Old Kingdom Warfare, 2024 Edition
Before the Fall (c.2600—2200 BCE). Early Egyptians were fierce and active warriors. Our evidence for the Old Kingdom “army,” however, is scattered and fragmentary. Sifting through the pieces, however, we…
Decline & Fall of the Old Kingdom (Part 2), 2024 Edition
Why did it all go so wrong? We’ve explored the historical overview of Old Kingdom decline; but what was driving it? There are three major factors that caused this fall.…
Decline & Fall of the Old Kingdom (Part 1), 2024 Edition
Why did the Old Kingdom disappear? Was it an overnight "collapse," or something more long term? In this episode, and the next, we explore the question in overview. This episode…
Posted in2350 – 2150 BCE: The Sixth Dynasty
Episode 24: Lamentations
First Intermediate Period (Part I): Collapse?We jump head slightly in time. By 2100 BCE Pepy II is gone, and with him the last securely-documented reign of the Old Kingdom. A…
Posted in2350 – 2150 BCE: The Sixth Dynasty
Episode 23: Children of Pepy
Pepy II (Part III): The End of the Old Kingdom Pepy II reaches his twilight years, and Egypt is in trouble. Drought strikes the Near East, increasing desertification and reducing…
Posted in2350 – 2150 BCE: The Sixth Dynasty
Episode 22: Pepy Lives
Pepy II (Part II): Authority Abroad. Twenty-five ears into his reign, Pepy II is established in power. But can this monarch rule effectively on his own, without the guidance he…
Posted in2350 – 2150 BCE: The Sixth Dynasty
Episode 21: The Excited Child
Pepy II (Part I): the Child King At just six-years old, the new King of Upper and Lower Egypt Pepy II cannot possibly exercise power on his own. Enter his mother, Ankh-enes-Pepy,…
Posted in2350 – 2150 BCE: The Sixth Dynasty
Episode 20: Expeditions and Explorers
Weni the Elder (Part II): Service in the South Following his admirable service to Pepy I thus far, Weni the Elder is then dispatched south to Upper Egypt, to serve as…
Posted in2350 – 2150 BCE: The Sixth Dynasty
Episode 19: The Beloved of Re, Pepy
Pepy I & Weni the Elder (Part I)After Teti's assassination(?), Pepy I finds it difficult to assert his authority. He must battle a usurper, Userkare and a conspiracy against his life.…
Posted in2350 – 2150 BCE: The Sixth Dynasty
Episode 18: The Guards Themselves
Teti (Part II): The Murder of a King? All is not well within the court. Although Teti has ensconced himself on the throne, conspiracies may have formed against him. The Greek Manetho (c.280…
