Arkamani (Ergamenes II; fl. late third and early second century BCE),
Kushite king of the Meroitic period, was a contemporary of Egyptian pharaoh Ptolemy IV and the fifth successor of Arkamaniqo (Ergamenes I), who was most noted for leading the Kushite expansion and reoccupation of Lower Nubia in the years 205–186 BCE. After Ptolemy II’s ascent to power circa 274 BCE, Ptolemaic Egypt gained control over the long-disputed area of Lower Nubia and thereby provoked a retaliatory stance from Upper Egypt and the Meroitic Empire. Based on surviving inscriptions, it is clear that Arkamani styled himself as a restorer of Meroitic cultural traditions and political supremacy in Lower Nubia. He achieved this primarily through two principal activities. First, he embarked upon an aggressive building campaign, in which he continued and completed construction of temples at Philae, Kalabsha, and Dakka, all located in Lower Nubia. Second, he provided military support to Upper Egyptian nationalists who launched an independence and secessionist movement from the central control of Ptolemaic Egypt.... ...
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