THOTHMES III.

Dynasty at Kumma was begun, and the cartouches of this king are to be seen to this day over the door of the temple which he built there in honour of the god Khnemu.' His prenomen is also found, together with those of his father, grandfather, and greatgrandfather, on the outside of the south wall of the temple of Semna, and it is clear that he carried out some work in connection with the famous fortress founded by Usertsen III, Thothmes II. married his sister Hatshepset, by whom he had two daughters, and the lady Ast, by whom he became the father of Thothmes III. At his death Hatshepset, who had been associated with her father in the rule of the kingdom, became virtually Queen of Egypt, for, although she was nominally the regent, and acted on behalf of her nephew Thothmes III., it is easy to see that she managed the affairs of Egypt according to her own will and pleasure. The most important event in the reign of the Queen was an expedition to Punt, which was planned and carried out under her directions. The expedition consisted of live ships, which sailed down the Red Sea to some point on the African coast, probably near Cape Guardafui, and the captain of the fleet, having landed and found the governor of the district, Pa-rehu, presented the Queen's gifts to him, and proceeded to do business with him. Finally the Egyptians took back gold rings, boomerangs, dnti, i.e., gum for incense, or myrrh, ebony, ivory, green gold, eye-paint, apes, monkeys, and panther-skins. x\s Hatshepset had nothing to do with conquests in the Sudan we may at once pass on to the reign of her nephew, Thothmes III.

When Thothmes III. ascended the throne of Egypt he found that the rule of his aunt Hatshepset, however peaceful and "progressive," had only paved the way for a general revolt in all the countries which were subject to Egypt. Whilst the queen was amusing herself in sending off the expedition to Punt, and in beautifying her capital, the Syrians, and the tribes in the Eastern Desert, and the natives of the Sudan, were making a firm stand against the payment of the tribute which had been laid upon them by the early kings of the XVIIIth Dynasty. Envoys bearing tribute had ceased to arrive at Thebes, the local governors in ail ' See Lepsius, Denkmdler, Abth. iii. 58.

Ibid., 47c.