Egypt History > Nomes

Nomes of Ancient Egypt

Background

Egyptian nomes were administrative regions in ancient Egypt, similar to districts or provinces. The term "nome" comes from the Greek word "nomos," but the Egyptians called these regions "sepat." Each nome was governed by a nomarch, an official responsible for maintaining order, collecting taxes, and overseeing local agricultural and administrative tasks.

Key features of Egyptian nomes:

1. Historical Development: The concept of nomes dates back to the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3100-2686 BCE). Initially, these regions were independent city-states but were gradually unified under the central authority of the pharaohs.

2. Number and Distribution: There were traditionally 42 nomes in ancient Egypt—22 in Upper Egypt (southern part) and 20 in Lower Egypt (northern part). The number and boundaries of the nomes could change over time due to political or administrative reforms.

3. Administrative Structure: Each nome had its own capital city, which was often a religious and economic center. The nomarch, often a member of the local elite, wielded significant power and was responsible for local governance. The nomarch reported directly to the pharaoh and was often involved in national administration.

4. Economic Role: Nomes were crucial for the collection of taxes, especially in the form of agricultural produce. They were also responsible for maintaining irrigation systems, which were vital for farming in the Nile Valley.

5. Religious Significance: Each nome had its own patron deities and religious traditions. Temples in the nome capitals played an essential role in both religious and economic life, serving as centers of worship and hubs of local trade and production.

6. Cultural Identity: Despite being part of a unified kingdom, nomes retained unique cultural identities, with distinct customs, dialects, and artistic styles. This local diversity contributed to the rich cultural tapestry of ancient Egypt.

7. Decline and Legacy: The importance of the nomes fluctuated over time, especially during periods of political instability. However, the nome system persisted in various forms throughout Egyptian history and influenced later administrative divisions in the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

The nomes played a significant role in maintaining the administrative efficiency and cultural diversity of ancient Egypt, contributing to the civilization's longevity and stability.

Nomarch

See Nomarch

At the head of each nome stood a nomarch. The position of the nomarch was at times hereditary, while at others they were appointed by the pharaoh. Generally, when the national government was stronger, nomarchs were the king's appointed governors. When the central government was weaker, however – such as during foreign invasions or civil wars – individual nomes would assert themselves and establish hereditary lines of succession.

Conflicts among these different hereditary nomarchies were common during, for example, the First Intermediate Period – a time that saw a breakdown in central authority lasting from the seventh through the eleventh dynasties, until one of the local rulers was once again able to assert control over the entire country as pharaoh.

Lower Egypt Nomes

See Lower Egypt Nomes

Lower Egypt, from the Old Kingdom capital Memphis to the Mediterranean Sea, comprised 20 nomes. The first was based around Memphis, Saqqara, and Giza, in the area occupied by modern-day Cairo. The nomes were numbered in a more or less orderly fashion south to north through the Nile delta, first covering the territory on the west before continuing with the higher numbers to the east. Thus, Alexandria was in the Third Nome; Bubastis was in the Eighteenth.

Upper Egypt Nomes

See Upper Egypt Nomes

Upper Egypt was divided into 22 nomes. The first of these was centered on Elephantine close to Egypt's border with Nubia at the First Cataract – the area of modern-day Aswan. From there the numbering progressed downriver in an orderly fashion along the narrow fertile strip of land that was the Nile valley. Waset (ancient Thebes or contemporary Luxor) was in the Fourth Nome, Amarna in the Fourteenth, and Meidum in the Twenty-first.

Sources

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. Merriam-Webster, 2007. p. 841

Herodotus, Euterpe, 2.4.1 and 2.99.1ff.

Bagnall, Roger S. (1996). Egypt in Late Antiquity (Fourth printing ed.). Princeton: Princeton University Press. p. 333. ISBN 0691069867.

Wolfram Grajetzki, The Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt: history, archaeology and society. London, Duckworth Egyptology, 2006, pp. 109-111.

Alan K. Bowman (1990). Egypt After the Pharaohs. Oxford University Press.

Nomes