Victory Stela of Piankhi - Milestone Documents

Victory Stela of Piankhi

( 725 BCE ) Commentary by Sarah M. Schellinger, University of Toronto
  • “Have you been silent so as to ignore Upper Egypt and the nomes of the Residence, while Tefnakht seizes what is before him, having found no resistance? Namlot … has gone to be a subordinate at his (Tefnakht's) heels, having shrugged off allegiance to His Majesty.” - Paragraph 6
  • “He [Piankhi] made for himself a camp at the southwest of Hermopolis, keeping a stranglehold on it daily.… Days passed, and Hermopolis became foul to the nose, deprived of its ability to breathe. Then Hermopolis threw itself upon its belly, pleading before the King of Lower Egypt, while messengers came and went bearing everything beautiful to behold.” - Paragraph 36
  • “His Majesty then proceeded to the stable of the horses and the quarters of the foals. When he saw [that] / they were starved, he said: ‘As I live, as Re loves me, as my nose is rejuvenated with life, how much more painful it is in my heart that my horses have been starved than any other crime that you have committed at your discretion.” - Paragraph 47
  • “Then he sent his ships and his troops to assault the harbor of Memphis. … [There was not] a common solider who wept among the entire army of His Majesty. His Majesty himself went to arrange the battle formation of the ships …. Then Memphis was taken like a cloudburst, with numerous people slain within it, in addition to those brought as prisoners to the place where His Majesty was.” - Paragraphs 63–65
  • “These two rulers of Upper Egypt and two rulers of Lower Egypt, those entitled to royal uraei, came to kiss the ground because of the wrathful power of His Majesty. Now, however, … their legs / were like the legs of women. They could not enter into the palace since they were uncircumcised and eaters of fish—such is an abomination of the palace.” - Paragraph 87

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