Piye ruled between 744–714 BCE from his seat in Namata located in modern-day Sudan. He took over Egypt following the rulers’ squabbles and division. His conquest came complete when the leader of Herakleopolis, a region in upper Egypt, sought his help when he was invaded by Hermopolis and Sais regions. Piye assembled an army and invaded middle and lower Egypt, in one of the campaigns for which he has been lauded over time.
Piye, who worshipped the god Amun, considered his battles a holy war and had specific rituals in preparation for the war that included his soldiers cleansing themselves before battle.

When he died, he was buried at el-Kurru near Jebel Barkal