Everyday Life in Ancient Egypt

by Lionel Casson

Lionel Casson offers a comprehensive introduction to the people of ancient Egypt. He describes the structure of Egyptian society—the levels from peasant to pharaoh, the nature of the family, and the role of women. He reviews the professions, from the lowliest scribes to the architects and engineers who built the pyramids, and examines the work of sculptors, painters, cabinetmakers, jewelers, and smiths whose hands turned out the sculptures, murals, and objects of beauty that are so prized today. He deals with that key factor in Egyptian life, religion: the nature of the gods; the powerful role played by belief in the afterlife; and the career of one pharaoh, Akhenaten, who attempted to put heretical views into practice.

Originally published in 1975 as The Horizon Book of Daily Life in Ancient Egypt, this revised edition includes a new chapter as well as full documentation of the sources.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Egypt, Research, Egyptology, Ancient History, Religion

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Lionel Casson was a classicist, professor emeritus at New York University, and a specialist in maritime history. He earned his B.A. in 1934 at New York University, and in 1936 became an assistant professor. He later earned his Ph.D. there during 1939. In 2005 he was awarded the Archaeological Institute of America Gold Medal.

Reviews

[Lisa Feld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and organized, helpful for the project I’m working on. Casson draws on sources by ancient Egyptians and their contemporaries to create a vivid picture of daily life in Egypt: clothes, food, labor strikes, romance, trade, and more.

I did have a couple of quibbles with his approach, though. First, he has a tendency to stay with declarative statements even when scholars disagree on interpretation of certain sources. Second, I realize this book was originally written in 1975, but it was revised and expanded in 2001, so it’s a little embarrassing that Casson can report that both priestesses and priests served in temples for the same lengths of time but he can’t imagine what the priestesses do (since sex wasn’t part of Egyptian rites). The lack of rigor in studying the lives of people of all genders is a sad holdover from an earlier era and a gap in an otherwise interesting book.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very detailed while being a quick read. It was heavily laced with stories from Herodotus though, which is why I did not give 5 stars. Herodotus, while being known as "the father of history," is widely known an an person who liked to embellish his stories.

[G. Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, short little guide to professions, diet, religion and social order in ancient Egypt. Skins over the Ptolemy dynasty but main focus is the New Kingdom. Not an in-depth guide, but well written and enjoyable.

[Jeffrey Hupf · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's amazing how much we know of this ancient civilization's "daily life." We know next to nothing about daily life in so many other ancient civilizations, but in this book we get a window on what life was life (mostly for the rich and famous, I'll grant you) for an ancient people.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick, easy read that gives a general overview of Egyptian life. However, in the words of my Archaeology professor, "It is...simplified," meaning that a lot of the information is not necessarily the most accurate.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a good summary history of Egypt and it seems like a very good introduction to Ancient Egypt. Casson covers The Early, Middle and Late Kingdom in enough detail to give you a picture of Egyptian History, but not too much to overwhelm.

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The research continues and who better to guide me than Lionel Casson whose books on Rome and Ancient Travel were fascinating, accessible, and informative?