Piye
Kushite · demigod · 25th dynasty · Recorded classification
Demigod founder of the 25th Dynasty of Egypt (the Kushite-Egyptian dynasty). Born at Napata (modern Karima, Sudan) c. 750 BCE. Per the Piye Victory Stela, son of Amani-of-Napata = Egyptian Amun-Ra at Gebel Barkal — the canonical Napatan-Kushite divine-paternity claim that paralleled the Theban-18th-dynasty Birth Cycle program. Invaded Egypt c. 728 BCE; defeated the Lower Egyptian coalition under Tefnakht of Sais. The Piye Victory Stela (Cairo JE 48862) is the canonical Egyptian military-narrative stela of the late-dynastic period. Buried in pyramid Ku 17 at el-Kurru — introducing the canonical Kushite-Egyptian pyramid-burial tradition that continued at el-Kurru, Nuri, and Meroë.
Parentage
- father: AmaniPiye Victory Stela; Gebel Barkal Amun temple inscriptions (primary)
Powers
- kingship kushite conferral
- kingship egyptian conferral
Epithets
- 𓇳𓏠𓆣𓏏 throne-name Menkheperre 'Lasting is the Manifestation of Re'Piye Victory Stela (Gebel Barkal) (primary)
Relations
- sibling: ShebitkuFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
- sibling: TantamaniFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
- father: AmaniPiye Victory Stela; Gebel Barkal Amun temple inscriptions (primary)
- sibling: ShabakaHalf-brother and successor; both born at Napata, both claiming Amani-of-Napata divine paternity.el-Kurru pyramid genealogies; Karnak inscriptions (primary)
- sibling: TaharqaKawa Stela IV; el-Kurru pyramid genealogies (primary)
- spouse: AbarReciprocal of abar.spouse — Abar was the sister-wife of Piye and mother of Taharqa (her motherhood encoded on Taharqa's record).Kawa stelae of Taharqa (Macadam, The Temples of Kawa I, 1949), naming Abar mother of the king (primary); Kahn & Jurman chronology / Dunham-Macadam, The Royal Cemeteries of Kush, on Abar as sister-wife of Piye (secondary)
- sibling: AbarReciprocal of abar.sibling — Brother-sister marriage typical of the Napatan royal house.Dunham & Macadam, Names and Relationships of the Royal Family of Napata (JEA 35, 1949), on Abar as sister of Piye (secondary)
Sources
- existence: Piye Victory Stela (Cairo JE 48862, the canonical-primary source) (primary); Gebel Barkal Amun temple inscriptions (primary); el-Kurru pyramid Ku 17 burial (primary); Manetho fragments preserved in Eusebius and Africanus (primary)
- divine-paternity-from-amani: Piye Victory Stela; Gebel Barkal Amun temple inscriptions (primary)