (Exodus):** There is no archaeological proof connecting Ramses to the Exodus.
- **Akhenaten's End:** His entire revolution was short-lived (17 years); his religion, city, and influence were wiped out, and he was labeled a criminal.

## Methodology
- Analysis of monumental construction techniques (pyramids) to understand engineering innovation.
- Examining royal propaganda and public image management (Ramses, Hatshepsut).
- Artistic and religious reform movements to analyze cultural shifts (Akhenaten).
- Tracing dynastic succession and power struggles.

## Conclusions & Recommendations
- All discussed ancient figures (Sneferu, Ramses, Hatshepsut, Akhenaten) ultimately achieved a form of immortality because their stories and works survive.
- The recommendation is to identify and cultivate a defining characteristic or passion in modern life—whether as a leader, artist, scientist, or innovator—to ensure a lasting modern legacy.
- The speaker urges the audience to find the spirit of Sneferu, Ramses, Akhenaten, and Hatshepsut within themselves.

## Implications & Consequences
- The failure of massive centralized power (like Akhenaten's) does not negate the cultural impact of the *idea* or the *story* itself.
- Legacy is transferable: skills or ideologies can persist long after the person or monument is gone.
- Modern forms of legacy may manifest through technology or social influence rather than stone and granite.

## Verbatim Moments
- *"To achieve eternal life, to live forever. Is it an impossible dream?"*
- *"I say yes, and I wish to prove it to you, while also inspiring you with the legacies of four remarkable Egyptians."*
- *"You could call him the Elon Musk of Pyramid Innovation."*
- *"The first true pyramid was born."*
- *“My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”*
- *"Yes, Ramses was probably the first master of PR, one of the first."*
- *"She was the first woman who ruled Egypt as king."*
- *"He had himself portrayed as mother and father of the nation, the first gender fluid King."*
- *"How will your TEDTalk, your story, be told in a TEDTalk 3,000 years from now?"*
- *"May we all dig deep to find that Sneferu, Ramses, Akhenaten and Hatshepsut spirit in all of us and be unafraid to shape a lasting legacy in these modern times."*