Reports to the Pharaoh
Self-Published
Community Rating
Description
The pharaoh Ramesses XI has been ruling his realm for over a decade. However, the situation, after all the revolts, wars, and treaties, has changed quite a lot since his accession to the throne. He has thus tasked his highest ranking officials with preparing reports, on their respective spheres of work, of what the situation is at home and abroad.
[Part of The Bronze Horus series]
[Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]
Information
- Status
- Completed
- Year
- 2022
- Author
- Sobekhotep
Royal Road Stats
- Rating
- 3.5/ 5.0
- Followers
- 8
- Views
- 4,036
Chapters(11 total)
- Reports to the Pharaoh and all the other short stories now part of The Khonsu WarJan 21, 2023
- On the Golden Age of Inventions (Part 3)Nov 28, 2022
- On the Golden Age of Inventions (Part 2)Nov 26, 2022
- On the Golden Age of Inventions (Part 1)Nov 24, 2022
- On the Western Continents of KhonsmiaNov 19, 2022
- On the Great Architectural Wonders of the WorldNov 15, 2022
- On the Doctrines of International RelationsNov 10, 2022
- On the Major Schools of Philosophy (Part 2)Nov 8, 2022
- On the Major Schools of Philosophy (Part 1)Nov 6, 2022
- On the Military Capabilities of the Two AlliancesNov 4, 2022
- On the Economic Schools of ThoughtNov 3, 2022
Reviews
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Community Reviews(1)
- jey114Royal Road★★★★ 3.5This is not a story but an explanation of the world of an alternative timeline - specifically one where the bronze age collapse of the 12th century BC is successfully thwarted. It is imaginative, and the personalities of those making the reports do come through. The scenario that has been envisaged however, is completely lacking in plausibility. Please note the SPOILERS which follow from this point.
The idea of a capitalist industrial revolution seems unlikely to the extreme, even with their basis on phoenician trading cities. Ancient societies of that period (including the phoenicians) were heavily centralised around concepts of their monarchs' divinity, and heavily hierarchical in nature. Free trade and individualism of the nature suggested would have been arduous to practice for any entrepreneur, and a direct challenge to existing power structures.
The suggestion a more equitable society would develop is even more impossible. Slavery would be more exploited in an industrial society, not less. Seeing societies of that period were doing human sacrifices, morals on their own could not have brought about such a transformation either.
This brings me to the subject of the philosophies in this scenario. The completely absence of an ontological basis for any of them is disappointing. Ancient philosophy and theology were the one and the same. Monotheism is here referred to as 'heretical'. Why? How is the prizing of 'knowledge', 'pleasure', or the 'self' justified by how people viewed the world and themselves?
I do not want to be too harsh. The author has brought us an engaging scenario to contemplate. He has simultaneously however, limited himself into a modern materialistic frame of progress, which is not compatible with the way the ancients viewed the world.