Late Period of ancient Egypt

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Late Period of ancient Egypt
c. 664 BCc. 332 BC
Sebennytos
Common languagesAncient Egyptian
Religion
Ancient Egyptian religion
GovernmentMonarchy
Pharaoh 
• c. 664–610 BC
Psamtik I (first)
• 336–332 BC
Darius III (last)
History 
• Began
c. 664 BC
• Ended
c. 332 BC
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Third Intermediate Period of Egypt
Macedonian Empire
Ptolemaic Egypt

The Late Period of

Hellenistic Egypt
began.

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

snakebites based on snake type or symptoms.[7]

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

satrapy. The Twenty-seventh Dynasty of Egypt consists of the Persian emperors - including Cambyses, Xerxes I, and Darius the Great - who ruled Egypt as Pharaohs and governed through their satraps, as well as the Egyptian Petubastis III (522–520 BC) (and possibly the disputed Psammetichus IV), who rebelled in defiance of the Persian authorities. The unsuccessful revolt of Inaros II (460-454), aided by the Athenians as part of the Wars of the Delian League, aspired to the same object. The Persian satraps were Aryandes (525–522 BC; 518–c.496 BC) - whose rule was interrupted by the rebel Pharaoh Petubastis III, Pherendates (c.496–c.486 BC), Achaemenes (c.486–459 BC) - a brother of the emperor Xerxes I, and Arsames
(c.454–c.406 BC).

28th–30th Dynasties

The

Twenty-Eighth Dynasty consisted of a single king, Amyrtaeus, prince of Sais
, 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

Twenty-Ninth Dynasty ruled from Mendes, for the period from 398 to 380 BC. King Hakor
of this dynasty was able to defeat a Persian invasion during his reign.

The

Twenty-Sixth Dynasty. A series of three pharaohs ruled from 380 to 343 BC. The first king of the dynasty, Nectanebo I, defeated a Persian invasion in 373 BC. His successor Teos subsequently led an expedition against the Achaemenid Empire in the Near East. The expedition was beginning to meet with some success and made its way to Phoenicia without particular problems. unfortunately for Teos, his brother Tjahapimu was plotting against him. Tjahapimu convinced his son Nectanebo II to rebel against Teos and to make himself pharaoh. The plan was successful and the betrayed Teos had no alternative but to flee and the expedition disintegrated. The final ruler of this dynasty, and the final native ruler of Egypt, was Nectanebo II who was defeated in battle leading to the re-annexation by the Achaemenid Empire
.

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—

Khababash (338–335 BC). Persian rule in Egypt ended with the defeat of the Achaemenid Empire by Alexander the Great, who accepted the surrender of the Persian satrap of Egypt Mazaces in 332 BC, marking the beginning of Hellenistic rule in Egypt which stabilized after Alexander's death into the Ptolemaic Kingdom
.

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Federico, Zains. "Some Preliminary Remarks on the Neo-Assyrian City Wall in the Outer Town at Karkemish": 901–902. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Shaw, Ian (2004). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press. pp. 372–373.
  4. ^ Hill, George (2010). A History of Cyprus, Vol. 1. Cambridge University Press. p. 109.
  5. ^ Psamtik II
  6. ^ Shaw, Ian (2004). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press. pp. 373–374.
  7. ^ Bleiberg, Barbash & Bruno 2013, p. 55.
  8. ^ Bleiberg, Barbash & Bruno 2013, p. 16.

Bibliography

Primary sources