The Role of Male Royal Offspring in 18th Dynasty Egypt

Abstract

This dissertation examines the political and ideological roles of King's Sons during the 18th Dynasty. After a brief discussion of the nature of "sonship" in pharaonic Egypt, all currently available data on royal sons during the 18th Dynasty are presented in a series of chapters organized categorically by type of monument. This is followed by chapters dealing with titles of kinship, rank and office used by King's Sons and iconography in visual representation of King's Sons. The final chapter discusses the ideal royal son as presented in literary sources and the 18th Dynasty myth of divine kingship. Next, the role of the crown prince is addressed, with particular focus on titles, offices and burial practices associated with the position of crown prince. The following sections address what is known of the careers and family lives of non-reigning princes; burial practices and funerary cults associated with princes who did not attain kingship; and the role of 18th dynasty princes as "royal" vs. "private" figures, particularly in comparison to female members of the royal family. One of the most important contributions of this study is an in-depth assessment of the titles and epithets associated with the office of heir to the throne. It is argued here that the title sA ny-sw.t n X.t=f ("King's Son of His Body") indicated the status of heir during the 18th Dynasty, and that princes who were buried in the tombs of their fathers during this period were prematurely deceased heirs to the throne. This hypothesis contradicts earlier assumptions that the title sA ny-sw.t smsw ("King's Eldest Son") and various titles of office associated with it were indicators of heir status during the 18th Dynasty. This dissertation also examines the relationship between the developing 18th Dynasty mythos of divine kingship and the presentation of youthful princes as symbols of the divine/royal child. A careful analysis of the data suggests that the use of overtly royal language and imagery in the representation of royal sons was restricted to contexts in which the princes served as symbols of youthful kingship.