According to tradition, Pepi II was the last ruler of
Egypt's 6th Dynasty,
and in fact the last significant ruler of the Old Kingdom prior to the onset of
what Egyptologists call the Fist
Intermediate Period. We are told that his reign of possibly 94 (some
Egyptologist believe 64) years was the longest in ancient Egyptian history. He
seems to have come to the throne at about the age of six, and would therefore
have lived until the age of one hundred. However, because of the onset of the
First Intermediate Period, the latter part of his reign was probably
ineffectual, perhaps at least somewhat due to his advanced age.Both the Oxford
History of Ancient Egypt and Peter A. Clayton, have his reign lasting from 2278
until 2184 BC.
The pharaoh's birth name was Pepi, (also Pepy, Phiops or
Fiops) as was his father's.
His throne name was Neferkare, which means "Beautiful is the Soul of
Re" His mother was Ankhnesmerire II (Ankhesenpepi), who was the sister of
his older brother, Merenre and
probably acted as Pepi II's regent during his youth. She may have probably been
assisted by her brother, Djau, who was a vizier. There is a well known statue
of her holding Pepi II as a young boy. However, after Pepi I's
death, she seems to have married Merenre. He had a number of wives. These
included Neith, the daughter of Pepi I and Ankenesmerire I and Ipwet (Iput II),
the daughter of his brother Merenre. There is some confusion here, because we
are told that he also married Ankenesmerire III, who was another daughter of
Merenre, possibly by his mother Ankhenesmerire II. A final wife that we know of
was Udjebten (or Wedjebten). He probably had at least one son named for his
brother, Merenre.
We know that Pepi II continued foreign relations in a very
similar manner to both his predecessors of the 5th and 6th Dynasties
and even developed new links with southern Africa. He maintained diplomatic and
commercial relations with Byblos in ancient Syria/Palestine. However, we also
learn of an incident where Pepi had to send Pepynakht (Heqaib) to bring back
the body of an official who was killed on a mission in the area of Byblos.
In Nubia, Pepi sought a policy of pacification. We know of
several trips and campaigns made south into Nubia both by Harkhuf, and his
successor, Pepynakht. In fact, these powerful local governors managed to
control Nubia long after the death of Pepi II form their base in Elephantine (near
modern Aswan)
Pepi II appears to have been fascinated with some of these
travels, particularly by his fathers old retainer, Harkhuf, governor of Aswan.
One interesting
account concerns a pygmy secured by Harkhuf on one of his
African adventures. When Pepi II learned of this he wrote Harkhuf a letter that
Harkhuf later incorporated into his funerary autobiography:
You have said...that you have brought a pygmy of the god's
dances from the land of the horizon-dwellers, like the pygmy whom the god's
seal-bearer Bawerded brought from Punt in
the time of King Isesi. You have said to my majesty that his like has never
been brought by anyone who went to Yam previously...Come north to the residence
at once! Hurry and bring with you this pygmy whom you brought from the land of
the horizon-dwellers live, hail and healthy, for the dances of the god, to gladden
the heart, to delight the heart of King Neferkare who lives forever! When he
goes down with you into the ship, get worthy men to be around him on deck,
least he fall into the water! When he lies down at night, get worthy men to lie
around him in his tent. Inspect ten times at night! My majesty desires to see
this pygmy more than the gifts of the mine-land and of Punt! When you arrive at
the residence and this pygmy is with you live, hale and healthy, my majesty
will do great things for you, more than was done for the god's seal-bearer.
Bawerded in the time of King Isesi.
He also continued long established mining practices. We know
from an inscription that turquoise and copper continued to be mined at Wadi
Maghara in the Sinai. Alasbaster was
quarried at Hatnub and Greywacke and siltsone from Wadi Hammamat.
However, some information we have from some scenes
attributable to Pepi II may be ritualistic. For example, one scene depicting
the submission of Libyan chiefs during his reign is a close copy of
representations in the mortuary temples ofSahura, Niuserra and Pepi I.
Some Egyptologists believe that such scenes are more symbolic expressions of
the achievements of the ideal king and bore little resemblance to the reality.
Calcite lid of a vessel.
Some would have us believe that the First Intermediate
Period, a time of decline in Egyptian power, was bought on by low inundation of
the Nile and crop failure. This is mostly because they believe Pepi II's
mortuary complex was built and decorated in a much poorer manner then his
predecessors. It his possible that this may have been a contributing factor.
However, during Pepi II's reign, we find increasing evidence of the power and
wealth of high officials in Egypt, with decentralization of control away from
the capital, Memphis.
These nobles built huge, elaborate tombs at Cause, Akhmin,Abydos, Edfu and Elephantine, and it is
clear that their wealth enhanced their status to the detriment of the king's.
Because the positions of these officials was now hereditary, they now owned
considerable land which was passed from father to son. Therefore, their
allegiance and loyalty to the throne became very casual as their wealth gave
them independence from the king. Administration of the country became difficult
and so it was Pepi II who divided the position of vizier so that now there was
a vizier of Upper Egypt and another of Lower Egypt. Yet the power of these
local rulers continued to flourish as the king grew ever older, and probably
less of an able ruler.
Foreign relations, particularly concerning Nubia, were also
a drain on Pepi II' treasury. In fact, in the latter part of Pepi II's rule,
some foreign relations were actually broken off. Hence, we see that towards the
end of his reign, the government of Egypt simply unraveled.
A relief fragment from Koptos
Long reigns have proven to create succession problems. As
powerful as Ramesses II was, his successors likewise had problems because of
their advanced age when they themselves ascended to the throne. Hence, we find
that Pepi II may have been succeeded by a son, Merenre II, but perhaps for only
one year. According to Manetho, he was married to a Queen Nitocris, who
succeeded her husband to become the last ruler of the 6th Dynasty. However, very
little archaeological evidence of Merenre II or Nitocris exists. Merenre II's
mother would have probably been Neith. After Pepi II, the marvelous building
projects ceased almost entirely until the reign of Mentuhotep II of
the 11th Dynasty.
A temple at Abydos may have been a ka-chapel built by Pepi
II. His pyramid and mortuary complex
are located in South Saqqara.
Most (if not all) of his wife's
smaller pyramids have been discovered nearby.
Pepi II is further attested to by a Calcite statuette of the
young king and his mother, now in the Brooklyn Museum of Art, a decree of the
king found at the mortuary temple of Menkawre, a decree found at Abydos, and
three decrees at Koptos (Coptos). One inscription, now in Cairo, records his Sed festival and
another inscription is has been found in Iput II's mortuary temple. The king
was further mentioned in the biography of Djau (now in Cairo) in his tomb in Abydos and
is mentioned in the tomb of Ibi at Deir el-Gabrawi.
Smaller items attesting to Pepi II include faience plaque
from various places mentioning both his first and second Sed festival, a
calcite vessels attributed to his reign, an Ivory headrest inscribed with his
full titles and several objects found at Byblos.
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