Before the Throne

6

HORUS HAILED, “Amenemhat the First!”

A strongly built man of medium height entered, in the manner of those before him, until he stood before the throne.

Thoth, Scribe of the Gods, began reading aloud, “Leading ruler of the Middle Kingdom. He cleared the country of intruders, while putting a stop to internal quarrels. He presided over the provincial governors with wisdom, and he invaded the land of Nubia.”

Osiris asked him to speak.

“I was one of the provincial potentates,” said Amenemhat I, “when the central government was extremely weak and corrupt. The wars between the chiefs of the nomes did not abate until Bedouin tribes seized some parts of the realm. I was greatly saddened by what had befallen my country, and resolved to save her. Imposing austerity upon myself and my family, I drilled my men for action. Then I invaded the provinces surrounding me, and declared myself king, demanding the loyalty of the governors to me. In doing so, I was content to concede some prerogatives to them, while choosing my personal retinue from among their sons. Then I marched with a mighty army to rid the nation of the foreign interlopers. I set the administration in order, restoring the temples and spreading security and justice throughout the countryside. Following that, I struck into Nubia to set up a house of worship there to the gods that had backed my victory.”

“You were nearly killed in a conspiracy among your courtiers,” remarked Osiris. “How do you explain that?”

“A woman wanted to usurp the throne in favor of her son, and recruited some of the Nubians to help her.”

“Nubia was a poor country, which could not endure the plunder of some of her lands to endow them for a temple,” said Osiris.

“We encountered necessities that we could not avoid,” Amenemhat I asserted.

“It was your duty to return power to the peasants,” admonished Abnum. “But you forgot your own origins, and placed the edifice of the old oppressor back on its foundations, instead.”

“The provincial governors had forgotten their roots, while putting the peasants back in power would have meant civil war!” Amenemhat I protested.

“You restored the sacred heritage of Egypt to her,” said Khufu with approval.

Then Isis added, “He saved Egypt from chaos, and sat her once again on the throne of glory. He was unable to do more good than that.”

“Take your place among the Immortals,” pronounced Osiris.