The Maxims of Ptahhotep

An ancient Egyptian wisdom text presenting ethical and practical advice as teachings attributed to the vizier Ptahhotep. Its instructions address conduct, speech, authority, family, and social life.

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Ma'at: The ancient Egyptian principle of truth, justice, balance, and cosmic order. The maxims treat disciplined conduct as a way to uphold social and moral order.
Ptahhotep: An ancient Egyptian vizier traditionally credited with composing the Maxims of Ptahhotep. The text presents its teachings as the counsel of this senior official.
Ancient Egyptian social hierarchy: The ranked structure of ancient Egyptian society, from the ruler and elite officials to workers and dependents. Advice about speaking to superiors and treating subordinates assumes unequal social ranks.
Instruction of Amenemope: An ancient Egyptian wisdom text advising moderation, justice, and prudent conduct, especially in dealings with others. Its later instructions echo themes of restraint and fairness found in Ptahhotep.
Sebayt: An ancient Egyptian genre of instructional literature, usually framed as advice from an experienced teacher. Ptahhotep’s text belongs to this tradition of wisdom instruction.
Fifth Dynasty of Egypt: An Egyptian royal dynasty that ruled during the Old Kingdom, around the mid-third millennium BCE. The work’s frame attributes its setting and author to this dynasty.
Ancient Egyptian vizier: A senior Egyptian official who supervised administration and served as a principal adviser to the king. The text’s speaker uses the authority and experience associated with this office.
Instruction of Kagemni: A fragmentary ancient Egyptian wisdom text framed as teachings from the official Kagemni. It shares the genre’s exemplary voice but survives in a much shorter form.
Ancient Egyptian language: The language of ancient Egypt, written over millennia in hieroglyphic and other scripts. The work survives in Middle Egyptian, a classical stage of the language.
Papyrus Prisse: A manuscript containing a major copy of the Maxims of Ptahhotep, preserved in the Bibliothèque nationale de France. It is the principal and most complete witness to the text.