The Twenty-eighth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XXVIII, alternatively 28th Dynasty or Dynasty 28) is usually classified as the third dynasty of the
Ancient Egyptian
Late Period. The 28th Dynasty lasted from 404 BC to 398 BC and it includes only one
Pharaoh
Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: ''pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the an ...
,
Amyrtaeus
Amyrtaeus ( , a Hellenization of the original Egyptian name Amenirdisu) of Sais, is the only pharaoh of the Twenty-eighth Dynasty of EgyptCimmino 2003, p. 385. and is thought to be related to the royal family of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty (664–52 ...
(Amenirdis), also known as Psamtik V or Psammetichus V. Amyrtaeus was probably the grandson of the Amyrtaeus of Sais, who carried on a rebellion in 465–463 BC with the Egyptian chief,
Inarus
Inaros (II), also known as Inarus, (fl. ca. 460 BC) was an Egyptian rebel ruler who was the son of an Egyptian prince named Psamtik, presumably of the old Saite line, and grandson of Psamtik III. In 460 BC, he revolted against the Persians with ...
(himself a grandson of
Psamtik III
Psamtik III ( Ancient Egyptian: , pronounced ), known by the Graeco-Romans as Psammetichus or Psammeticus (Ancient Greek: ), or Psammenitus (Ancient Greek: ), was the last Pharaoh of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt from 526 BC to 525 BC. Most of ...
), against the
satrap
A satrap () was a governor of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic empires.
The satrap served as viceroy to the king, though with consid ...
Achaemenes
Achaemenes ( peo, 𐏃𐎧𐎠𐎶𐎴𐎡𐏁 ; grc, Ἀχαιμένης ; la, Achaemenes) was the apical ancestor of the Achaemenid dynasty of rulers of Persia.
Other than his role as an apical ancestor, nothing is known of his life or ac ...
of
Achaemenid Egypt
The history of Persian Egypt is divided into two eras following the Achaemenid conquest of Egypt punctuated by an interval of independence:
** Twenty-seventh Dynasty of Egypt (525–404 BC), also known as the First Egyptian Satrapy.
** Thirty-fi ...
.
History
As early as 411 BC, Amyrtaeus, a native Egyptian, revolted against
Darius II
Darius II ( peo, 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 ; grc-gre, Δαρεῖος ), also known by his given name Ochus ( ), was King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 423 BC to 405 or 404 BC.
Artaxerxes I, who died in 424 BC, was followed by h ...
, the
Achaemenid Persian King and the last Pharaoh of the 27th Dynasty. Amyrtaeus succeeded in expelling the Persians from Memphis in 405 BC with assistance from Cretan mercenaries, and in 404 BC, following the death of Darius, proclaimed himself Pharaoh of Egypt. Although
Artaxerxes II
Arses ( grc-gre, Ἄρσης; 445 – 359/8 BC), known by his regnal name Artaxerxes II ( peo, 𐎠𐎼𐎫𐎧𐏁𐏂 ; grc-gre, Ἀρταξέρξης), was King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 405/4 BC to 358 BC. He was the son and suc ...
, Darius' successor as King of Persia attempted to lead an expedition to retake Egypt he was unable to do so, due to political problems with his brother,
Cyrus the Younger
Cyrus the Younger ( peo, 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 ''Kūruš''; grc-gre, Κῦρος ; died 401 BC) was an Achaemenid prince and general. He ruled as satrap of Lydia and Ionia from 408 to 401 BC. Son of Darius II and Parysatis, he died in 401 BC i ...
. This allowed Amyrtaeus to solidify Egyptian rule over Egypt.
Very little is known about Amyrtaeus' reign. No monuments from this dynasty have been found.
In 398 BC Amyrtaeus was overthrown and executed by
Nefaarud I
Nefaarud I or Nayfaurud I, better known with his hellenised name Nepherites I, was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, the founder of the 29th Dynasty in 399 BC.
Reign Accession
It is believed that Nepherites was a general from the deltaic city of Mende ...
, ending the 28th Dynasty and beginning the 29th Dynasty.
Pharaohs of the 28th Dynasty
References
Sources
* O. Perdu, 'Saites and Persians (664-332),' in A.B. Lloyd (ed.), ''A Companion to Ancient Egypt'' (Chichester, 2010), 140-58 (at 153-7).
* J.D. Ray, 'Egypt: Dependence and Independence (425-343 B.C.)', in ''Achaemenid History 1'' (Leiden, 1987), 79-95.
See also
*
*
History of Ancient Egypt
The history of ancient Egypt spans the period from the early prehistoric settlements of the northern Nile valley to the Roman conquest of Egypt in 30 BC. The pharaonic period, the period in which Egypt was ruled by a pharaoh, is dated from the ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Twenty-Eighth Dynasty Of Egypt
States and territories established in the 5th century BC
States and territories disestablished in the 4th century BC
28
404 BC
5th-century BC establishments in Egypt
398 BC
4th-century BC disestablishments in Egypt