Spiski Haremowe w Starożytnym Egipcie

Abstract

The article discusses the harem conspiracies that took place at the ancient Egyptian court. The analysis of the now available textual as well as the iconographical material permits us to identify five harem conspiracies, which are the following: three under the 6th Dynasty (one in the reign of Teti and two others in the reign of Pepy I), one in the reign of Amenemhat I of the 12th Dynasty, and the best known harem conspiracy in the reign of Ramesses III of the 20th Dynasty. The author argues that the harem conspiracies were created usually at the very beginning of the rule of a given Dynasty, while its position on the throne was not yet firmly established. Each conspiracy has been, however, made by the members of the closed circle of persons with a direct and unlimited access to the king and their purpose was to replace the successor chosen by the king with another royal son. But the harem conspiracies were never an expression of the common rebellion against the ruling king. The article is followed by the first complete Polish translation of the documents related to the harem conspiracy in the reign of Ramesses III.