▁been ▁taken ▁as ▁evidence ▁of ▁the ▁wealth ▁and ▁power ▁which ▁these ▁r ul ers ▁had ▁acquired ▁as ▁nom arch s . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁Inter mediate ▁Period , ▁some ▁nom arch s ▁ruled ▁their ▁nom es ▁as ▁minor ▁pot ent ates , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁nom arch ▁Ne h ry ▁of ▁Herm opol is , ▁who ▁dated ▁ins cri ptions ▁by ▁his ▁own ▁reg nal ▁year . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁Ele vent h ▁D ynast y ▁came ▁to ▁power , ▁it ▁was ▁necessary ▁to ▁sub due ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁nom arch s ▁if ▁Egypt ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁reun ified ▁under ▁a ▁central ▁government . ▁The ▁first ▁major ▁steps ▁towards ▁that ▁end ▁took ▁place ▁under ▁A men em het ▁I . ▁A men em het ▁made ▁the ▁city , ▁not ▁the ▁nome , ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁administration , ▁and ▁only ▁the ▁hat y - a , ▁or ▁mayor , ▁of ▁the ▁larger ▁cities ▁would ▁be ▁permitted ▁to ▁carry ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁nom arch . ▁The ▁title ▁of ▁nom arch ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁until ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Sen us ret ▁III , ▁as ▁did ▁the ▁elaborate ▁tomb s ▁indic ative ▁of ▁their ▁power , ▁after ▁which ▁they ▁suddenly ▁disappeared . ▁This ▁has ▁been ▁interpreted ▁several ▁ways . ▁Trad itionally , ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁believed ▁that ▁Sen us ret ▁III ▁took ▁some ▁action ▁to ▁suppress ▁the ▁nom arch ▁families ▁during ▁his ▁reign . ▁Rec ently , ▁other ▁interpret ations ▁have ▁been ▁proposed . ▁Det lef ▁Fran ke ▁has ▁argued ▁that ▁Sen