The year was 2060 BCE, approximately.

In southern Egypt, a ruler named Ankh Tifi was riding high.

Starting as the great overlord, the governor or nomarch, of major towns and districts, Anctifie had expanded his rule to neighbouring communities.

Then, he had gone to battle in the north, facing off against rivals in Wased, Thieves or Luxor,

and Gebtu or Koptos.

Claiming victory, Unctifie's warriors had raided Fibon territory seeking battle.

Alas, the Fibans hid in their towns, refusing to fight.

But that refusal was an acknowledgement.

Unctifi was supreme.

As the dust settled on his northern raid,

Unctifi could bask in the glow of power.

He was victorious in battle. His troops were unchallenged, literally. He was beloved of Horus, and he ruled two shrines important to that god, the towns of Neckin and Bechdet, or Hyrachonpolis and Edfu.

So, where to from here?

Unctifi decided to expand further, but surprisingly, he didn't go north.

His autobiography mentions the raid into Wasset or Thebes, but that's it.

He didn't try to conquer the territory or integrate it into his state.

Maybe, despite their unwillingness to fight, Wasset was still too strong to conquer outright.

Or perhaps Unctifi was not confident in his ability to occupy and rule that region.

Both of those possibilities are entirely reasonable, given what Wasset or Thebes is about to do in just a few short years.

But keeping the focus on Unctifi, it is a curious situation.

Whatever his motives, the Thebban raid was the last of the recorded northern endeavors.

To expand his territory, Unctifi turned his attention back to the south.

...