The Maxims of Ptahhotep or
Instruction of Ptahhotep is an ancient literary work attributed to
Ptahhotep, a
vizier under King
Isesi of the
Egyptian Fifth Dynasty (ca. 2414-2375 BC). It is a collection of maxims and advice in the
sebayt ("teaching") genre on human relations, that are directed to his son. The work survives today in
papyrus copies, including the
Prisse Papyrus which dates from the Middle Kingdom and is on display at the
Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. There are considerable differences between the Prisse Papyrus version and the two texts at the
British Museum. The 1906 translation by
Battiscombe Gunn, published as part of the "Wisdom of the East" series, was made directly from the
Prisse Papyrus, in Paris, rather than from copies, and is still in print.