A ruler of the Sixth dynasty in Egypt's Old Kingdom, Pepi II Neferkare's birth name was Pepi or Pepy. His throne name, Neferkare, means "Beautiful is the Soul of Re". He was the son of Pepy I and Ankhnesmerire II. He succeeded to the throne after his brother Merenre, at the age of six, and is generally thought to have ruled for 94 years, the longest reign of any monarch in history. His reign marked a sharp decline of the Old Kingdom. While the powere of the nomarchs grew, the power of pharaoh disolved. With no central power, local nobles began raiding each others territories.