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Arakamani (also Arkamaniqo, Arkakamani or Ergamenes I) was a Nubian king of Meroë, who ruled in the early third century BCE.
If the identification of Arakamani with Ergamenes I is correct, Arakamani provides an important chronological marker for Nubian history as Diodorus writes that he was a contemporary of
Biography
The only secure archeological attestations of Arakamani come from his funerary pyramid at Meroë (Pyramid Begarawiyah S 6). In addition, many scholars believe that he should be identified with the Nubian king '' Ergamenes'' mentioned by the Classical historianDiodorus 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 ...
in his ''Bibliotheca historica
''Bibliotheca historica'' ( grc, Βιβλιοθήκη Ἱστορική, ) is a work of universal history by Diodorus Siculus. It consisted of forty books, which were divided into three sections. The first six books are geographical in theme, ...
''.Török (2008), pp. 389–90 and references therein. Diodorus writes that the powerful priesthood wanted the death of Ergamenes in order to please the gods, but because he was educated in Hellenistic culture, Ergamenes' strong will enabled him to negate this destiny and to overpower the priesthood.
The events reported in this account are now interpreted as a dynastic change in relation with the transfer of the royal necropolis – and thus of the capital city – from Napata to Meroë. Thus, many scholars regard Arakamani/Ergamenes as the first king of the Meroitic phase of Nubian history, when the power base of the kingdom finally moved to its southern reaches and when a distinct Nubian influence became stronger. It has been suggested that the "Greek culture", which Diodorus claimed was the origin of Ergamenes' strong-will, should be understood as the Greco-Egyptian culture of the Ptolemaic Kingdom (305 BC–30 BC), when Egypt was ruled by a Greek dynasty.Török (2008), p. 511
If the identification of Arakamani with Ergamenes I is correct, Arakamani provides an important chronological marker for Nubian history as Diodorus writes that he was a contemporary 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 ...
(reign 285–246 BCE) in Ptolemaic Egypt. Most Nubian kings are otherwise very difficult to date precisely as well as to order chronologically.
References
Bibliography
*{{cite book , last=Török , first=László , date=2008 , title=Between Two Worlds: The Frontier Region Between Ancient Nubia and Egypt 3700 BC - 500 AD , publisher= Brill , isbn= 978-90-04-17197-8 3rd-century BC monarchs of Kush 3rd-century BC rulers 3rd-century BC rulers in Africa Hellenistic rulers