Ancient Egypt: The biography of the nomarch Ankhtifi

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The biography of Ankhtifi

I was the beginning and the end of mankind, since nobody like myself existed before nor will he exist; nobody like me was ever born nor will he be born. I surpassed the feats of the ancestors, and coming generations will not be able to equal me in any of my feats within this million of years.
..... the sky was clouded and the earth [...] of hunger on this sandbank of Apophis. The south came with its people and the north with its children; they brought the finest oil in exchange for the barley which was given them. My barley went upstream until it reached lower Nubia and downstream until it reached the Abydene nome. All of Upper Egypt was dying of hunger and people were eating their children, but I did not allow anyone to die of hunger in this nome.
......
The whole country has become like locusts going upstream and downstream (...); but never did I allow anybody in need to go from this nome to another. I am the hero without equal.

Source:

Ankhtifi was a nomarch at Hierakonpolis during the First Intermediate Period (probably under the 9th dynasty) who vied with other local potentates for supremacy. He was buried in the necropolis of Moalla a few kilometres south of Thebes. His tomb contains his biography, with the exaggerations typical of these inscriptions intended to make a good impression upon the gods. Ankhtifi may have been a good administrator, he was not a philanthropist: the corn he sent north and south had to be paid for.

I surpassed the feats of the ancestors: Many nomarchs of this period refer to their ancestry, generally comparing themselves favourably with them.

hunger on this sandbank: The Old Kingdom had ended in turmoil and while kings continued to be enthroned their influence was mostly conspicuous through its absence. The political collapse was apparently connected with the natural disasters which brought, prolonged periods of widespread famine to Egypt.

people were eating their children: probably not to be taken literally. This is a tomb inscription composed for the benefit of the gods who were to judge the nomarch. Preventing cannibalism would have counted in his favour.

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