Late Period of ancient Egypt
Late Period of ancient Egypt | |||||||||||
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c. 664 BC–c. 332 BC | |||||||||||
Sebennytos | |||||||||||
Common languages | Ancient Egyptian | ||||||||||
Religion | Ancient Egyptian religion | ||||||||||
Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||
Pharaoh | |||||||||||
• c. 664–610 BC | Psamtik I (first) | ||||||||||
• 336–332 BC | Darius III (last) | ||||||||||
History | |||||||||||
• Began | c. 664 BC | ||||||||||
• Ended | c. 332 BC | ||||||||||
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History of Egypt |
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Egypt portal |
Periods and dynasties of ancient Egypt | ||
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All years are BC | ||
XXXIII | 305–30 |
The Late Period of
History
26th Dynasty
The Twenty-Sixth Dynasty, also known as the Saite Dynasty after its seat of power the city of Sais, reigned from 672 to 525 BC, and consisted of six pharaohs. It started with the unification of Egypt under Psamtik I c. 656 BC, itself a direct consequence of the Sack of Thebes by the Assyrians in 663 BC. Canal construction from the Nile to the Red Sea began.
Egypt seems to have expanded into the Near East early in this period. A wide range of archaeological finds from the Levant shows an Egyptian occupation and control in the late decades of the 7th century BC. These include various Egyptian objects from several sites, ostraca and documents showing a tribute/tax system, and evidence from the fortress of Mezad Hashavyahu.[1][2] Egyptian influence reached to the Euphrates area in places such as Kimuhu and Quramati. Later they were pushed back by the defeat at Carcemish, although Egyptian intervention in the Near East seems to have continued after this battle.[3]
Amasis II followed a new policy and directed his interests toward the Greek world. He annexed Cyprus during his reign.[4] To the south, Psamtik II led a great military expedition that reached deep into upper Nubia and inflicted a heavy defeat on them.[5] A demotic papyrus from the reign of Ahmose II describes a small expedition into Nubia, the character of which is unclear. There is archaeological evidence of an Egyptian garrison at Dorginarti in lower Nubia during the Saite period.[6]
One major contribution from the Late Period of ancient Egypt was the
Artwork during this time was representative of animal cults and animal mummies. This image shows the god Pataikos wearing a scarab beetle on his head, supporting two human-headed birds on his shoulders, holding a snake in each hand, and standing atop crocodiles.[8]
27th Dynasty
The First Achaemenid Period (525–404 BC) began with the
28th–30th Dynasties
The
, who successfully rebelled against the Persians, inaugurating Egypt's last significant phase of independence under native sovereigns. He left no monuments with his name. This dynasty reigned for six years, from 404 BC–398 BC.The
of this dynasty was able to defeat a Persian invasion during his reign.The
31st Dynasty
The Second Achaemenid Period saw the re-inclusion of Egypt as a satrapy of the Persian Empire under the rule of the Thirty-First Dynasty, (343–332 BC) which consisted of three Persian emperors who ruled as Pharaoh—
References
- ^ Bar, S.; Kahn, D.; Shirley, J.J. (2011). Egypt, Canaan and Israel: History, Imperialism, Ideology and Literature (Culture and History of the Ancient Near East). BRILL. pp. 268–285.
- ^ Federico, Zains. "Some Preliminary Remarks on the Neo-Assyrian City Wall in the Outer Town at Karkemish": 901–902.
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(help) - ^ Shaw, Ian (2004). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press. pp. 372–373.
- ^ Hill, George (2010). A History of Cyprus, Vol. 1. Cambridge University Press. p. 109.
- ^ Psamtik II
- ^ Shaw, Ian (2004). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press. pp. 373–374.
- ^ Bleiberg, Barbash & Bruno 2013, p. 55.
- ^ Bleiberg, Barbash & Bruno 2013, p. 16.
Bibliography
- ISBN 9781907804274.
- Roberto B. Gozzoli: The Writing of History in Ancient Egypt During the First Millennium BCE (ca. 1070–180 BCE). Trend and Perspectives, London 2006, ISBN 0-9550256-3-X
- Lloyd, Alan B. 2000. "The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw". Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. 369–394
- Quirke, Stephen. 1996 "Who were the Pharaohs?", New York: Dover Publications. 71–74
- Primary sources
- Histories)
- Fragments of Ctesias (Persica)
- Thucydides (History of the Peloponnesian War)
- Diodorus Siculus (Bibliotheca historica)
- Fragments of Manetho (Aegyptiaca)