During this Dynasty,
General Weni gave the army an organizational
foundation which lasted well into the New
Kingdom. This new army was built around a core of veterans which led to the
development of a military caste. Weni
was the first person,other than the pharaoh, to be depicted in
Egyptian Art.
During the early part of Pepi I's reign, the nobles outside his court began to have great influence and wealth in the political relations of Ancient Egypt. They built fine tombs for themselves and often times boasted of their good relations with the king. Pepi I, however, was not a pharaoh free from problems. One of Pepi I's wives, Weret-Imtes, attempted to take the throne from him. Pepi I, was also an avid builder of pyramids, and went on many expeditions to bring back fine stones for such large scale projects.
Pepi I's brother was Pepi II, the youngest and longest reigning Egyptian king in history. His reign began after his brother's Pepi I's ended which he assumed at the age of eight. Over all, his reign over Egypt was not terribly beneficial to the country. During Pepi II's reign, power mildly shifted from the pharaoh to the nomarchs. Pepi II, often gave gifts to the nomarch's which increased their treasures, but depleted the treasury of the pharaoh. It is in this light, that the interests of the nomarchs, as well as the threat of foreign interests, accelerated the eventual collapse of the 6th Dynasty. After Pepi II's death, the central government collapsed, and the Old Kingdom ended.
The collapse of the centralized government
greatly influenced Egyptian Art and
further changed the way in which Egyptians viewed their gods. During prior
dynasties, the Pharaoh and his nomarchs had already decided most of the
policies of the state. Towards the end of the dynasty, the change of power from
the Pharaoh to the nomarchs and other nobles greatly influenced all aspects of
Egyptian culture. As a result of such changes, many of the sculptures of the
time show the gods and their pharaoh's in a more human light, perhaps
suggesting that the gods were more transcendental in the universe than earlier
thought.
The role of the pharaoh also seems to be an area of controversy during this era. The pharaoh, Pepi II, in some sculptures, is depicted in stone, as holding most of the tools and markings ascribed to Osirius, as a living god. Most pharaohs near the end of the Sixth Dynasty were represented in such a way. However, Pepi I's statue, suggests a different aspect. Rather than being regarded as a god, the pharaoh takes on the role of a son to the gods, lessening both his power and possibly the ties of the priesthood over the government of the state.
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