Was Diodorus right?

Abstract

In the article, an attempt to find archaeological confirmation of the information of Agatharhides Cnides information in Diodorus Siculus regarding the election of a king has been undertaken. In particular it concerns the election of king in Meroe, whom the priests circle around, and people choose as king, the one whom god touches. The article examines the recent findings of the Italian-Russian joint archaeological mission in Abu Erteila, where a new structure of unusual orientation was discovered, located on the same axis with the Lion Temple, which was found earlier. Fragments of the steles of the kings of ancient Sudan are also analyzed, which give evidences on the election of a new king and participation of the people, historical reasons and factors influencing this process. Much still remains unclear, namely the participants and composition of the procession, the moment when God chose the king in the procession. Thus, the considered material of finds from Abu Erteila suggests that nevertheless Diodorus Siculus was right and the discovered material confirms the information of Agatharhides Cnides about the election of a king in Meroe. The priests were the protagonists of the procession, they selected the best candidates and choose as king whom the god seized while being carried about in a procession. As from which only the legs of the figures have survived in Abu Erteila, it is not possible to restore the appearance of the participants, as well as whether the applicant/s were in this procession for the throne. As far as only the legs of the figures have survived in Abu Erteila, it is not possible to restore the appearance of the participants, as well as whether the applicant/s were in this procession for the throne.