New Kingdom
Seti II (Userkheperure)
19th Dynasty · 1295-1186 BCE
Open full-size illustration →Source: Shaw, Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000)
Background
Seti II spent much of his short reign fighting to reclaim the throne from the usurper Amenmesse, and the family he left behind, including his wife Tawosret and the powerful chancellor Bay, would go on to shape Egyptian politics even more than his own rule did. Research: UCL Digital Egypt; Theban Mapping Project.
Dating: Shaw, Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000)
Full profile
A fractured succession
Seti II was the designated heir and eldest son of Merneptah. His reign was immediately challenged by the usurper Amenmesse, resulting in a severe civil war. After several years of internal conflict, Seti II managed to defeat Amenmesse's faction and restore unified control over the entire country.
A vandalized tomb and a rising chancellor
Even after his victory, Seti II's own tomb, KV15, bore the marks of the conflict: Amenmesse's supporters had vandalized parts of it during the civil war, and it was left unfinished at his death. Of his three known wives, Twosret was the most politically significant, later serving as regent for the child-king Siptah and eventually ruling Egypt in her own right. Her rise was closely tied to Bay, a court chancellor of apparent Syrian origin who had served since Seti II's reign and became one of the most powerful, and most resented, officials of the late 19th Dynasty.
Sources for this profile
- Baker, D. D. (2008). The Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs: Volume 1. Stacey International.
- Shaw, I. (Ed.). (2000). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press.
- University College London. Kings of the New Kingdom.
- Reeves, N., & Wilkinson, R. H. (1996). The Complete Valley of the Kings. Thames & Hudson.
- Dodson, A., & Hilton, D. (2004). The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson.
The complete, APA-formatted reference list is on the Academic Sources & Bibliography page.