Los dos cuerpos del rey: cosmos y política de la monarquía egipcia

Abstract

The analysis of the textual, icono­graphic and archaeological evidence in ancient Egypt reveals the gemination of the royal persona. This dual nature explains the multiplicity of images of the king in official and popular sources, and justifies the vagueness of our inter­pretations. In this work I examine the adaptative process of Egyptian kings­hip to diverse political, social and religious conditions from its origins to the Graeco-Roman times, focusing on the main mechanisms of power, propagan­da, control, and legitimation. The divine royal dogma provided the king with the character of a god although also con­fined him to earth as Horus in human form. As a political ruler, he aimed at the boost of the country, the control of its recourses, and social stability; as a de­miurgic god, he generated and extended cosmos, mediated on behalf of human­kind, and protected cosmic equilibrium against the forces of chaos. In order to achieve these goals, the Egyptian king made use of political and magical me­chanisms that ensured the hegemony of the country abroad and the triumph of Maat in cosmos.