General Notes

Pharoah of Egypt (VI Dynasty)

Pepi II was a younger brother to king Merenre and the last significant ruler of the 6th Dynasty.
By tradition his reign was 94 years (some scholars believe 64), the longest in Egyptian history. He seems to have ascended the throne at the age of about six.
No depictions of any kind of him are known despite his long reign, but a stone head found in a shrine at Koptos in Upper Egypt (picture left) might be from a statue of him.
Like his father his birth name was Pepi ( picture left bottom) and his throne name was the common Neferkare. Most of the rulers and important people in Egypt in the last days of dynasty 6 are believed to be descendants of Pepi II.

King Pepi II (throne name in cartouche right) continued foreign relations from his predecessors and maintained diplomatic and commercial relations with Byblos in Syria. Campaigns of "pacification" went into Nubia and he also continued the long established mining practices in the Sinai and elsewhere.
He had a number of queens, most of them related to him, and one of his sons, Merenre II, who may have succeeded him, perhaps for only one year.
His pyramid and mortuary complex was built at South Sakkara and the pyramid's name was "The Established and Living Pyramid" (picture below left).
It was built and decorated in a much poorer manner then his predecessors and power and wealth of high officials spread all over Egypt dragging control away from the capital Memphis. Administration of the country became difficult and he appointed one vizier each for Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt to regain control, but in vain.

    
Pyramid complex of Pepi II and a staute possibly of him.


Except for finds at his burial ground the mayor remains of Pepy II are:
1)  A statuette made of calcite with the young king sitting on his mother's lap.
2)  A stone head found in a shrine at Koptos can possibly be a depiction of him.
3)  A big (58 cm) brown stone relief fragment with his name, found at Koptos.
4)  Five written decrees found at Giza, Abydos, Koptos (3) plus another (now
      in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo) recording one of his many Sed festivals.
5)  Inscription found in the mortuary temple of Ipwet II, Merenre I's daughter.
6)  The king mentioned in tombs of Djau at Abydos and Ibi at Deir el-Gabrawi.
7)  Smaller items like - a calcite vessel, faience plaques, an ivory headrest with
      his name and titles written on it and various objects found at Byblos in Syria.
8)  A small shrine at Abydos may have been a Ka-chapel built during his reign.

During his exceptionally long reign (94 years according to Manetho and 64 by some scholars) foreign relations such as military expeditions into Nubia, drained the state treasury and some foreign relations were even broken off. The central administration for taxation was ignored by governors around the country and towards the end of his reign, the government of Egypt simply collapsed.