Mentuhotep I

Ancient Egyptian nomarch

Royal titulary

Horus name

Hor Tepia
Ḥr.(w)-tp [j] ˁ
Horus the ancestor

Nomen

Mentuhotepaa
mnṯw-ḥtp(w)ˁ3
Mentuhotep the great (litt. Montu is content, the great)^[2]

Alternative form: Itnetjeru Mentuhotepaa Merysatetnebetabu
It-nṯrw mnṯw-ḥtp(w)ˁ3 mry sṯt nbt Abw
Father of the gods, Mentuhotep the great, beloved of Satet, lady of Abu

ConsortQueen Neferu IChildrenIntef I ? Intef II ?Fatherpossibly Intef the ElderDynasty11th dynasty

Mentuhotep I (also Mentuhotep-aa, i.e. "the Great"^[3]) may have been a Theban nomarch and independent ruler of Upper Egypt during the early First Intermediate Period. Alternatively, Mentuhotep I may be a fictional figure created during the later Eleventh Dynasty, which rose to prominence under Intef II and Mentuhotep II, playing the role of a founding father.

Identity

Mentuhotep was possibly a local Egyptian nomarch at Thebes during the early first intermediate period, ca. 2135 BC. The Karnak king list found in the Festival Hall of Thutmose III preserves, in position No. 12, the partial name "Men-" in a royal cartouche, distinct from those of Mentuhotep II (No. 29) or Mentuhotep III (No. 30). The available fragments of the Karnak list do not seem to represent past pharaohs in any chronological order, and thus one cannot ascertain if or when this "Men-" pharaoh lived. Many scholars have argued from the list that a Mentuhotep I, who might have been merely a Theban nomarch, was posthumously given a royal titulary by his successors; thus this conjectured personage is referred to conventionally as "Mentuhotep I".^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]

The fact that no contemporary monument can safely be attributed to a king "Mentuhotep I" has led some Egyptologists to propose that he is a fictional ancestor and founder of the Eleventh dynasty, invented for that purpose during the later part of the dynasty.

Karnak king list showing the partial name "Men..." in a cartouche (No. 12).

On the base of a statue from the sanctuary of Heqaib on Elephantine, a Mentuhotep is referred to as "Father of the gods".^[8]^[9] This title probably refers to Mentuhotep's immediate successors, Intef I and Intef II who reigned as kings over Upper Egypt. From this title, many Egyptologists argued that this Mentuhotep was probably the father of Intef I and II,^[4]^[8]^[10] and also that he was never a pharaoh, as this title was usually reserved for the non-royal ancestors of pharaohs.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

The throne name of Mentuhotep is unknown; since he might not have been a king, or no subsequent 11th Dynasty king bore any throne name until Mentuhotep II, it is probable that he never had one. His Horus name Tepi-a, "The ancestor" was certainly given to him posthumously.^[11]

Family

Mentuhotep's wife might have been Neferu I and the statue from Heqaib may be interpreted to show that he was the father of Intef I and II. The Karnak king list has apparently one non-royal personage (without cartouche), named Intef, in position no. 13. This could possibly refer to Intef the elder, son of Iku, a Theban nomarch loyal to the Herakleopolitan kings in the early first intermediate period. However, the kings on the remaining fragments are not listed in chronological order, so this is not at all certain.

Reign

As Theban nomarch, Mentuhotep's dominion perhaps extended south to the first cataract. Mentuhotep might hypothetically have formed an alliance with the nomarch of Coptos, which then brought his successor Intef I to war with the Herakleopolitan kings of the 10th Dynasty ruling over Lower Egypt and their powerful nomarch allies in Middle Egypt, in particular Ankhtifi.

References

^ Annales du Service des Antiquités de l´Egypt Le Caire. Nr. 55, 1900, p. 178.
^ Clayton, Peter A. Chronicle of the Pharaohs: The Reign-by-Reign Record of the Rulers and Dynasties of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. p72. 2006. ISBN 0-500-28628-0
^ Wolfram Grajetzki, The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt: History, Archaeology and Society, Duckworth Egyptology, London 2006, ISBN 978-0715634356, pp. 10–11
^ ^a ^b William C. Hayes, The Middle Kingdom in Egypt. Internal History from the Rise of the Heracleopolitans to the Death of Ammenemes III., in The Cambridge Ancient History, vol. I, part 2, Cambridge University Press, 1971, ISBN 0 521 077915, p. 476
^ ^a ^b Nicolas Grimal, A History of Ancient Egypt (Oxford: Blackwell Books, 1992), p. 143.
^ ^a ^b Jürgen von Beckerath, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (= Münchner ägyptologische Studien, vol 46), Mainz am Rhein: Verlag Philipp von Zabern, 1999. ISBN 3-8053-2310-7, pp. 76–77.
^ ^a ^b Kim Ryholt, The Royal Canon of Turin, in Erik Hornung, Rolf Krauss and David A. Warburton (eds.), Ancient Egyptian Chronology, Brill, Leiden/Boston, 2006, ISBN 978 90 04 11385 5, p. 30.
^ ^a ^b ^c Labib Habachi: "God's fathers and the role they played in the history of the First Intermediate Period", ASAE 55, p. 167ff.
^ Labib Habachi: The Sanctuary of Hequaib, Mainz 1985, photos of the statue: vol. II, pp. 187-89.
^ Louise Gestermann: Kontinuität und Wandel in Politik und Verwaltung des frühen Mittleren Reiches in Ägypten, Wiesbaden 1987, p. 26.
^ The name is preserved only on an old drawing of Émile Prisse d'Avennes, see Habachi, Figure 4.

Preceded by

As nomarch of Thebes:
Intef the Elder

Pharaoh of Egypt
Eleventh Dynasty

Succeeded by

Intef I

Pharaohs

Protodynastic to First Intermediate Period (<3150–2040 BC)

Period

Dynasty	Pharaohs male female^♀ uncertain

Protodynastic
(pre-3150 BC)

Lower	Hedju Hor Ny-Hor Ni-Neith Hat-Hor Pu Hsekiu Khayu Tiu Thesh Neheb Wazner Mekh A Double Falcon Wash
Upper	A Finger Snail Fish Pen-Abu Stork Bull Scorpion I Shendjw Iry-Hor Ka Scorpion II Narmer / Menes

Early Dynastic
(3150–2686 BC)

I	Narmer / Menes Hor-Aha Djer Djet Den Anedjib Semerkhet Qa'a Sneferka Horus Bird
II	Hotepsekhemwy Nebra Nynetjer Ba Nubnefer Horus Sa Weneg-Nebty Wadjenes Senedj Seth-Peribsen Sekhemib-Perenmaat Neferkara I Neferkasokar Hudjefa I Khasekhemwy

Old Kingdom
(2686–2181 BC)

III	Djoser Sekhemkhet Sanakht Nebka Khaba Sedjes Qahedjet Huni
IV	Snefru Khufu Djedefre Khafre Bikheris Menkaure Shepseskaf Thamphthis
V	Userkaf Sahure Neferirkare Kakai Neferefre Shepseskare Nyuserre Ini Menkauhor Kaiu Djedkare Isesi Unas
VI	Teti Userkare Pepi I Merenre Nemtyemsaf I Pepi II Merenre Nemtyemsaf II Netjerkare Siptah Neferka Nefer

1^st Intermediate
(2181–2040 BC)

VII/VIII	Menkare Neferkare II Neferkare III Neby Djedkare Shemai Neferkare IV Khendu Merenhor Neferkamin Nikare Neferkare V Tereru Neferkahor Neferkare VI Pepiseneb Neferkamin Anu Qakare Iby Neferkaure Neferkauhor Neferirkare Wadjkare Khuiqer Khui Iytjenu
IX	Meryibre Khety Neferkare VII Nebkaure Khety Setut Imhotep
X	Meryhathor Neferkare VIII Wahkare Khety Merykare

Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period (2040–1550 BC)

Period

Dynasty	Pharaohs male female^♀ uncertain

Middle Kingdom
(2040–1802 BC)

XI	Mentuhotep I Intef I Intef II Intef III Mentuhotep II Mentuhotep III Mentuhotep IV
Nubia	Segerseni Qakare Ini Iyibkhentre
XII	Amenemhat I Senusret I Amenemhat II Senusret II Senusret III Amenemhat III Amenemhat IV Sobekneferu^♀ Seankhibtawy Seankhibra

2^nd Intermediate
(1802–1550 BC)

XIII	Sekhemrekhutawy Sobekhotep Sonbef Nerikare Sekhemkare Amenemhat V Ameny Qemau Hotepibre Iufni Ameny Antef Amenemhet VI Semenkare Nebnuni Sehetepibre Sewadjkare Nedjemibre Khaankhre Sobekhotep Renseneb Hor Sekhemrekhutawy Khabaw Djedkheperew Sebkay Sedjefakare Wegaf Khendjer Imyremeshaw Sehetepkare Intef Seth Meribre Sobekhotep III Neferhotep I Sihathor Sobekhotep IV Merhotepre Sobekhotep Khahotepre Sobekhotep Wahibre Ibiau Merneferre Ay Merhotepre Ini Sankhenre Sewadjtu Mersekhemre Ined Sewadjkare Hori Merkawre Sobekhotep Mershepsesre Ini II Sewahenre Senebmiu Merkheperre Merkare Sewadjare Mentuhotep Seheqenre Sankhptahi
XIV	Yakbim Sekhaenre Ya'ammu Nubwoserre Qareh Khawoserre 'Ammu Ahotepre Maaibre Sheshi Nehesy Khakherewre Nebefawre Sehebre Merdjefare Sewadjkare III Nebdjefare Nebsenre Sekheperenre Bebnum 'Apepi Nuya Wazad Sheneh Shenshek Khamure Yakareb Yaqub-Har
XV	Sharek Semqen 'Aper-'Anati Salitis Sakir-Har Khyan Yanassi Apepi Khamudi
XVI	Djehuti Sobekhotep VIII Neferhotep III Mentuhotepi Nebiryraw I Nebiriau II Semenre Bebiankh Sekhemre Shedwast Dedumose I Dedumose II Montuemsaf Merankhre Mentuhotep Senusret IV Pepi III
Abydos	Senebkay Wepwawetemsaf Pantjeny Snaaib
XVII	Rahotep Nebmaatre Sobekemsaf I Sobekemsaf II Sekhemre-Wepmaat Intef Nubkheperre Intef Sekhemre-Heruhirmaat Intef Senakhtenre Ahmose Seqenenre Tao Kamose

New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period (1550–664 BC)

Period

Dynasty	Pharaohs (male female^♀) uncertain

New Kingdom
(1550–1070 BC)

XVIII	Ahmose I Amenhotep I Thutmose I Thutmose II Hatshepsut^♀ Thutmose III Amenhotep II Thutmose IV Amenhotep III Akhenaten Smenkhkare Neferneferuaten^♀ Tutankhamun Ay Horemheb
XIX	Ramesses I Seti I Ramesses II Merneptah Amenmesses Seti II Siptah Twosret^♀
XX	Setnakhte Ramesses III Ramesses IV Ramesses V Ramesses VI Ramesses VII Ramesses VIII Ramesses IX Ramesses X Ramesses XI

3^rd Intermediate
(1069–664 BC)

XXI	Smendes Amenemnisu Psusennes I Amenemope Osorkon the Elder Siamun Psusennes II
High Priests of Amun	Herihor Piankh Pinedjem I Masaharta Djedkhonsuefankh Menkheperre Smendes II Pinedjem II Psusennes III
XXII	Shoshenq I Osorkon I Shoshenq II Tutkheperre Shoshenq Takelot I Osorkon II Shoshenq III Shoshenq IV Pami Shoshenq V Pedubast II Osorkon IV
XXIII	Harsiese A Takelot II Pedubast I Iuput I Shoshenq VI Osorkon III Takelot III Rudamun Shoshenq VII Menkheperre Ini
XXIV	Tefnakht Bakenranef
XXV	Piye Shebitku Shabaka Taharqa Tanutamun

Late Period and Hellenistic Period (664–30 BC)

Period

Dynasty	Pharaohs male female^♀ uncertain

Late
(664–332 BC)

XXVI	Ammeris Tefnakht II Nekauba Necho I Psamtik I Necho II Psamtik II Wahibre Ahmose II Psamtik III
XXVII	Cambyses II Petubastis III Darius I Psammetichus IV Xerxes Artaxerxes I Darius II
XXVIII	Amyrtaeus
XXIX	Nepherites I Hakor Psammuthes Nepherites II Muthis
XXX	Nectanebo I Teos Nectanebo II
XXXI	Artaxerxes III Khabash Arses Darius III