Episode 41 Dynasty XVIII to XXXI – The Beginning of the End

The History of Ancient Egypt

Professor Robert Brier

Film Review

Owing to its extreme instability, the historical period covered by dynasties beginning when the great priests of Thebes declared themselves kings of southern Egypt and continuing with foreign rulers (first Libyans, then Assyrians then Persians) is sometimes known as the Third Intermediary period.

Little is known about dynasties XVIII to XXXI

• Dynasty XXVIII consisted of one king Amytaeus (404-399 BC). Ruling from Sais, he was more likely a prince because he never wrote his name in a cartouche.
• Dynasty XXIX consisted of two kings Nearites (399-380 BC), who moved the capital to Mendes in the delta region, and Achoris (380-378 BC).
• Dynasty XXX began with Nectanebo I (380-362BC), a commoner who declared himself king. During his reign, he managed to repel a combined force of Greeks and Persians because they made the mistake of invading during the summer inundation of the Nile when the ground was was too soggy to support military ranks or chariots. He built two temples and his son Djedher succeeded him. While Djedher was out of the country, his son Nectanebo II declared himself king, the last native born Egyptian king. He built two temples dedicated to Soped (Sirius), whose appearance in the night sky signaled the new year.* Despite hiring 20,000 Greek mercenarie to repel a new Persian invasion, he was defeated and Egypt was re-occupied.

Dynasty XXXI were the Persian kings who ruled Egypt

• Artaxerxes III (343 -338 BC) – an absentee king ruling from Persia who sacked all the temple in Thebes for their precious metals. His reign ended when he was poisoned.
• Arses (338-336 BC) – Also an absentee king.
• Darius III (336-332 BC) – An absentee king whose Egyptian governor was defeated by Alexander the Great.

*This episode includes a lengthy discussion of the Egyptian calendar, the origin of the 365 day Western calendar. The Egyptian year started with the Nile inundation which occurred in June/July. It had three seasons, consisting of 12 months of three 10-day weeks (ie 360 days). The Egyptians added five “Epogonal” or holy days every year in which people were excused from work.

Film can be viewed free with a library card on Kanopy.

https://www.kanopy.com/en/pukeariki/watch/video/1492791/1492881

Episode 40 Dynasty XVII: The Persians

The History of Ancient Egypt

Professor Robert Brier

Film Review

According to Brier, the Persian king Cambyses II launched an invasion of Egypt in 525 BC after the Egyptian army murdered a Persian envoy sent to them with truce conditions. Allegedly the Persian conquest of Egypt was facilitated by Greek mercenaries, including one who defected, providing crucial information about securing water in the Sinai desert, and others who reportedly slit the throat of the pharaoh’s sons before the battle. Psamtik III (526-525 BC) would become the first Egyptian king to be taken captive (in chains) by foreigners.

After leveling Memphis, Cambyses forced all the Egyptian nobles to dress in rags to beg water from his troops. Persian troops then led off all noble Egyptian youths with bridles in their mouth to their execution.

Bringing Psamstek III to live as a captive in his royal palace, Cambyses tried to ingratiate himself with the king of Nubia by sending him a red cloak, myrrh, gold jewelry and an amphora of wine. Rejecting all the gifts but the wine, he sent the Persian king an enormous Ethiopian bow, daring him to invade his country unless he could supply his troops with comparable weapons.

Cambyses next dispatches 50,000 troops to destroy the temple of Amun at the Siwa Oasis on the Egyptian border with Libya. Leading the rest of his military on an invasion of Nubia, he watched them starve to death in the desert and start to eat one another.  On retreating to Egypt, he learned the 50,000 troops sent to the Siwa Oasis had vanished. After killing the Apis bull, he returned to Persia, where he ruled Egypt in absentia.

He was followed by Darius I (423-405 BC), who took more interest in Egypt and built a temple at the Oasis of Karta. There he wrote his name in a cartouche, signifying his divinity according the Egyptian religion. He died following the suppression of  a major Egyptian revolt, to be replaced by Xerxes (485-465 BC). The latter ruled out of Susa and never left a large military force in Egypt.

Following Xerxes’s assassination, Artaxeres I assumed the Persian throne. His rule over Egypt was marked by major revolt led by Psamtec I’s son Inaros  After killing Inaros, the Persians temporarily crushed the rebellion.

However the rebellions escalated, and Artaerxes II (405-359 BC) would be the last Persian ruler of Egypt.

Film can be viewed free with a library card on Kanopy.

https://www.kanopy.com/en/pukeariki/watch/video/1492791/1492879