Abstract
In line with developments in historical sociology, the study of the pharaonic court as a distinct social institution has, in recent years, introduced a new strand of research into Egyptology. Based on the concept of court society , this research has significantly broadened our understanding of the Egyptian court system during the classical periods and of the key role played by the system of ‘favours’ in shaping palace protocol and in maintaining the balance of social relations between the pharaoh and his subjects. In this field, the Saite period—undoubtedly the most significant and rich in Egypt during the first millennium BCE—remains largely unexplored. Numerous studies have helped to illuminate the historical, political and cultural aspects of Saite power and the complexity of its institutions, without, however, treating the structure of the royal court as a subject in its own right.
This paper therefore aims to present an overview of how the court of the Saite kings functioned in its social context. We shall begin by examining the court as the sovereign’s household in order to shed light on the range of activities and both private and official spaces that characterised ‘court life’ in its internal organisation. Next, we shall examine the court in its function as a tool for the representation and communication of power: in particular, we shall outline the impact of ‘etiquette’ and modes of distinction in maintaining the court’s hierarchical system. Finally, as the court was the hub of elite social life and the centre of the country’s socio-political and cultural life, we shall provide an overview of the various categories of courtiers and the ways in which they gained access to the palace and the ranks of the court.
