Pharaoh held religious, administrative, judicial and military power. It could have several legitimate wives and also a large number of lovers. Inbreeding (marriage between people in the same family group) was common not only among pharaohs, but also in other social classes.
The population of ancient Egypt was divided into social classes. The first consisted of members of the royal family. Then the priests, the nobles, the scribes, the warriors, the merchants, and the craftsmen. Farmers, laborers, and servants were part of the lower class of the population. The privileged classes were the classes of the nobles and the priests. The nobles were officials who administered, in the name of Pharaoh, the nomos, former territorial divisions of Egypt.