Mešweš
| Mešweš in hieroglyphics | ||||||||
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Meschwesch Mšwš / Mˁ-š3-w3-š |
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The Mešweš ( Meshvesh ) were a Libyan tribe known in Egypt since the 19th dynasty .
history
On the one hand, the tribe is documented by a delivery of fat from the Meshvesh bulls to Malqata under Amenhotep III. known to the ancient Egyptians as ranchers . On the other hand, they regarded him as a foreign Egyptian people who regularly invaded the Nile valley in the west of the empire and thus became a serious danger. It was here that the Mešweš first appeared under Ramses II , as evidenced by a stele in Marsa Matruh .
Finally, in the fifth year of his reign , Merenptah fought against the allied tribes of the Libyans, who came under their prince Meri with the participation of foreign mercenary troops, some of which were later also involved in the Sea Peoples attack on Egypt under Ramses III. mentioned, and defeated them in the Libyan War .
However, the fighting flared up under Ramses III. again, but the far-sighted policy of this pharaoh settled the people in Egypt after the end of the conflict and used their men as soldiers and workers for Egyptian purposes. In addition, the "chiefs" became high priests at local temples and a small principality was formed from which 945 BC. Chr. Sheshonq I. first Libyan king of Egypt emerged.
literature
- Antony Leahy: Libyans. In: Kathryn A. Bard (Ed.): Encyclopedia of the Archeology of Ancient Egypt. Routledge, London 1999, ISBN 0-415-18589-0 , pp. 445-47.
Individual evidence
- ^ Rainer Hannig : The language of the pharaohs. Large hand-held Egyptian-German dictionary . (= Cultural History of the Ancient World . Vol. 64) 4th edition, von Zabern, Mainz 2006, ISBN 3-8053-1771-9 , p. 368.