Latest / Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History / Ramses the Great's Fishermen and the Harvest of the Nile
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about the big, flashy parts of Ramses' world — the chariots, the temples, the gold. But I've been thinking about something more basic: what did all those people actually eat? Luna: I mean, we know they had bread and beer, right? Lucas: Right, those were staples. But protein? For most Egyptians, it wasn't beef or goat — that was for the elite. The real source of animal protein for the masses was fish. The Nile was absolutely teeming with fish, and the state ran a massive fishing industry to feed temple workers, soldiers, and the labor gangs at places like Deir el-Medina. Lucas: We have records from the Ramesside period — papyri and ostraca — that detail fishing expeditions, the types of fish caught, and how they were processed. It was a highly organized operation, overseen by officials with titles like 'overseer of fishermen' or 'chief of the fish market.' Luna: Wait — there were fish markets? Lucas: Absolutely. In cities like Per-Ramesses, fresh fish would be brought in daily from the Delta marshes and the river. But a lot of it was also dried or salted for storage and transport. They'd gut the fish, split them open, and lay them out on racks in the sun. Or they'd pickle them in brine. That way, fish could be sent inland to places like Thebes or even to the mining expeditions in the Eastern Desert. Lucas: The main species were Nile tilapia — that's the one you see so often in tomb art — and catfish like Synodontis, but also the Nile perch, which could grow enormous. And mullet from the Mediterranean, especially in the Delta. Luna: Tilapia shows up in hieroglyphs too, doesn't it? I've seen it as a symbol of rebirth or something. Lucas: Exactly. The tilapia was associated with the goddess Hathor and with rebirth because it mouths its young — it was seen as a protector. But in practical terms, it was a reliable food source. The Egyptians were expert fishermen. They used nets — cast nets, seine nets, drag nets — and also traps made of reeds, and even harpoons for larger fish. We have scenes from tombs at Thebes showing men standing on papyrus rafts, throwing nets into the marshes. Lucas: And the Nile flood — the inundation, which they called Hapi — was crucial. When the floodwaters receded, they left behind rich silt and also stranded fish in shallow pools, making them easy to catch. The whole cycle of the river dictated the fishing season. Luna: So it's not just about food — it's tied to the whole rhythm of Egyptian life. Lucas: Right. And the state took a cut. Temples and the palace owned the prime fishing grounds. Fishermen were often attached to a temple estate, and they had to deliver a quota of their catch to the temple stores. In return, they got rations — bread, beer, maybe some vegetables. Papyrus Anastasi IV, from the time of Ramses, mentions a fisherman named Amenemope who delivered 200 fish in one day. Luna: Two hundred fish in a day — that's a lot of work. Lucas: It is, but the Nile was incredibly productive. Before the Aswan Dam, the Nile floodplain was a vast wetland, full of birds and fish. The Delta alone had hundreds of square miles of papyrus swamp. It was a protein factory. Lucas: You know, it's funny — we spend so much time on the grand monuments, but the empire ran on the backs of fishermen and farmers. And speaking of that, it reminds me that this show is made possible by listeners who appreciate those deeper dives. A handful of folks chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what funds making this many episodes. Luna: Yeah, it's a small group that keeps it ad-free and allows us to explore these weird corners. Lucas: Exactly. So back to the fish — we have evidence from Deir el-Medina, the workmen's village, that the tomb builders got regular fish deliveries. The ostraca record that a worker might receive a dozen dried fish as part of his monthly rations. That was their main protein, along with beans and occasionally poultry. Luna: I've heard that the workers who built the pyramids were fed beef sometimes — but that's the Old Kingdom. Lucas: That's right. By the New Kingdom, beef was mostly for the elite and for temple offerings. The common diet was much more dependent on fish, bread, and beer. But fish wasn't just for commoners — we find fish bones in elite tombs too, sometimes as offerings. And the wealthy ate fish prepared in more elaborate ways, maybe fried or in stews. Lucas: There's a scene in the tomb of the vizier Paser — we talked about him in episode 157 — showing fishermen pulling in a net full of tilapia and catfish. The accompanying text says 'Casting the net in the waters of Hapi.' So even in a vizier's tomb, fishing is depicted as a vital, honorable activity. Luna: It's almost like a metaphor for the abundance the state provides. Lucas: Exactly. And Ramses himself would have been keenly aware of the importance of the fisheries. His capital Per-Ramesses was located in the Delta, right in the middle of prime fishing territory. The city had its own artificial lakes and canals, stocked with fish for the palace. The royal family likely ate fresh fish from the Nile daily — but they also had access to imported delicacies like wine from Syria and honey from Canaan. Lucas: One of the interesting details is that different fish had different status. The Nile perch, called 'lates' in scientific terms, was prized for its size and white flesh. It appears in offering lists. Catfish, on the other hand, was seen as less desirable by the elite — it was considered a 'poor man's fish' because it lives near the bottom. But it was still widely eaten. Luna: So there was a kind of fish hierarchy, just like with meat. Lucas: Exactly. And the Egyptians had strong taboos too. Some fish were associated with certain gods and couldn't be eaten in specific temples or on certain days. The Oxyrhynchus fish — a species of elephantfish — was sacred to the god Seth in some regions, so it was forbidden. But in other towns, it was eaten freely. Local cults dictated dietary rules. Lucas: I think what strikes me most is how sustainable it all was. The Nile's fish stocks were immense, and the methods — nets, traps, hooks — didn't deplete them. The Egyptians lived within their ecological means for thousands of years. It's only in the modern era, with industrial fishing and dams, that the Nile's fisheries have declined. Luna: That's a sobering thought. Lucas: It is. But when we look at the Ramesside period, we see a system that worked: the state managed a resource, distributed it efficiently, and ensured that everyone from the pharaoh to the tomb worker had protein on their plate. And it all came from the river they called Hapi, the giver of life.