Legendary Heroes of History & Myth: Hatshepsut
For the fifth card in my Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series, we're going back even further in history—more than 3,400 years—to ancient Egypt.
This time, the subject is Hatshepsut, one of the most successful female rulers of the ancient world.
Hatshepsut became pharaoh of Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty and ruled during a period of prosperity and relative peace. What makes her story particularly fascinating is that she didn't simply serve as a temporary ruler while waiting for a male heir to take over. She presented herself as pharaoh and ruled with the full authority of the position.
She was a remarkably capable administrator and seems to have understood that a strong Egypt wasn't built solely through warfare. During her reign, trade and commerce flourished, including a famous expedition to the Land of Punt that brought back valuable goods such as gold, incense, and exotic plants.
Hatshepsut was also a tremendous builder.
Her reign produced some of ancient Egypt's most impressive monuments, including her magnificent mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari. Her building projects helped leave behind a physical reminder of her reign that has survived for thousands of years.
One of the things I find most interesting about Hatshepsut is the way she presented herself. Egyptian art sometimes depicted her wearing the traditional clothing and symbols of a male pharaoh, including the ceremonial false beard.
She understood that becoming pharaoh wasn't just about holding power. It was also about being recognized as the legitimate ruler of Egypt.
That's one of the things I'm enjoying about this series. The more people I look into, the more I realize how many incredible stories have been left behind by history.
Hatshepsut isn't remembered because she conquered half the ancient world. She's remembered because she built, traded, governed, and found a way to succeed in a world where the rules were very much written for men.
And thousands of years later, we're still talking about her.
If you'd like to take a closer look at the card, click on either image in this post. I've linked the images directly to the eBay listing.
This is #5 in the Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series. So far we've traveled from ancient Alexandria, to the American West, to Greek mythology, imperial China, and now ancient Egypt.
I'm having a lot of fun putting these together, and there are plenty more stories to tell.
— Copper State Cards