Merenptah (prince)
Encyclopedia
Merenptah was an ancient Egypt
ian prince during the 19th dynasty
, likely to have been a son of Pharaoh Merenptah.
He is known from two statues of Senusret I
usurped by Pharaoh Merenptah − found in Tanis
and Alexandria
, respectively − and from three statue fragments from Bubastis
. Since he shares a name with Pharaoh Merenptah, also, his name is similar to that of the crown prince and eventual successor, Seti Merenptah, and he wears an uraeus
usually worn by pharaohs only, it is a possibility that he is in fact the same as either of these two, but Prince Merenptah's titles slightly differ from those of the pharaoh and the crown prince, also, the Senusret statues were usurped by Merenptah when he was already a pharaoh. Also, Seti Merenptah used both his names as a prince and as a pharaoh. It is possible that Merenptah's use of an uraeus stems from the power struggle between Pharaoh Merenptah's heirs following his death.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ian prince during the 19th dynasty
Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt
The Nineteenth Dynasty of ancient Egypt was one of the periods of the Egyptian New Kingdom. Founded by Vizier Ramesses I, whom Pharaoh Horemheb chose as his successor to the throne, this dynasty is best known for its military conquests in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.The warrior kings of the...
, likely to have been a son of Pharaoh Merenptah.
He is known from two statues of Senusret I
Senusret I
Senusret I was the second pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt. He ruled from 1971 BC to 1926 BC, and was one of the most powerful kings of this Dynasty. He was the son of Amenemhat I and his wife Nefertitanen. His wife and sister was Neferu. She was also the mother of the successor Amenemhat II...
usurped by Pharaoh Merenptah − found in Tanis
Tanis
Tanis was the capital of the 21st and 22nd dynasties of ancient Egypt, and is now an archaeological temple site. The word Tanis can also refer to:*Tanis, a little girl mummy in Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School...
and Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, respectively − and from three statue fragments from Bubastis
Bubastis
Bubastis , also known as Tell Basta or Egyptian Per-Bast was an Ancient Egyptian city, the capital of its own nome, located along the River Nile in the Delta region of Lower Egypt...
. Since he shares a name with Pharaoh Merenptah, also, his name is similar to that of the crown prince and eventual successor, Seti Merenptah, and he wears an uraeus
Uraeus
The Uraeus is the stylized, upright form of an Egyptian spitting cobra , used as a symbol of sovereignty, royalty, deity, and divine authority in ancient Egypt.The Uraeus is a symbol for the goddess Wadjet, who was one of the earliest Egyptian deities and who...
usually worn by pharaohs only, it is a possibility that he is in fact the same as either of these two, but Prince Merenptah's titles slightly differ from those of the pharaoh and the crown prince, also, the Senusret statues were usurped by Merenptah when he was already a pharaoh. Also, Seti Merenptah used both his names as a prince and as a pharaoh. It is possible that Merenptah's use of an uraeus stems from the power struggle between Pharaoh Merenptah's heirs following his death.