The Maxims of Ptahhotep: Difference between revisions

'''''The Maxims of Ptahhotep''''' or '''''Instruction of Ptahhotep''''' is an [[Ancient Egyptian literature|ancient Egyptian literary composition]] composed by the [[Vizier (Ancient Egypt)|Vizier]] [[Ptahhotep]] around 2375–2350 BC, during the rule of King [[Djedkare Isesi]] of the Fifth Dynasty.<ref>Fontaine, Carole R. "A Modern Look at Ancient Wisdom: The Instruction of Ptahhotep Revisited." The Biblical Archaeologist 44, no. 3 (1981): 155-60. doi:10.2307/3209606.

</ref> The Instructions of Ptahhotep are considered didactic [[wisdom literature]] belonging to the genre of ''[[sebayt]]''.<ref>Lichtheim, Miriam 1996. Didactic literature. In Loprieno, Antonio (ed.), Ancient Egyptian Literature, 243-262. Leiden; New York; Köln: E. J. Brill.</ref> There are four copies of the Instructions, and the only complete version, [[Prisse Papyrus|Papyrus Prisse]], is located in the [[Bibliothèque nationale de France|Bibliothèque Nationale]] in [[Paris]].<ref name=Simpson>Simpson, William Kelly. The Literature of Ancient Egypt: An Anthology of Stories, Instructions, Stelae, Autobiographies, and Poetry. New Haven, US: Yale University Press, 2003. Accessed January 28, 2017. ProQuest ebrary.

</ref> According to [[William Kelly Simpson]], some scholars debatetend to believe that the ''Instructions of Ptahhotep'' were writtenoriginally composed during the twelfth dynasty, [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt|Middle Kingdom]], specifically the [[Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt|Twelfth Dynasty]]. The earlierearliest extant copies of the text were altered to make them understandable for the Egyptians of the [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]].<ref name=Simpson/> The text presents a very good picture of the general attitudes of that period.<ref name=Simpson/> The ''Instructions of Ptahhotep'' addresses various virtues that are necessary to live a good life and how to live accordingly to [[Maat]], which was an important part of the Egyptian culture.