After 30 years of rule, Egyptian pharaohs had to run a race to prove physical fitness.

World History

E gyptian pharaohs were seen by their subjects as gods — but sometimes, those "gods" had to prove their worth. This occurred at a jubilee-style celebration meant to reaffirm an aging ruler's kingship, known as the Heb-Sed or Sed festival. The tradition dates back to the first dynasty of ancient Egypt, around 3000 BCE, and usually took place in the 30th year of a pharaoh's reign (and every three years after that). The event was filled with sacrifices, crownings, and other lavish displays; the Heb-Sed of Amenhotep III, for instance, featured the construction of temples and colossal sculptures all along the Nile valley. But the main event was a footrace run by the pharaoh — dressed in a kilt with an attached animal tail — to demonstrate their physical fitness.

According to Egyptologists, ancient Egyptians likely related the health of their ruler to the overall health and virility of the kingdom. If a pharaoh couldn't complete the race, it signaled that it was time to make way for a younger, healthier leader. Of course, thousands of years before modern medicine, 30 years was a long life span, and only a small percentage of pharaohs lived long enough to celebrate a Heb-Sed. Not all of them passed the test: Although a simple footrace may seem like a relatively easy method for reaffirming your reign, pharaohs were not nearly as svelte or athletic as hieroglyphics and ancient carvings would have us believe. Many kings and queens were plagued with various maladies caused by inbreeding, as well as obesity: A pharaoh's diet, often filled with beer, wine, bread, and honey, contained an awful lot of sugar.

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By the Numbers

Dynasties in ancient Egypt (roughly 3100 BCE to 332 BCE)

Age Pepi II became pharaoh, beginning the longest reign in ancient Egypt

Did you know?

King Tut wasn't a particularly important pharaoh.

Ask the average person to name some ancient Egyptian pharaohs and Tutankhamun, known more commonly as King Tut, would likely make the list. His name became famous when his remarkably well-preserved tomb was discovered in the 1920s, but Tutankhamun was arguably one of the least memorable leaders of his era. Becoming pharaoh at around 9 years old, he reigned for only a decade before dying mysteriously. His most notable accomplishment was reversing the monotheistic inklings of his father, Akhenaten, and returning the kingdom to its old pantheon of gods. Little else is known of his rule, however. Scholars and Egyptologists theorize that Tutankhamun may have been a puppet of royal advisers and priests, and thus his reign left little mark on Egyptian history.

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