Ergamenes is the
hellenized name of a
Nubian king of
Meroë reported by
Agatharchides in
Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus, or Diodorus of Sicily ( grc-gre, Διόδωρος ; 1st century BC), was an ancient Greek historian. He is known for writing the monumental universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty books, fifteen of which su ...
(3.2.6, FHN II No. 142). According to this account, Ergamenes reigned in Meroë during the friendly Egyptian reign of
Ptolemy II Philadelphus
; egy, Userkanaenre Meryamun Clayton (2006) p. 208
, predecessor = Ptolemy I
, successor = Ptolemy III
, horus = ''ḥwnw-ḳni'Khunuqeni''The brave youth
, nebty = ''wr-pḥtj'Urpekhti''Great of strength
, gol ...
to
Ptolemy IV Philopator, was instructed in
Greek philosophy, favored
Greek art and its way of life,
[Samuel Sharpe: ''The history of Egypt: from the earliest times till the conquest by the Arabs'', A.D. 640, 1859, p 316] although it could be rather intended as a cultural influence from a
Ptolemaic-governed Egypt. He resented the tradition of
ancient Egypt and the Ethiopian priests' control over the King's power and preferred the
absolute power of his neighbor, Ptolemy II:
[
]
Identification
Ergamenes was tentatively identified with many archaeologically known king of Meroë, above all two kings with similar names, Arakamani
Arakamani (also Arkamaniqo, Arkakamani or Ergamenes I) was a Nubian king of Meroë, who ruled in the early third century BCE.
Biography
The only secure archeological attestations of Arakamani come from his funerary pyramid at Meroë (Pyramid ...
and Arqamani
Arqamani (also Arkamani or Ergamenes IITörök (2008), p. 393) was a Kushite King of Meroë dating from the late 3rd to early 2nd century BCE.
Biography
It is believed that Arqamani ruled in Meroë at the time of the Egyptian revolt of Horwenn ...
. This situation has led to cause these two kings to be called Ergamenes I (Arakamani) and Ergamenes II (Arqamani). Although it is possible that – in a way similar to the semi-mythological Sesostris – Greeks conflated several rulers into a single figure named ''Ergamenes'', Egyptologist Fritz Hintze and Meroitologist László Török
László Török (13 May 1941 – 17 September 2020) was a Hungarian historian, archaeologist, and Egyptologist. His works on the ancient Coptic language, Ancient Egypt, ancient Nubia, and the Kingdom of Kush were highly regarded. He was a membe ...
believes that the original Ergamenes should be identified with Arakamani.[Török (2008), pp. 389–90 and references therein.]
References
*László Török, ''Between Two Worlds: The Frontier Region Between Ancient Nubia and Egypt 3700 BC – 500 AD'', Brill, 2008, {{ISBN, 978-90-04-17197-8.
Kings of Kush