Egypt’s history began around 3100 B.C. When King Menes united Upper and Lower Egypt into one kingdom, he created the first dynasty- a family of rulers whose right to rule is hereditary. The Old Kingdom lasted from around 2700 B.C.E to 2200 B.C.E, and it was an age of prosperity and splendor. The subjects helped maintain a high standard of living by obeying their pharaoh. Egyptian pharaohs possessed infinite power to rule his people, however he had help the help government bureaucracy in order to enforce his rule. Egypt was divided into 42 provinces and was ran by appointed governors. One of the vast achievements during this time was the construction of pyramids, the City of the Dead. They represented royal power, reminded people of the glory, might, and wealth of the Egyptian empire. The Middle Kingdom lasted from about 2055 B.C.E to 1650 B.C.E this was a golden age of stability. As an evidence of its new strength, Egypt went into a time of expansion, they conquered a kingdom to their south where they built a fort to protect their new boundaries. The pharaoh was seen as a guardian who would provide for the public. The New Kingdom lasted from 1570 B.C.E to 1070 B.C.E it was Egypt’s most prosperous time and marked the apex of its power. The Pharaohs built armies and made military positions in order to continue the expansion of the Egyptian war machine.