vizier 425centers on the Nile. In the reign of TUTHMOSIS III
(1479–1425 B.C.E.), the viceroy of Kush governed from
Mi’am, 140 miles south of the first cataract of the Nile.
Many of the viceroys of Nubia had to maintain standing
armies and had to possess certain military skills. They
were used to halt rebellions or to delay invasions until
the regular army units could get to the scene. The viceroy
of Nubia served on the ELEPHANTINEIsland at Aswan in
many eras. Certain GOVERNORS OF THE NORTHLANDSwere
also appointed during the New Kingdom Period
(1550–1070 B.C.E.) in order to maintain control of the
Egyptian areas in Palestine, Phoenicia, modern Lebanon,
and Syria during the time of the empire.
See also NOMARCHS; VIZIER.
Victory Stela This monument was erected by PIANKHI
(r. 750–712 B.C.E.), the Nubian warrior of the Twenty-
fifth Dynasty. Now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, this
stela commemorates Piankhi’s conquest of Egypt and his
victory over the native Egyptians who opposed him.
These were petty rulers of the Twenty-third (828–712
B.C.E.) and Twenty-fourth (724–712 B.C.E.) Dynasties
who had limited domains in SAIS, HERAKLEOPOLIS, HER-
MOPOLIS, TANIS, and THEBES. Piankhi’s Nubian armies
swept northward, defeating the Egyptians. He celebrated
the feast of OPETat THEBESas a result of his swift cam-
paign. The stela commemorates his victories and contains
a reproach concerning the ruler NIMLOT (4) of the
Twenty-third Dynasty at Hermopolis. Nimlot is scolded
for mistreating his horses.
Vidaranag(fl. fifth century B.C.E.) Persian military com-
mander of the Elephantine Island
Vidaranag commanded the Persian troops at ASWANin the
reign of DARIUS II(423–405 B.C.E.). The satrap, or provin-
cial governor, of Egypt, ARSAMIS, was away from Egypt
when the priests of the god KHNUM complained to
Vidaranag and bribed him to destroy the local Jewish
temple. Vidaranag was punished for his misuse of his
office.
Vindab Papyrus 3873 This is a document in the
Vienna Kunsthistoriche Museum, dating to the second
century B.C.E., the Late Period, and Ptolemaic Period of
Egyptian history. The papyrus is inscribed in the hieratic
and demotic styles and contains a description of a burial
of a sacred APISbull in SAQQARA.
vizier This was the highest nonroyal office in ancient
Egypt, called a djator tjat,served as the prime minister of
the nation in all periods. In the Old Kingdom Period of
Egypt the viziers were normally kinsmen of the ruler,
members of the royal clan, and thus trusted with the
affairs of the court. An exception to this tradition, how-
ever, was the best-known vizier of the Old Kingdom, a
commoner named IMHOTEP, who was revered as a high
priest and as a physician. He built the STEP PYRAMIDfor
DJOSER(r. 2630–2611 B.C.E.) of the Third Dynasty. Gradu-
ally the office was divided, with one vizier serving as the
director of affairs for Lower Egypt and the other govern-
ing the territories of Upper Egypt. The vizier of Upper
Egypt ruled from the ELEPHANTINEto ASSIUT, and the
other governed all the lands above Assiut.
Viziers heard all domestic territorial disputes, main-
tained a cattle and herd census, controlled the reservoirs
and the food supply, supervised industries and conserva-
tion programs, and were required to repair all dikes. The
biannual census of the population came under their
purview, as did the records of rainfall and the varying lev-
els of the Nile during its inundation. All government doc-
uments used in ancient Egypt had to have the seal of the
vizier in order to be considered authentic and binding.
Tax records, storehouse receipts, crop assessments, and
other necessary agricultural statistics were kept in the
offices of these viziers.
Members of the royal family normally served as assis-
tants to the viziers in every era. The office was considered
an excellent training ground for the young princes of
each royal line, although many queens and princesses
also received extensive training and undertook a period
of service with the vizier and his staff. Queen-Pharaoh
HATSHEPSUT(r. 1473–1458 B.C.E.) and TIYE(1),the con-
sort of AMENHOTEP III(r. 1391–1353 B.C.E.), are New
Kingdom Period examples of royal women involved in
the day-to-day administration of the nation.
If the capital was in the south, at THEBES, the vizier of
Upper Egypt lived there and served also as mayor of the
city. Normally, the vizier was assisted in his duties by the
mayor of the western shore, because the vast necropolis
sites and the artisans’ villages there demanded supervi-
sion. The viziers of Upper and Lower Egypt saw the ruler
on a daily basis or communicated with him frequently.
Both served as the chief justices of the Egyptian courts
and listened to appeals or decisions from the NOMEjus-
tices. Other state officials, such as the treasurer, CHANCEL-
LOR, keeper of the seal, etc., served under the viziers in a
tight-knit and efficient bureaucracy. ’AHMOSE (r.
1550–1525 B.C.E.) of the Eighteenth Dynasty established
the viceroyalty of Nubia in order to maintain order in the
rapidly expanding territories below the cataracts. This
viceroy was called “the King’s Son of Kush.”
The most famous vizier of the New Kingdom was
REKHMIRÉ, who served TUTHMOSIS III (r. 1479–1425
B.C.E.). The able official was buried at Thebes, and on his
tomb walls he gave an account of Tuthmosis III’s instruc-
tions concerning the duties and obligations of a righteous
vizier. The commands or instructions are remarkable for
their detailed description of the workings of all levels of
government. They include a description of the vizier’s