Circa 690-664 B.C.E.
King, Dynasty 25

A Warrior's Life. Taharqa was the son of King Piye (or Piankhy) (circa 747-716 B.C.E.) and younger brother of King Shabaka (circa 716-702 B.C.E.). He grew up in Napata and came to Egypt when he was approximately twenty years old. He became king in circa 690 B.C.E., lived in Memphis, and built extensively throughout Egypt. Taharqa's aggressive foreign policy toward the Assyrians required a strong army. Eventually he was driven back to Napata by the Assyrians. He died there in circa 664 B.C.E.

Conditioning Plan. Taharqa encouraged running as a sport for his soldiers. He left a record on a stela of roughly a 100-kilometer (around 62 miles) race run in circa 684 B.C.E. by an elite unit of his army. In this description he talks of taking daily runs to prepare for war...