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- PYRAMID POWER STRUGGLE
-
- by Alan Gardner
- (original concept by Sandy Smith)
-
-
- On the surface, PYRAMID POWER
- STRUGGLE is a computerized version of
- the "peg-games" you probably knew as a
- kid. The object is to remove as many
- pegs as possible from the board by
- "jumping" one peg over another into a
- vacant space. The jumped peg is taken
- off the board just as in checkers.
-
- The trick is to maneuver your
- moves so that pegs that have just
- jumped another peg can be jumped
- themselves. Ideally, you should have
- just one peg remaining.
-
- We've spiced up the traditional
- peg game by adding a hint of palace
- intrigue. The board is now a pyramid;
- the "pegs" have been replaced by
- fourteen scheming priestly scribes--
- and one Pharaoh.
-
- The object of the game is to still
- remove as many of the "pegs" (priests)
- as possible, but there is a new
- dimension to the game. If a priest
- "jumps" the Pharaoh, he becomes a
- Pharaoh himself. As you will see if
- you read the history lesson below,
- Pharaohs and priests constantly vied
- for power-- with catastrophic effects
- for the country. Thus in this game,
- you must not have more than three
- "overthrows" per game.
-
-
- [A HISTORY LESSON....]
-
- The greatness of ancient Egypt was
- based on two interdependent factors.
- The first was the richness of the Nile
- delta; the second was the absolute
- power of Egypt's ruler -- the Pharaoh.
- The Pharaohs based their authority on
- a claim of divinity. Throughout the
- Old Kingdom (3000 - 2155 B.C.), the
- Pharaohs ruled as gods on earth.
-
- The Pharaoh's authority made it
- possible to carve out a prosperous
- state on the banks of the Nile and to
- make an already rich land richer by
- implementing extensive irrigation
- projects. (Huge projects like the
- Great Pyramids were also completed in
- the Old Kingdom).
-
- Despite the inherent stability of
- Pharaonic rule, the Old Kingdom
- eventually broke down. For over a
- thousand years, despite a brief
- renaissance during the Middle Kingdom
- (2134-1785 B.C.), Egypt endured the
- breakdown of central authority and
- suffered a number of foreign
- invasions.
-
-
- [THE NEW KINGDOM]
- [(1500 - 1000 B.C.)]
-
- The Pharaohs were able to
- reestablish their authority, but their
- claims to divinity had forever lost
- their power. Nevertheless, each
- Pharaoh claimed Amun-Ra, the Sun God,
- as his father. Ironically, the
- establishment of this religion brought
- to power a caste of priests who
- achieved such power that the Pharaoh
- ruled only with their consent.
-
- The most successful challenge to
- the priests' power was raised by
- Amenhotep IV (1365 - 1347 B.C.). He
- tried to defeat the priests by
- proclaiming his faith in a single
- god-- Aten. He then changed his name
- to Akhenaten and closed the temples of
- the old religion.
-
- Akhenaten's innovations were lost
- after his death and the old religion
- and its priests were restored to
- power. Akhenaten's successor,
- Tutankhamen ("King Tut") was left to
- continue the struggle for sovereignty.
- Ultimately, the priestly caste would
- win the battle, but at a great price:
- they would come to rule what was left
- of a ruined Egypt.
-
- AG
-
-
-