The Eloquent Peasant (Graphic Biography)
. THE ELOQUENT PEASANT ARCHAEOLOGISTS AND HISTORIANS DISAGREE ABOUT WHETHER BEING A FARMER WAS A GOOD LIFE IN THE ANCIENT WORLD, AND THE ANSWER PROBABLY VARIES FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND REGIONS. EVEN WITHIN A SINGLE SOURCE, THE ANSWER IS SOMETIMES UNCLEAR, AS THE EGYPTIAN STORY OF KHUNANUP, THE ELOQUENT PEASANT (C.2160-2055 BCE), DEMONSTRATES . G"I •'<,.,• JfRus,4,LE'11 KHUNANUP LIVED IN MIDDLE KINGDOM EGYPT, A SOCIETY JUST RECOVERING FROM A PERIOD OF DROUGHT AND DISUNITY. HE LIVED WITH HIS WIFE AND SEVERAL CHILDREN, AND HE FARMED, TRADED, AND ALSO GATHERED WILD GOODS. ONE DAY, HE WENT TO TOWN TO TRADE, BUT AN OFFICIAL BLOCKED HIS PATH AND STOLE HIS GOODS. KHUNANUP WENT TO THE LOCAL GOVERNOR TO COMPLAIN. HIS CASE [GJO AND MEASURE FOR ME THE BARLEY WHICH rs IN THE STOREHOUSE, THAT WHICH REMAINS FROM LAST YEAR'S BARLEY WAS EVENTUALLY REFERRED TO THE PHARAOH. HE WAS SO SUCCESSFUL IN PLEADING HIS CASE THAT THE PHARAOH AWARDED HIM THE OFFICIAL'S BELONGINGS AND PROPERTY. ON THE OTHER HAND, BOTH THE PHARAOH AND KHUNANUP HIMSELF DESCRIBED HIM AS A POOR MAN. T DEPRIVE A PAUPER OF HIS G 0 YOU AS A LOWLY MAN. HIS P RY BREATH OF A PAUPER, AND M rs (LIKE) PLUGGING HIS N Q\,,-t,.S -ll"J.,,Y:-o"'< yf:?-�t-BUT WE CAN ASK: WAS KHUNANUP A WEAL THY MAN OR A POOR MAN? ON THE ONE HAND, HE SEEMS WEAL THY IN THAT HE CAME TO TOWN WITH A DONKEY LOADED WITH ANIMAL SKINS, MEDICINAL PLANTS, PIGEONS, SEEDS, BERRIES, AND OTHER GOODS, AS WELL AS A SURPLUS OF THE BARLEY THAT HE GREW AS A FARMER.