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28lobster t1_jbabufj wrote

Reply to comment by rainer_d in First archaeological correlate of the Egyptian rebellion described on the Rosetta Stone, 196 BCE — Evidence of violent destruction across the ancient city of Thmouis, in Egypt’s Nile delta, ca. 204-186 BCE by marketrent

Ptolemy V was 6 when he became pharaoh after Ptolemy IV died under suspicious circumstances. Kingdom was led by unpopular regents and lost the Fifth Syrian War to the other diadochi. All of this meant legitimacy was low and the state was somewhat rudderless.

Larger context is the Ptolemaic line is Greek but they're trying to rule over Egyptian people, traditional Egyptian priesthood wasn't super stoked to have Hellenic people at the top of the totem pole. Egypt also has a long tradition of throwing off foreign rulers (28th dynasty throwing off the Persians is mentioned in the paper, 16th and 17th dynasties existed at the same time as the Hyksos while the 18th overthrew the Hyksos) so it's plausible this revolt aimed for a restoration of local rule.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemy_V_Epiphanes - There's no wiki about the rebellion in particular but Ptolemy V's page has some details.

Edit: Found a better source about the revolt itself https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/files/TheGreatRevoltoftheEgyptians.pdf

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[deleted] t1_jbbpxeg wrote

> Ptolemy V was 6 when he became pharaoh after Ptolemy IV died under suspicious circumstances. Kingdom was led by unpopular regents

All the news about modern politics usually makes me lose hope for humanity, but reading about this and the reminder that most of us aren’t in a society ruled by a 6-year-old who’s acting as a puppet for a cabal of power hungry regents is a refreshing perspective.

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28lobster t1_jbbux6i wrote

Remember that 6 year old is a god and his dad was a god too - surely that makes him more legitimate than some "elected" politician! /s

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