Meroe
Meroe o más correctamente Reino Meroítico es el nombre de un reino que surgió en Nubia (también conocido como Kush o Cus en la Biblia) de 400 a. C. hasta 300 ddC y lleva el nombre de su capital, la ciudad de Meroe; fue continuador del Reino de Napata.
El nombre actual Meroe o Meroë deriva del idioma meroitico: Medewi o Bedewi; teniendo actualmente su forma en idioma árabe como مرواه /Meruwah, tal nombre le fue dado inicialmente a la capital, una antigua ciudad en la orilla derecha (oriental) del Nilo aproximadamente unos 6 km al noreste de la actual estación Kabushiya próxima a Shendi en Sudán. En las cercanías de las ruinas se encuentra el villorio de Wagraviyah.
Historia del reino de Meroe [editar]
Hacia 270 a. C., el rey Ergamenes destruyó Napata y se trasladó a Meroe, que pasó a ser la capital. Aparecen en estos años varios reyes rivales, probablemente gobernando en Napata: Ardyamani, Imen Barkal, Iriqe-Pidye-qo y Sabraqamani.
Queda el recuerdo entre los historiadores romanos de enfrentamientos y tratados entre Roma y Meroe. Hacia el año 25 a. C., el rey de Meroe, que ahora volvía a residir en Napata, intentó conquistar laTebaida y ocupó Elefantina y Siena, pero fue rechazado por Petronius, que entró en Napata unos meses después de conquistar Dakka y Primis.
Entonces la reina Candaces (Candacia, Kandako, moderna Cándida) o Amanirenas pidió un tratado de paz que le fue rechazado, y los romanos se llevaron miles de esclavos y botín. Finalmente la reina apeló por la paz a César Augusto, que se la concedió hacia el año 20 a. C. y se estableció la frontera y el reino de Meroe (Nubia) quedó libre de tributo. Primis retornó a Meroe. Progresivamente durante estos últimos siglos del milenio, el culto a Amani (Amón), el dios egipcio principal entre los nubios, fue substituido por el dios local Apedemak.
Hacia el año 250 de nuestra era, la cultura hizo un cambio radical al entrar al valle del Nilo pueblos de otros lugares identificados como grupo X. Se dejarán de erigir pirámides y surgirán los entierros en túmulos que se aprecian en el reino nubio de Ballana, donde los reyes están enterrados con sus servidores, caballos, camellos y burros. Parece que estos invasores podrían ser el origen de las tribus Tobati que dominaron Nubia al comienzo de la era cristiana. Grupos nubios llamados blemios (predecesores de los actuales beja o begeyas), hicieron incursiones en territorio controlado por el imperio romano. Diocleciano los reconoció como federados (fœderatii) del Imperio, sin embargo ciudades como Prima, Foenicon, Ciris, Tafa y Talmis, al sur de Egipto, se rindieron a los atacantes.
En 298, Roma evacuó la zona fronteriza con Meroe (es decir, con la parte norte de Nubia). El reino nubio atacó unos años después al reino deAxum (en el actual Etiopía) y en el contraataque Meroe fue ocupada y el reino se hundió hacia el año 350, fraccionándose en estados menores. Sin embargo, en el siglo V, la Tebaida estaba tan devastada que el emperador Marciano tuvo que firmar un desfavorable tratado de paz en 451 con un rey de Nubia, puede que con el del reino de Nobatia, principal reino sucesor de Meroe.
La ciudad de Meroe [editar]
La ciudad de Meroe existía desde, al menos, el año 750 a. C., y fue la capital secundaria del reino de Napata, o Kush. Napata fue saqueada por Egipto en 590 a. C. y desde entonces la capital pasó a ser Meroe. Situada en la ribera de una amplia curva del Nilo, en Nubia, entre las montañas etíopes, fue destruida cerca del año 350 ddC.
La ciudad esta compuesta de tres zonas:
- La denominada ciudad real rodeada de un muro, donde se encuentra el palacio y los edificios de la corte.
- El complejo de templos de Amani (Amón)
- La ciudad, donde reside la población.
De la ciudad se conservan restos de muralla y de un posible palacio real, algunos templos pequeños y el gran templo de Amón, y santuarios. Los templos están dedicados a dioses egipcios y a dioses nubios.
Una necrópolis cerca de la ciudad contiene unas mil tumbas casi todas de túmulos. Una más lejana en Begarawiya, tiene tumbas reales:
- La zona sur (más antigua) contiene hasta 204, entre ellas la pirámide de Arakakamani o Arkamani (Ergamenes) que correspone al primer rey que se enterró en la ciudad hacia el260 a. C.
- La zona norte tiene 44 tumbas (37 de ellas de los reyes de Meroe entre 250 a. C. y 320 d. C.)
- El sector oeste con las tumbas de los altos dignatarios.
Las pirámides son pequeñas (la más grande no llega a los veinte m de base). Fueron excavadas de 1909 a 1914, de 1920 a 1923 y de 1974 a 1976.
It is interesting that, during most of the 
Lions usually lived on the edges of the desert, and so they became known as the guardians of the eastern and western horizons, where the sun rose and set. Hence, in the hieroglyph for Horizon (akhet), they sometimes replaced the eastern and western mountains symbols. Headrests also took the form of this same akhet sign at times, supported by two lions, as with an example from 
horizon, the lion was associated with death and rebirth. In this regard, he was portrayed on funerary couches or biers, as well as embalming tables. The
A Greek papyrus mentions lions that were buried in the sacred animal necropolis at Saqqara, but these have never been found. They were sometimes regarded as lion cubs created by Atum. Most lion deities (and cat deities) were female, of which 
It is interesting that, during most of the 
Lions usually lived on the edges of the desert, and so they became known as the guardians of the eastern and western horizons, where the sun rose and set. Hence, in the hieroglyph for Horizon (akhet), they sometimes replaced the eastern and western mountains symbols. Headrests also took the form of this same akhet sign at times, supported by two lions, as with an example from 
horizon, the lion was associated with death and rebirth. In this regard, he was portrayed on funerary couches or biers, as well as embalming tables. The
A Greek papyrus mentions lions that were buried in the sacred animal necropolis at Saqqara, but these have never been found. They were sometimes regarded as lion cubs created by Atum. Most lion deities (and cat deities) were female, of which 
Editor's Note: I have been to Egypt many more times than I can count, visiting just about every corner of the country. During that time, I have seen one snake, belonging to and under the control of a snake charmer. Certainly there are snakes in Egypt, but I have not seen them pose any problem to tourists. That is not to say that tourists, particularly those who visit some of the more exotic places such as the Western Desert and the Sinai mountains, should not keep a careful eye out. Egypt contains many snakes, but snakes are shy animals that attempt to avoid humans, and therefore are rarely found in populated areas that tourists visit.
Snakes were found throughout ancient Egypt, including the desert sands, in old walls, in fields, by the 
One of the poisonous snakes the Egyptians feared most was the horned viper (Cerastes cornutus and Cerastes cerastes, also known as the sand viper). When the horned viper attacks, it rasps its coils together before springing forward. The rasping sounds like the letter f, and the horned viper was used as the hieroglyph to write the sound (fy is the Egyptian word for "viper" as well).
of the first fruits were made and hymns sung to a statue of Renenutet when grain was brought to the granary or when wine was stored in the cellar. She also had close ties with woven material and personified linen. Although her name first appears in the 
they are sometimes regarded today in Egypt, because they eat rodents. 
A creation myth explains how the uraeus came into being. The god 
winged snakes originated, but among the suggestions that have been put forth are the resemblance of the posture of the snake's neck and anterior of its body to wings when it is excited, the fact that horned vipers throw themselves at their victims, or the resemblance of a shedding snakeskin to wings.
dangerous snake out of its hole. The snake drinks it, passes out and is hacked up by the woman.
Two other species of cobra occur in the country. One is the uncommon Spitting Cobra, characterized by its black neck and unusual method of delivering venom. The other is the rare Innes cobra, only likely to be encountered in the northeast, and there only if one is very lucky, or perhaps unlucky. Other poisonous snakes include the vipers, such as the Horned Viper, the Saw Scaled Viper, which is very dangerous, and Burton's Carpet Viper, which is found in the Sinai and apparently mole vipers.
Most Egyptian snakes are harmless. The African egg eating snake is a widespread species with a range covering most of Africa and parts of Arabia. In Egypt it is restricted to the southern part of the Nile Valley. As the name suggests, it feeds on eggs and everything about it is geared to the consumption of eggs The Egg eating Snake is a very slender reptile, generally under a meter long and colored gray with black diamonds. Another helpful snake is the Sand Boa Eryx colubrinus), which is only a couple of feet long, but very deadly to the rodent population.
Editor's Note: I have been to Egypt many more times than I can count, visiting just about every corner of the country. During that time, I have seen one snake, belonging to and under the control of a snake charmer. Certainly there are snakes in Egypt, but I have not seen them pose any problem to tourists. That is not to say that tourists, particularly those who visit some of the more exotic places such as the Western Desert and the Sinai mountains, should not keep a careful eye out. Egypt contains many snakes, but snakes are shy animals that attempt to avoid humans, and therefore are rarely found in populated areas that tourists visit.
Snakes were found throughout ancient Egypt, including the desert sands, in old walls, in fields, by the 
One of the poisonous snakes the Egyptians feared most was the horned viper (Cerastes cornutus and Cerastes cerastes, also known as the sand viper). When the horned viper attacks, it rasps its coils together before springing forward. The rasping sounds like the letter f, and the horned viper was used as the hieroglyph to write the sound (fy is the Egyptian word for "viper" as well).
of the first fruits were made and hymns sung to a statue of Renenutet when grain was brought to the granary or when wine was stored in the cellar. She also had close ties with woven material and personified linen. Although her name first appears in the 
they are sometimes regarded today inEgypt, because they eat rodents. 
A creation myth explains how the uraeus came into being. The god 
winged snakes originated, but among the suggestions that have been put forth are the resemblance of the posture of the snake's neck and anterior of its body to wings when it is excited, the fact that horned vipers throw themselves at their victims, or the resemblance of a shedding snakeskin to wings.
dangerous snake out of its hole. The snake drinks it, passes out and is hacked up by the woman.
Two other species of cobra occur in the country. One is the uncommon Spitting Cobra, characterized by its black neck and unusual method of delivering venom. The other is the rare Innes cobra, only likely to be encountered in the northeast, and there only if one is very lucky, or perhaps unlucky. Other poisonous snakes include the vipers, such as the Horned Viper, the Saw Scaled Viper, which is very dangerous, and Burton's Carpet Viper, which is found in the Sinai and apparently mole vipers.
Most Egyptian snakes are harmless. The African egg eating snake is a widespread species with a range covering most of Africa and parts of Arabia. In Egypt it is restricted to the southern part of the Nile Valley. As the name suggests, it feeds on eggs and everything about it is geared to the consumption of eggs The Egg eating Snake is a very slender reptile, generally under a meter long and colored gray with black diamonds. Another helpful snake is the Sand Boa Eryx colubrinus), which is only a couple of feet long, but very deadly to the rodent population.
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