Murder, Poetry, and Scribes in Ancient Egypt

The Teaching of Amenemhat” is the only ancient Egyptian literary work to describe the assassination of a king. Told from the perspective of the murdered Pharaoh Amenemhat I, the poem is remarkable for its grim subject matter and popularity in ancient Egypt and Nubia. While previous scholarship on “Amenemhat” has focused on the poem’s composition, Geoga’s lecture will focus on its enduring legacy after 1,000 years in circulation. Margaret Geoga will explore who read “The Teaching of Amenemhat,” how they understood it, and how ancient interpretations differ from those of modern Egyptologists.