Lasting from 3050 BCE to 332 CE, the kingdoms of ancient Egypt represent today one of the most prolific and intriguing civilizations in history. The combined art, architecture, and mythology from this vast period are remarkably well preserved and offer valuable insights into the nature of everyday life for Egyptians and their rulers. As a part of this life, combat sports and athletics served more as representations of divinity and power enjoyed by pharaohs than as activities for mere entertainment or competition. The private sports enjoyed by most ordinary Egyptian subjects, such as acrobatics or wrestling, often were more about light entertainment than serious competition, while many games such as hunting and chariot races were more heavily focused on the pharaoh’s preparations for war and were designed as ways of displaying power and might for this ultimate ruler. The ritualized aspect of combat sports in Egypt characterizes their nature to a great extent as extensions of ceremonial displays of the pharaohs’ perceived divinity and power.
Single Combat in the Ancient World
Honor and Violence, Past and Present
