Horwennefer papyrus – Cairo

Hr-wn-nfr
Ranke I, pg. 246, 17
204-186 BC

In 205 BC, the leader of a southern revolt captured the city of Thebes and declared himself Pharaoh, adopting the name Horwennefer, which Greek sources rendered as Hugronaphor. This occurred during the reign of Ptolemy IV Philopator. Horwennefer retained control over much of Upper Egypt for nearly two decades before being succeeded by Ankhwennefer, possibly his son, who continued the rebellion until around 186 BC when he was defeated by Ptolemy V

Little is known about Horwennefer’s background or specific actions during his reign. No monuments are definitively attributed to him. The rebellion he initiated was part of a broader pattern of Egyptian dissatisfaction with Ptolemaic rule, driven by high taxes, forced military conscription, and the marginalization of native Egyptians

Key Accomplishments of Horwennefer:

• Rebellion Against Ptolemy IV: Successfully revolted against Ptolemaic rule and maintained control over large parts of Upper Egypt for several years.
• Extension of Influence: Expanded his reach to Abydos, evidenced by a graffito dated to approximately 201 BC on the mortuary Temple of Seti I
• Contribution to Linguistic Evolution: The Abydene graffito, written in Egyptian using Greek letters, is considered an early instance of the development of the Coptic script

Horwennefer’s rebellion weakened Ptolemaic control over southern Egypt, allowing external threats like Nubian incursions to exploit the instability. His successor, Ankhwennefer, managed to prolong the resistance but was ultimately defeated by Ptolemaic forces after years of conflict