Siaspiqa

Siaspiqa (also '''Si'aspiqo''') was a ruler of the Kushite kingdom of Meroë reigning for close to twenty years in the first half of the 5th century BC. Very little is known of Siaspiqa's activities beyond the construction of his pyramid at Nuri, now known as Nuri 4. The pyramid and its chapel have yielded several inscribed stelas bearing his name as well as numerous artefacts suggesting a once rich burial. Nothing is known for certain on the relations between Siaspiqa and his predecessor Amaniastabarqa and successor Nasakhma. Equally uncertain is the identity of his consort, with queen Pi'ankhqewqa buried in the nearby Nuri 29 conjectured for that role.

==Identity and chronology== Siaspiqa is known under two or less likely three names: his nomen Siaspiqa and one or two throne names Segerehtawyre, which means "Ra is the pacifier of the Two Lands", and possibly Semenkheretnetjer. This last name is contested as it could instead be the name of a ritual connected with erecting the pyramid, plausibly translated as "Cleansing the necropolis". The name Segerehtawyre could reflect an official program of conquest and unification of Egypt by the kingdom of Kush or less aggressive negotiations with the northern neighbour in order to achieve political unity. Alternatively, it is equally possible that the "Two lands" reference here refer to the land controlled by Siaspiqa, that is Kush rather than Upper and Lower Egypt as traditionally implied. Ultimately, the name Segerehtawyre may be based on the Horus name Sehertawy borne by the 7th century BC Kushite king Senkamanisken, this time with the explicit intend of pacifying Egypt under Senkamanisken's rule.