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by jameshart 1778 days ago
Gives you another perspective on the hieroglyphs on walls in ancient Egypt though if you imagine them being put there by enthusiastic religious branding consultants, and inducing just as much eye rolling from the citizens of the day…
4 comments

Lololol. I've never thought about it that way.

But it's true. Citizens of those ancient Egyptian cities probably did roll their eyes at some of the wall hieroglyphs.

Especially because the pharaohs exaggerated their victories.

And the priests probably made up ridiculous stories of what their gods "did" and "accomplished"

Some citizens were probably just as incredulous as we are today.

> Especially because the pharaohs exaggerated their victories.

Ramses II exaggerated even his defeats, that is, he claimed that as his victories. For example the famous wall relief of Ramses II slaying the Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh. https://www.memphis.edu/hypostyle/tour_hall/ramesses_ii_scen...

In reality it was a terrible defeat and it allowed the Hittites to limit Egypt sphere of influence to no further West than Canaan.

Of course they were. They state the human leaders were gods and immortals, yet why are they writing these things on their burial chambers?
"The manager of a fruit-and-vegetable shop places in his window, among the onions and carrots, the slogan: "Workers of the world, unite!" Why does he do it? What is he trying to communicate to the world?"

Vaclav Havel, The Power of the Powerless, 1978

https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/wp-content/uploads/1979/...

it's plausible but I have a feeling that cultures in those days had a lot more meaning, I may be wrong though