Piye vs Theodosius the Great

Piye besieged the city of Hermopolis, ruled by Nimlot, a Libyan chief. After a prolonged siege, Nimlot surrendered, and Piye accepted his submission, demonstrating his strategy of incorporating defeated rulers into his administration.

Piye led a Kushite army from Nubia into Egypt, defeating the coalition of Libyan chieftains and local Egyptian rulers. He captured Memphis and Thebes, establishing the 25th Dynasty and ruling Egypt from Napata.

After conquering Egypt, Piye restored the traditional cult of Amun at Thebes, which had been neglected under Libyan rule. He made offerings and reaffirmed the priesthood, aligning himself with Egyptian religious traditions to gain legitimacy.

Piye commissioned the Victory Stela at Gebel Barkal, recording his conquest of Egypt. The inscription details his military campaign, the submission of Egyptian rulers, and his religious piety toward the god Amun, legitimizing his rule.

After his conquest, Piye returned to his capital at Napata in Nubia rather than remaining in Egypt. He left local Egyptian rulers as vassals, establishing a system of indirect rule that characterized the early 25th Dynasty.

Theodosius issued the Edict of Thessalonica, declaring Nicene Christianity the official state religion of the Roman Empire. All other Christian sects were deemed heretical, and pagan practices were increasingly suppressed.

Theodosius ordered a massacre in Thessalonica after a riot killed a Roman official. Thousands of citizens were killed in the circus. Bishop Ambrose of Milan excommunicated Theodosius until he performed public penance.

Theodosius defeated the usurper Eugenius and his general Arbogast at the Battle of the Frigidus. The victory reunited the Roman Empire under Theodosius's rule for the last time before its permanent division.

Upon his death, Theodosius divided the Roman Empire between his sons: Arcadius received the East and Honorius the West. This division became permanent, leading to the separate development of the Byzantine and Western Roman Empires.