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The eyes and ears of the king: a study on a set of designations and the 18th Dynasty officials who held them

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posted on 2022-03-29, 03:19 authored by David A. T. Chapman
In the 18th dynasty, high officials often held the designations "eyes of the King" and" ears of the king". These eyes-and-ears appellations can firmly be identified in 49 text excerpts. These enigmatic phrases are associated with 35 individuals between the co-rule of Hatshepsut and Thutmosis III and the aftermath of the Amarna episode. Despite the substantial body of evidence relating to these appellations, scholars have not up until now thoroughly considered this dataset. A variety of interpretations of royal sense-organ designations have emerged in the literature regardless, and scholars have been unable to come to agreement as to their meaning. Some authors regard these entities as titles of occupation or rank, while others suggest it is used to indicate an official's closeness or level of trust with the monarch. This study has principally been concerned with discerning whether patterns can be detected in the linguistic features and construction of the phrases, their wider textual context, and the social milieu and careers of the officials who held them. The study found there are some commonalities in the linguistic elements of constructions and their co-text, however, there is not a single factor which unites the officials who acquired these appellations.

History

Table of Contents

1. Introduction : from the body to bureaucracy -- 2. Foundational apparatus : approach, scope and methodology -- 3. The designations in focus -- 4. The designations in title-sequences -- 5. "Eyes and ear" officials in society -- 6. Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Appendices.

Notes

Theoretical thesis. Bibliography: pages 90-100

Awarding Institution

Macquarie University

Degree Type

Thesis MRes

Degree

MRes, Macquarie University, Faculty of Arts, Department of Ancient History

Department, Centre or School

Department of Ancient History

Year of Award

2018

Principal Supervisor

Susanne Binder

Additional Supervisor 1

Boyo Ockinga

Rights

Copyright David A. T. Chapman 2018. Copyright disclaimer: http://mq.edu.au/library/copyright

Language

English

Jurisdiction

Egypt

Extent

1 online resource (xii, 169 pages) tables

Former Identifiers

mq:71227 http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/1272134