Anarchy in Ancient Egypt

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The First Intermediate Period saw the collapse of central government in Egypt. How did this work out? Here is a poem from that time:

To whom can I speak today?
(One’s) fellows are evil;
The friends of today do not love.
To whom can I speak today?
Hearts are rapacious:
Every man seizes his fellow’s goods.
(To whom can I speak today?)
The gentle man has perished,
(But) the violent man has access to everybody.
To whom can I speak today?
(Though) a man should arouse wrath by his evil
character,
He (only) stirs everyone to laughter, (so) wicked is
his sin.
To whom can I speak today?
Men are plundering;
Everyman seizes his fellow’s (goods).
To whom can I speak today?
The foul fiend is an intimate,
(But) a brother, with whom one worked,
has become an enemy.

Pretty much as usual, we could say.

Comments

  1. Bobybuilder12:51 PM

    You have set Rothbardian hearts aflutter.

    ReplyDelete

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