Sesostris : ideał władcy epoki Oświecenia

The paper discusses the adaptation of the Egyptian Pharaoh Sesostris as an ideal ruler by the people of the Enlightenment.

In the late 18th/early 19th century, numerous social transformations unfolded in Europe. Developing science was supposed to provide new discoveries as well as explain the contemporary world. History, in Cicero's words, the teacher of life, was expected to provide positive exemplars to be followed by society and negative ones to be avoided. Such exemplars were looked for in the closer or more distant past. The Egyptian Pharaoh Sesostris, not very popular in the previous centuries, suddenly became the front person of the time. Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus' writings were the source of knowledge about the pharaoh and from these texts by ancient writers people chose what the assumed important for their times. It is noteworthy that while studying Sesostris' activities, people of the Enlightenment appreciated mosty not his war quests, but his achievements in the fields of economy, administration and law. Hence, a new ideal of a ruler emerged - wise, righteous and taking care of all his subjects. Given his position in the works of some ancient authors, Sesostris himself must have played an important role in promoting an image of the ideal ruler at the time. Unfortunately, studies on the Ancient Egypt have not provided an unequivocal answer as regards the position of Sesostris for the Ancients. It seems that the writings referred at least to two rulers: Senuscret III and Ramses II. The puzzle still needs to be solved.