Conflict on the Nile

This course presents 6 case studies for selected occasions  when the Nile Valley became the site of  conflict and battles.  Over 6 weeks we will consider the key primary sources for these disputes, to try and get a real sense of what happened. Using ancient texts and archaeological evidence we look at some of the conflicts within Egypt and Nubia that defined key moments in Nile Valley history.

1. The 11^th Dynasty in Wawat. We often focus on the actions of the pharaohs of the 12^th Dynasty in northern Nubia (Wawat) and their fortresses, but their predecessors gained control of the region and founded some of the key military structures. The Theban prince Nebhepetre Mentjuhotep led his armies to bring the divided territories of Middle and Lower Egypt under his control Following this, a number of inscriptions detail the military actions that brought Wawat under Egyptian rule. These raise many questions about the region that challenge our assumptions.

2. Kamose and the Hyksos. The inscriptions of Kamose are well known and detail the expansion of Theban power both south and north. They present us with the classic Egyptian royal text in which the divinely inspired ruler rejects advice and triumphs. But the ‘ideal’ is set in historical time and real events.

3. Kamose and Ahmose. The Theban re-unification of Egypt is often thought of as simple and straightforward, but the evidence indicates a more complex process, with points of opposition along the length of the river. There are several royal and private inscriptions that contribute to our understanding of the events. We consider how we can use these ‘historically’.

4. Merneptah and the Libyans. The army of Merneptah confronted the first major, documented, incursion of Libyans into Egypt. Forced by famine to move into the Nile valley, it was the beginning of a series of events that radically changed Egypt in the late New Kingdom.

5. Piankhy. One of the most detailed descriptions of political geography and military conflict in the Nile Valley, the ‘Victory Stela’ of Piankhy has parallels with the Kamose inscription as personal, divinely inspired, action. It is the major source for understanding Late-Libyan Egypt and its internal disputes. It also gives a splendid narrative of the Kushite king’s extraordinarily slow and majestic progress to deal with the problem.

6. “Native” revolts against the Ptolemies. Ptolemy IV first used a significant number of Egyptian troops in his army for the war with Antiochus III of Syria which culminated in the battle of Raphia in 217. Following this there was a rebellion in the Delta, followed by a major revolt in Upper Egypt centred on Abydos, Thebes, and Edfu. The conflict continued into the reign of Ptolemy V. Another rebellion in Upper Egypt took advantage of the dynastic war between Kleopatra II and Ptolemy VIII, and third, in the reign of Ptolemy IX, centred on Thebes.