Amenmesse

Scion rival-king of the late 19th Dynasty (r. c. 1201-1198 BCE), most probably a son of Merneptah (by Takhat) and half-brother of Seti II, though his filiation is debated (a minority view makes him a son of Ramesses II). He seized Thebes, Upper Egypt and Kush during Seti II's reign and ruled the south as a rival before Seti II defeated him and subjected him to damnatio memoriae, usurping his tomb KV10. The 'Amenmesse problem' is the central chronological puzzle of the dynasty's end.

Parentage

• Merneptah

Powers

• Seize Thebes and rule Upper Egypt and Kush as rival king

Relations

• father: Merneptah
• half sibling: Seti II
• enemy: Seti II

Sources

• Tomb KV10 in the Valley of the Kings; monuments of Menmire Setepenre in Upper Egypt and Nubia; Karnak Hall of Records cartouche-erasure pattern