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Volume 11 issue 6 June 2011

ANCIENT EGYPT explores the WORLD WIDE WEB ...

EGYPT AND PERSIA

This month's NETFISHING continues its look at the history of Egypt by seeing what the World Wide Web has to say about the end of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty, when Egypt became a conquest of the Persian Empire under King Cambyses II.

The Egyptian king Psamtek II (better known as Psamme-tichus II) came to the throne in 595 BC, but reigned for only

six years. He conducted a campaign to restore Egyptian authority in Nubia, and left graffiti at the temple of Abu Simbel

to mark his campaign in the south. His army consisted of mercenaries from Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean, but this

force was now led by generals rather than by the king himself. The king instead busied himself with domestic matters and it

was during his reign that the Greek trading city of Naukratis became increasingly important as a source of both foreign trade

and an attraction that brought yet more Greek settlers to Egypt. Psamtek II undertook a goodwill tour of Palestine to bolster

Egyptian influence in the Eastern Mediterranean. He died ‘on tour’ and was succeeded by his son Apries in 589BC.

Refer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psammetichus_II

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/psamtik2.htm

Apries’ record as a king of Egypt can not be considered one of great success. Attempting to protect Jerusalem from

Babylonian conquest in 588BC, his force was totally defeated. A further military defeat in Libya, by Dorian Greeks, caused

his downfall when his native (Egyptian) forces became embroiled in a conflict with his other mercenary (Greek) forces. The

Egyptians turned for leadership to a general named Ahmose (or Amasis) II and Apries was forced to flee the country, leaving

Ahmose II as acclaimed king of Egypt. Refer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apries

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/apries.htm

Apries returned to Egypt in 567 BC, where he was again defeated by general Ahmose II, and eventually put to death. Thus

a general of the army became king of Egypt. Ahmose II recognised the importance of trade with the Greek states and

became increasingly pro-Greek in his activities, donating 1000 talents of silver to the rebuilding of the Oracle of Delphi,

and marrying a Greek princess. His devotion to the Aegean states was most probably based upon his need to gain allies and

buttress Egypt from the growing power of Persia. In 526 BC Ahmose II died, leaving his son to face the problem of a military

attack by Persia forces. Refer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amasis_II

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/amasis.htm

Psamtek III (or Psamme-tichus III) hardly had time to take the throne before Persian forces were advancing towards his

kingdom in 525 BC. Defeated at the battle of Pelusium by Cambyses II of Persia, Psamtek III fled back to Memphis where

he was captured and transported back to the Persian capital of Susa. Eventually, he was put to death there. Refer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psamtik_III

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psammetichus_III

The Persian conquest of Egypt was assisted by a defecting general, one Phanes of Halicarnassus, who advised the Persians

to use Bedouin tribesmen as guides across the desert during their advance. Herodotus recounts that before the battle of

Pelusium when the forces lined up against one another, as punishment for his treachery Phanes was forced to watch the

Egyptian forces slit the throats of his two sons. The Egyptian troops then mixed the blood with wine and drunk it as yet a

further insult to the general. Despite this intimidation, the Egyptian forces did not prevail on the battle ground and Egypt

became a Satrapy (province) of the Persian Empire.

Classical sources give a damming and one-sided picture of Persian rule, but the Greek authors would have had their reasons

for this; they would be unlikely to write a favourable report of an empire that had once occupied Greek soil and

destroyed Athens. Persian atrocities in Egypt were detailed and exaggerated (at least for the First Persian Period, 525-404

BC) when in fact Persian rule was quite benevolent (for an occupying power). King Cambyses II is reported by Herodotus to

have roasted one sacred Apis bull and killed another – whereas, in truth, the inscriptions at the Serapeum show that the bulls

during his reign lived to their full age and were buried with all due respect, pomp, ritual and accompanying treasure. Such

was the propaganda used by the Greeks writers against their old enemy. Refer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Persian_Egypt

History is written by the victors – but the Greeks would have to wait some time before they could overthrow Persian rule

in Egypt. In the meantime the Egyptians would try themselves, as will be seen in the next issue.

Victor Blunden

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