Arqamani (also Arkamani or Ergamenes IITörök (2008), p. 393) was a Kushite King of

Meroë Meroë (; also spelled ''Meroe''; Meroitic: or ; ar, مرواه, translit=Meruwah and ar, مروي, translit=Meruwi, label=none; grc, Μερόη, translit=Meróē) was an ancient city on the east bank of the Nile about 6 km north-east ...

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 Horwennefer against

Ptolemy IV Philopator egy, Iwaennetjerwymenkhwy Setepptah Userkare Sekhemankhamun Clayton (2006) p. 208. , predecessor = Ptolemy III , successor = Ptolemy V , horus = ''ḥnw-ḳni sḫꜤi.n-sw-it.f'Khunuqeni sekhaensuitef'' The strong youth whose ...

(reign 221–204 BC). He is attested by a number of inscriptions and reliefs from

Kalabsha New Kalabsha is a promontory located near Aswan in Egypt. Created during the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia, it houses several important temples, structures, and other remains that have been relocated here from the si ...

Philae ; ar, فيلة; cop, ⲡⲓⲗⲁⲕ , alternate_name = , image = File:File, Asuán, Egipto, 2022-04-01, DD 93.jpg , alt = , caption = The temple of Isis from Philae at its current location on Agilkia Island in Lake Nas ...

and the

temple of Dakka Ad-Dakka (Arab: الدكة, also el-Dakka, Egyptian: Pselqet, Greek: Pselchis) was a place in Lower Nubia. It is the site of the Greco-Roman Temple of Dakka, dedicated to Thoth, the god of wisdom in the ancient Egyptian pantheon. The temple was in ...

. In the latter locality, he usurped some donation inscriptions originally inscribed for Ptolemy IV. He was buried in a pyramid in Meroë now known as Beg. N 7. Arqamani took an elaborate

ancient Egyptian royal titulary The royal titulary or royal protocol is the standard naming convention taken by the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. It symbolised worldly power and holy might, also acting as a sort of mission statement for the duration of a monarch's reign (although ...

(see infobox) which likely reflects his control above the reconquered

Lower Nubia Lower Nubia is the northernmost part of Nubia, roughly contiguous with the modern Lake Nasser, which submerged the historical region in the 1960s with the construction of the Aswan High Dam. Many ancient Lower Nubian monuments, and all its modern p ...

and its inhabitants. He also took mortuary names: the mortuary Horus name is ''Kashy-netjery-kheper'', meaning "The Kushite whose coming into being is divine", while his nomen is accompanied by the epithet ''Ankhdjet-meriaset'', meaning "Given life, beloved of

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic language, Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician language, Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major ancient Egyptian deities, goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughou ...

", as well as ''Mkltk Istrk'' which is written in

Meroitic script The Meroitic script consists of two alphasyllabic scripts developed to write the Meroitic language at the beginning of the Meroitic Period (3rd century BC) of the Kingdom of Kush. The two scripts are Meroitic Cursive, derived from Demotic Egyp ...

and whose meaning is not known.László Török, The kingdom of Kush: handbook of the Napatan-Meroitic Civilization, 1997
He was sometimes tentatively identified with the king

Ergamenes Ergamenes is the hellenized name of a Nubian king of Meroë reported by Agatharchides in Diodorus Siculus (3.2.6, FHN II No. 142). According to this account, Ergamenes reigned in Meroë during the friendly Egyptian reign of Ptolemy II Philadelph ...

mentioned by

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 ...

but modern scholars now believe that an earlier king with a similar name,

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 ...

, is a better candidate for this identification.Török (2008), pp. 389–90 and references therein. Nevertheless, Arqamani is often called Ergamenes II. Sudan tempel of musawwar es sufra.jpg, Temple of Apedemak in Musawwarat es-sufra, built by Arnekhamani File:Prince Arka.jpg, Prince Arka, son of

Arnekhamani Arnekhamani was a Nubian king of the Kushite Kingdom in the third century BC. The king is mainly known from his building activity at the Musawwarat es-Sufra temple complex. The main temple complex at this place was built by Arnekhamani, but was ne ...

, and possibly identical with Arqamani.Török, László (1996). ''Fontes Historiae Nubiorum'', Vol. II. Bergen. ., p. 582 File:Pyramid of King Arqamani, Meroe Southern Cemetery.jpg, Pyramid of King Arqamani, Meroe Northern Cemetery

Biography

See also

References

Further reading and Bibliography