Pepi II Neferkare
Pepy, Phiops or Fiops
Alabaster statue of Ankhesenmeryre II and her son Pepi II. Ankhesenpepi II or Ankhesenmeryre II was a queen consort during the Sixth dynasty of Egypt.
Pharaoh of Egypt
Reign	2278–2184 BC[1],  6th Dynasty
Predecessor	Merenre Nemtyemsaf I
Successor	Merenre Nemtyemsaf II
Royal titulary Prenomen:  Nomen: pepiHorus name: Netcher khaw Horus, divine of apparitionsNebty name: Netcher khaw The two ladies, divine of apparitionsGolden Horus: The golden Horus is powerful
Consort(s)	Neith, Iput II, Ankhesenpepi III, Ankhesenpepi IV, and Udjebten
Died	2184 BC
Burial	Pyramid in South Saqqara
Monuments	Pyramid in South Saqqara

Pepi II (reigned c. Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now The creation of a reliable Chronology of Ancient Egypt is a task fraught with problems The Third Fourth Fifth and Sixth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the title " Old Kingdom " Merenre Nemtyemsaf I (reigned 2283-2278 BC was the fourth king of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. Merenre Nemtyemsaef II was briefly Pharaoh of Egypt, likely succeeding his long-lived father Pepi II Neferkare. The royal titulary or royal protocol of an Egyptian Pharaoh is the standard naming convention taken by the kings of Ancient Egypt The royal titulary or royal protocol of an Egyptian Pharaoh is the standard naming convention taken by the kings of Ancient Egypt The royal titulary or royal protocol of an Egyptian Pharaoh is the standard naming convention taken by the kings of Ancient Egypt The royal titulary or royal protocol of an Egyptian Pharaoh is the standard naming convention taken by the kings of Ancient Egypt The royal titulary or royal protocol of an Egyptian Pharaoh is the standard naming convention taken by the kings of Ancient Egypt The royal titulary or royal protocol of an Egyptian Pharaoh is the standard naming convention taken by the kings of Ancient Egypt Neith was one of three principle queens of the Old Kingdom pharaoh Pepi II, who ruled (c Saqqara or Sakkara, Saqqarah ( Arabic: سقارة is a vast ancient burial ground in Egypt, featuring the world's oldest standing Step Saqqara or Sakkara, Saqqarah ( Arabic: سقارة is a vast ancient burial ground in Egypt, featuring the world's oldest standing Step 2278 BC–c. The 23rd century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2300 BC to 2201 BC 2184 BC) was a pharaoh of the Sixth dynasty in Egypt's Old Kingdom. The 22nd century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2200 BC to 2101 BC Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods The Third Fourth Fifth and Sixth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the title " Old Kingdom " The Old Kingdom is the name commonly given to that period in the 3rd millennium BCE when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement His throne name, Neferkare (Nefer-ka-Re), means "Beautiful is the Ka of Re". Ra (pronounced Rah and sometimes as Rê, is an Ancient Egyptian sun god. He succeeded to the throne at age six, after the premature death of his father Merenre I, and is generally credited with having the longest reign of any monarch in history at 94 years (c. Merenre Nemtyemsaf I (reigned 2283-2278 BC was the fourth king of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. The list of longest reigning Monarchs of all time details monarchs and lifelong leaders who reigned for more than 50 years, sorted by length of reign Note The table 2278 BC - c. The 23rd century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2300 BC to 2201 BC 2184 BC), though this figure has been disputed by some Egyptologists who favour a shorter reign length of 64 years, given the absence of attested dates known for Pepi after his 31st Count, which would equate to 62 years assuming the count to be biennial. The 22nd century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2200 BC to 2101 BC He was once thought to be the son of Pepi I and Queen Ankhesenpepi II but thanks to an inscription from a block of white limestone from her mortuary temple, it is now believed that Pepi II was instead the son of Merenre, who married Ankhesenpepi after Pepi I's death. Pepi I Meryre (reigned 2332 &ndash 2283 BC was the third king of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. Ankhesenpepi II or Ankhesenmeryre II was a queen consort during the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. Merenre Nemtyemsaf I (reigned 2283-2278 BC was the fourth king of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. ^[2] Pepi II is therefore the grandson rather than the son of Pepi I. His reign marked a sharp decline of the Old Kingdom. The Old Kingdom is the name commonly given to that period in the 3rd millennium BCE when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement While the power of the nomarchs grew, the power of pharaoh dissolved. Nomarchs were the semi- Feudal rulers of Ancient Egyptian provinces With no dominant central power, local nobles began raiding each other's territories and the Old Kingdom came to an end within mere decades after the close of his reign. The Old Kingdom is the name commonly given to that period in the 3rd millennium BCE when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement

Early years of his reign

His mother Ankhesenpepi II (Ankhesenmeryre II) most likely ruled as regent in the early years of his reign. Ankhesenpepi II or Ankhesenmeryre II was a queen consort during the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. An alabaster statuette in the Brooklyn Museum depicts a young Pepi II, in full kingly regalia, sitting on the lap of his mother. The Brooklyn Museum, located at 200 Eastern Parkway, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, is the second-largest Art museum in Despite his long reign, this piece is one of only three known 3D representations (i. e. statuary) in existence of this particular king. She may have been helped in turn by her brother Djau, who was a vizier under the previous pharaoh. G47-tZ1-A1The vizier was the highest official in Ancient Egypt to serve the king or Pharaoh Some scholars have taken the relative paucity of royal statuary to suggest that the royal court was losing the ability to retain skilled artisans.

A glimpse of the personality of the early child pharaoh can be found in a letter he wrote to Harkhuf, a governor of Aswan and the head of one of the expeditions he sent into Nubia. Harkhuf was a governor of Upper Egypt in the 23rd century BC. Aswan (formerly spelled Assuan (in standard أسوان Aswān) Egyptian: Swenet ( trade) Coptic: Swān; Greek This article is about the region in Africa for other uses see Nubia (disambiguation. Sent to trade and collect ivory, ebony and other precious items, he captured a pygmy. Pygmies (singular Pygmy) refers to a member of any human group whose adult males grow to less than 150 cm (4 feet 11 inches in average height or less than 155 cm News of this reached the royal court, and an excited young king sent word back to Harkhuf that he would be greatly rewarded if the pygmy were brought back alive, likely to serve as an entertainer for the court. This letter was preserved ^[3] as a lengthy inscription on Harkhuf's tomb, and has been called the first travelogue ^[4]

Wives

Over his long life Pepi II had several wives, thought to include Neith, Iput II, Ankhesenpepi III, Ankhesenpepi IV, and Udjebten. Travel literature is Travel writing considered to have value as Literature. Neith was one of three principle queens of the Old Kingdom pharaoh Pepi II, who ruled (c Following a long tradition of royal incestuous marriage, Neith was Pepi II's cousin and aunt (daughter of Ankhesenpepi I) and Iput was his sister (a daughter of his father Merenre). Inbreeding is breeding between close Relatives whether plant or animal Ankhesenpepi I or Ankhesenmeryre I was a queen consort during the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. Merenre Nemtyemsaf I (reigned 2283-2278 BC was the fourth king of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. Of these queens, Neith, Iput, and Udjebten each had their own minor pyramids and mortuary templates as part of the king's own pyramid complex in Saqqara. Saqqara or Sakkara, Saqqarah ( Arabic: سقارة is a vast ancient burial ground in Egypt, featuring the world's oldest standing Step

Foreign relations

It is thought that Pepi II carried on in the tradition of his predecessors and continued with existing foreign relations, and possibly expanding further trade links into southern Africa. Copper and turquoise mining were undertaken at Wadi Maghara, and alabaster was quarried from Hatnub, both in the Sinai. Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Turquoise is an opaque blue-to-green Mineral that is a hydrous Phosphate of Copper and Aluminium, with the Chemical Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct Minerals Gypsum (a hydrous sulfate of Calcium) and Calcite Hatnub is/are Egyptian Alabaster (travertine quarries and associated seasonally occupied workers' settlement in the Eastern Desert about 65km southeast of modern El-Minya The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai ( Coptic: sina; Egyptian Arabic: sina سينا Arabic, sina'a سيناء There is at least one trade expedition to Punt recorded. See also Puntland The Land of Punt, also called "Pwenet" by the Ancient Egyptians at times synonymous with Ta netjer, the 'land of Diplomatic records also exist of missions to Byblos in ancient Palestine.

Pepi II is thought to have taken a policy of pacification in Nubia, with Harkhuf making at least two further expeditions into the area. Over time it appears as though relations grew strained, for while Harkhuf managed to return safely from each of his expeditions, one of his successors was not so lucky.

There were also military forays into adjacent lands, but it is noted that there was an increasing reliance upon Libyan and Nubian mercenaries. Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab The Nubians (Arabic نوبي Nuubi are an ethnic group originally from northern Sudan, now inhabiting East Africa and some parts of Northeast Africa in southern Egypt A mercenary is a person who takes part in an armed conflict who is not a national or a party to the conflict and is "motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by Further possible evidence of a relative lack of success in these ventures comes from the fact that a scene from the king's pyramid, depicting him as a Sphinx trampling his enemies — including a Libyan chieftain and his family — is wholly derivative from the mortuary complex of previous pharaoh Sahure, which calls into question the veracity of the events supposedly being depicted. A Sphinx is a Zoomorphic mythological figure which is depicted as a recumbent lion with a human head Sahure was the second king of Ancient Egypt 's 5th Dynasty. He was a son of queen Khentkaus I, who in her tomb at Giza, is said to have been

It is also known that near the end of his reign, some foreign relations were completely broken off, a further sign of the disintegration of central rule.

Decline of the Old Kingdom

A decree from Pepi II, granting tax immunity to the temple of Min, on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

The decline of the Old Kingdom arguably began before the time of Pepi II, with nomarchs (regional representatives of the king) becoming more and more powerful and exerting greater influence. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an art museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile in New York City, Nomarchs were the semi- Feudal rulers of Ancient Egyptian provinces Pepi I, for example, married two sisters who were the daughters of a nomarch and later made their brother a vizier. Pepi I Meryre (reigned 2332 &ndash 2283 BC was the third king of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. A Vizier ( - wazīr) (sometimes also spelled Vazir Vizir Vasir Wazir Vesir, or Vezir - grammatical vowel changes are common in many western Asian Their influence was extensive, both sisters bearing sons who were chosen as part of the royal succession: Merenre and Pepi II. Merenre Nemtyemsaf I (reigned 2283-2278 BC was the fourth king of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. Pepi II (reigned c 2278 BC–c 2184 BC was a Pharaoh of the Sixth dynasty in Egypt's Old Kingdom.

Increasing wealth and power appears to have been handed over to high officials during Pepi II's reign. Large and expensive tombs appear at many of the major nomes of Egypt, building by the reigning nomarchs, the priestly class and other administrators. A nome (from Νομός “district” was a subnational administrative division of Ancient Egypt. Nomarchs were the semi- Feudal rulers of Ancient Egyptian provinces Nomarchs were traditionally free from taxation and their positions became hereditary. Their increasing wealth and independence led to a corresponding shift in power away from the central royal court to the regional nomarchs.

Later in his reign it is known that Pepi divided the role of vizier into two: one for Upper Egypt and one for Lower, a further decentralization of power away from the royal capital of Memphis. Memphis was the ancient capitol of the first nome of Lower Egypt, and of the Old Kingdom of Egypt from its foundation until around 2200 BC and Further, the seat of vizier of Upper Egypt was moved several times. The southern vizier was stationed at Thebes. Thebes ( Thēbai) was a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean on the east bank of the river Nile (

It is also thought that Pepi II's extraordinarily long reign may have been a contributing factor to the general breakdown of centralized royal rule. There are some doubts that he could have reigned as long as 94 years (some scholars such as Von Beckerath believe this to be a misreading of long-lost original texts by early historians such as Manetho, and ascribe a seemingly more realistic figure of 64 years, which seems more feasible if he was succeeded by his son as Egyptian tradition states, rather than a grandson). Jürgen von Beckerath (born 19 February 1920) is a prominent German Egyptologist. Manetho (or Manethon) was an Egyptian Historian and Priest from Sebennytos ( Ancient Egyptian: Tjebnutjer) who On the other hand, since his son and successor Merenre Nemtyemsaf II apears only to have reigned for one year, he may himself have been very old when he ascended the throne of Egypt. Merenre Nemtyemsaef II was briefly Pharaoh of Egypt, likely succeeding his long-lived father Pepi II Neferkare. All scholars concede that Pepi II's reign was certainly unusually long. This situation almost certainly produced a succession crisis and also led to a stagnation of the administration, centred on an absolute ruler who may have survived into an extreme old age of hopeless physical and mental decline, but who could not be replaced because of his 'divine' status. A better documented example of this type of problem can be found in the long reign of much later Nineteenth Dynasty pharaoh Ramesses II and his successors. The Eighteenth Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title New Kingdom. It should be stressed that Pepi II's highest date is the "Year after the 31st Count, 1st Month of Shemu, day 20" from Hatnub graffito No. 7, according to Spalinger. ^[5] This date would be equivalent to only Pepi II's Year 62 (on the biennial dating system) and conforms well with the suggestion of a 64 Year reign for him by Von Beckerath given the noticeable absence of known dates for Pepi II from his 33rd to 47th Count. A previous suggestion by Hans Goedicke that the Year of the 33rd Count appears for Pepi II in a royal decree for the mortuary cult of Queen Udjebten was withdrawn by Goedicke in 1988 in favour of a reading of 'the Year of the 24th Count' instead, notes Spalinger. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) ^[6]

Pyramid Complex

Ruins of the pyramid complex of Pepi II

Pepi II's pyramid complex (originally known as Pepi's Life is Enduring) is located in Saqqara, close to many other Old Kingdom pharaohs. Saqqara or Sakkara, Saqqarah ( Arabic: سقارة is a vast ancient burial ground in Egypt, featuring the world's oldest standing Step The Old Kingdom is the name commonly given to that period in the 3rd millennium BCE when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement His pyramid is a modest affair compared to the great pyramid builders of the Fourth Dynasty, but was comparable to earlier pharaohs from his own dynasty. A pyramid is a Building where the upper surfaces are triangular and converge on one point The fourth dynasty of Ancient Egypt is characterized as a Golden age of the Old Kingdom. It was originally 78. 5 metres high, but erosion and relatively poor construction has reduced it 52 metres.

The pyramid was the center of a sizable funerary complex, complete with a separate mortuary complex, a small, eastern satellite pyramid. This was flanked by two of his wives' pyramids to the north and north-west (Neith and Iput II respectively), and one to the south-east (Udjebten), each with their own mortuary complexes. Perhaps reflecting the decline at the end of his rule, the fourth wife, Ankhenespepy IV was not given her own pyramid but was instead buried in a store room of the Iput's mortuary chapel. Similarly, Prince Ptahshepses, who likely died near the end of Pepi II's reign, was buried in the funerary complex of a previous pharaoh, Unas, within a "recycled" sarcophagus dating to the Fourth Dynasty. Unas (also Wenis, Oenas, Unis, or Ounas) was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, and one of the rulers of the Old Kingdom The fourth dynasty of Ancient Egypt is characterized as a Golden age of the Old Kingdom.

The ceiling of the burial chamber is decorated with stars, and the walls are lined with passages from the Pyramid texts. The Pyramid Texts are a collection of ancient Egyptian religious texts from the time of the Old Kingdom. An empty black sarcophagus bearing the names and titles of Pepi II was discovered inside. A sarcophagus is a Funeral receptacle for a Corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone

Following in the tradition of the final pharaoh of the Fifth Dynasty, Unas and of his more immediate predecessors Teti, Pepi I and Merenre, the interior of Pepi II's pyramid is decorated with what has become known as the pyramid texts, magical spells designed to protect the dead. The Third Fourth Fifth and Sixth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title Old Kingdom. Unas (also Wenis, Oenas, Unis, or Ounas) was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, and one of the rulers of the Old Kingdom Teti was the first Pharaoh of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. He is also known (much less commonly as Othoes. Pepi I Meryre (reigned 2332 &ndash 2283 BC was the third king of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. Merenre Nemtyemsaf I (reigned 2283-2278 BC was the fourth king of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. The Pyramid Texts are a collection of ancient Egyptian religious texts from the time of the Old Kingdom. Well over 800 individual texts (known as "utterances") are known to exist, and Pepi II's contains 675 such utterances, the most in any one place.

It is thought that this pyramid complex was completed no later than the thirtieth year of Pepi II's reign. No notable funerary constructions of note happened again for at least 30, and possibly as long as 60 years, due indirectly to the king's incredibly long reign. This meant there was a significant generational break for the trained stonecutters, masons, and engineers who had no major state project to work on and to pass along their practical skills. This may help explain why no major pyramid projects were undertaken by the subsequent regional kings of Herakleopolis during the First Intermediate Period. Herakleopolis Magna is the Greek name of the capital of the Twentieth nome (administrative division of Ancient Egypt. The First Intermediate Period is the name conventionally given by Egyptologists to that period in Ancient Egyptian history between the end of the Old

Excavation

The complex was first investigated by John Shae Perring, but it was Gaston Maspero who entered it first in 1881. John Shae Perring (1813 &ndash 1869 was a British Engineer, Anthropologist and Egyptologist. Gaston Camille Charles Maspero ( June 23, 1846 &ndash June 30, 1916) was a French Egyptologist. Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Gustav Jéquier investigated in detail between 1926 and 1936. Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[7] Jéquier was the first excavator to start actually finding any remains from the tomb reliefs,^[8] and he was the first to publish a thorough excavation report on the complex. ^[9]

Portraiture

Only two statues identified as representing Pepi II exist, even though he was the longest reigning monarch of Ancient Egypt. Even more curious, both of these portraits depict Pepi II as a young child. The first of these, in the Brooklyn Museum, depicts Queen Ankhenesmerire II balancing the youthful Pepi II on her lap, with Pepi II wearing the royal nemes headdress signifying kingship. The Brooklyn Museum, located at 200 Eastern Parkway, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, is the second-largest Art museum in Ankhesenpepi II or Ankhesenmeryre II was a queen consort during the Sixth dynasty of Egypt. The nemes was the Striped Headcloth worn by Pharaohs in Ancient Egypt.

The second, a small statue in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo shows Pepi II as a naked child, squatting on the child with his legs apart with his right hand (now missing) touching his mouth (a symbolic gesture of childhood for the god Horus). The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to the most extensive collection of Ancient Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. No other statues of Pepi II are known, though portraits of him as a grown man appear as relief carvings on his funerary complex.

Successors

There are few official contemporary records or inscriptions of Pepi's immediate successors, and for this reason in many books Pepi II is typically credited as being the last verifiable pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty and of the Old Kingdom.

However, according the Manetho and the Turin King List, he was succeeded by his son Merenre II, who reigned for just over a year. The Turin King List, also known as the Turin Royal Canon is an Hieratic Papyrus thought to date from thereign of Ramesses II, now in the Museo Merenre Nemtyemsaef II was briefly Pharaoh of Egypt, likely succeeding his long-lived father Pepi II Neferkare. It is then believed that he was in turn succeeded by the obscure pharaoh Neitiqerty Siptah, though according to popular tradition (as recorded by Manetho two millennia later) he was succeeded by the Nitocris, who would be the first female ruler of Egypt. The Ancient Egyptan king, Neitiqerty Siptah is an obscure successor to Merenre Nemtyemsaf II, towards the end of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt Manetho (or Manethon) was an Egyptian Historian and Priest from Sebennytos ( Ancient Egyptian: Tjebnutjer) who Nitocris ( Greek Νίτωκρις has been claimed to have been the last Pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty. There is considerable doubt that she ever existed, given the absence of contemporary physical evidence in such things as the various Kings Lists attesting to her rule. The Turin King List, also known as the Turin Royal Canon is an Hieratic Papyrus thought to date from thereign of Ramesses II, now in the Museo

This was the end of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, a prelude to the roughly 200-year span of Egyptian history known as the First Intermediate Period. The First Intermediate Period is the name conventionally given by Egyptologists to that period in Ancient Egyptian history between the end of the Old

Literature

Only a small number of pharaohs were immortalized in ancient fiction, Pepi II is among them. In the tale King Neferkare and General Sasenet, of which only fragments survive, Pepi is described as making nightly outings and meeting his general Sasenet in secret. The Ancient Egyptian story of King Neferkare and General Sasenet survives only in fragments

See also

• Pharaoh
• List of Pharaohs
• Sixth dynasty of Egypt

Notes

References

• Dodson, Aidan. Hilton, Dyan. 2004. The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson
• Dodson, Aidan. "An Eternal Harem: Tombs of the Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Part One: In the Beginning". KMT. Summer 2004.
• Shaw, Ian. Nicholson, Paul. 1995. The Dictionary of Ancient Egypt, Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Publishers. Harry N Abrams Inc is a book publishing company in New York City, New York founded in 1949 by Harry Nathan Abrams to publish high-quality art and illustrated books
• Anthony Spalinger, Dated Texts of the Old Kingdom, SAK 21, (1994), pp. 307-308
• Oakes, Lorna. Gahlun, Lucia. 2005. Ancient Egypt. Anness Publishing Limited.
• Rosanna Perelli, "Statuette of Pepi II" in Francesca Tiradriti (editor), The Treasures of the Egyptian Museum, American University in Cairo Press, 1999, p. 89.

External links

• A Short History of Egypt Part I: From the Predynastic Period to the Old Kingdom, accessed April 16, 2006
• Pepi II, accessed April 16, 2006
• Pepi II, accessed April 16, 2006
• The Pyramid Complex of Pepi II, accessed April 16, 2006
• Saqqara: Pyramid of Pepi 2, accessed April 16, 2006
• Tomb inscription of Harkhuf, accessed April 16, 2006