September 3, 2025 • 41 mins
Dive into the captivating history of Egypt, exploring its journey from ancient times to the moment of Alexander the Greats conquest. This engaging overview delves into the remarkable development of Egyptian civilization, touching on science, religion, art, language, and literature. Written for curious minds without any prior knowledge of Egypt, this book uses clear and relatable language to make the rich tapestry of Egypts past accessible to everyone. (Summary by Beth Thomas)
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Chapter ten, Part one of History of Egypt. This is
a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
(00:23):
Recording by Rick VENA History of Egypt by F. C. H. Wendel,
Chapter ten, From the Persian conquest to the invasion of
Alexander the Great five twenty five through three thirty one BC,
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Section one the twenty seventh Dynasty Persians five twenty five
through four fourteen b C. Cambises five twenty five through
five twenty two b C. The fall of Memphis seems
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to have sealed the fate of Egypt. The rest of
the country, in all probability submitted peaceably. The very fact
that the Libyans Barsey and Syrinae offered their submission and
sent tribute right after the capture of Memphis proves that
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from that time on, the Persian monarch was the undisputed
ruler of Egypt. Cambises appointed Ariyandi's setrap of Egypt, but
seems not to have changed any of the laws and
institutions of the land. Shortly after Memphis surrendered, the king
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paid a visit to Sayis, the then capital of Egypt.
The stories that Herodotus relates of outrages committed here by
Cambises are unhistorical, being utterly disproved by an inscription on
the statue of the hereditary prince hoor Ucha Sutenet, who
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had been keeper of the seal, chief scribe of the palace,
admiral of the fleet, chief physician, et cetera. Under Achmes's
second and Semtec the third. This man relates that Kambut
Cambises came to Egypt and ruled all the land, remaining
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as King of Egypt and taking the coronation name of Mesut.
Hoor Ujasutenet was appointed by him chief physician and superintendent
of the palace. He initiated the king into the mysteries
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of the goddess Nat and described to him her temple.
He now complained of the Persian soldiery that had taken
quarters in the temple, and begged that they be removed
so that the temple might be clean again. The king
ordered that the temple be cleansed, that all of her
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servants be restored to the goddess, and at her festivals
be celebrated as of yore. When the king came to Sayis,
he went to the temple of Naut, worshiped her, and
sacrificed to her in all the other gods of Sayis.
In short, conducted all the sacred ceremonies, the same as
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every former king had done. He also ordered hor Ujasutanet
to prepare an inventory of all the temple utensils, and
to erect buildings for the goddess. We see that the
Persian monarch strove to appear as the successor of the Pharaohs,
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a policy he pursued until his understanding was clouded by insanity.
Cambises now determined to conquer the rest of Africa. Three
expeditions were planned, one against Carthage, another against the Oasis
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of Ammon, and a third against Ethiopia. The first of
these expeditions was never undertaken, as the Phoenicians, who made
up the greater part of the Persian fleet, refused to
serve again Carthage, and Cambises, owing to the fact that
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they had joined him voluntarily, did not dare to force them.
The expedition against the Oasis of Ammun proved a failure.
An army of fifty thousand men started from Thebes and
marched through the Sahara to the Greek town of Oasis.
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After they left the smaller Oasis, no news of them
ever reached Egypt. In all probability, they perished in a
sand storm. The expedition against Ethiopia was in the main successful,
although the Greek historians strove to give the impression that
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it was a failure. Besides the half legendary account of Herodotus,
according to which provisions gave out on the march and
the men, after eating their beasts of burden, were compelled
to resort to cannibalism. We have no full account of
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this campaign, but the fact that Ethiopian troops fought against
the Greeks under Xerxes, and the mention by Ptolemy and
Pliny of a town Cambisson, Tamieya and Ethiopia prove that
the campaign was successful. Moreover, Strabo and others relate that
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Cambises captured the capital of Ethiopia and named it Meroa
after his sister. As the army was returning, a sandstorm
overtook it near the First Cataract, and the greater part
of the one hundred and fifty thousand men perished. Only
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a fragment of the great army returned learned to Egypt.
Cambises had, however, fully accomplished his object. He had thoroughly
subdued Egypt and secured it against foreign invasion. On his
return from Ethiopia, a great change came over the spirit
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of his reign. From early youth he had been subject
to epileptic fits, and now he became insane. His insanity
seems to have first broken out in Memphis at the
festival of the enthroning of an APIs Steer. While the
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king was warring in Ethiopia. The old APIs Steer had died,
and shortly before his return a new one had been found.
As he entered Memphis, he found, according to Herodotus, the
citizens celebrating a great festival. This naturally angered him, as
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he supposed they were rejoicing over the loss of his army.
So he summoned the elders of the city before him
and asked them why the Egyptians were celebrating a festival
now that he was returning after meeting with so severe
a loss, and had celebrated no festival when he first came.
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They replied that a god had been born to the Egyptians,
whose birth was always celebrated in this manner, and the
king had them executed as liars. He then sent for
the priests, and, on questioning them, received the same answer.
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Now he made further inquiries regarding the god, and finally
ordered the sacred steer to be brought before him. When
the animal was brought, the king drew his sword, intending
to kill it, but succeeded only in wounding it on
the thigh. Then he scoffed at the priests, telling them
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there God was only flesh and blood. After all. He
now had the priests scourged and had all persons who
took part in the festival killed. The APIs died of
his wound soon afterward, and was secretly interred by the priests.
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While this account is certainly overdrawn, we have no reason
to doubt that the killing of the APIs is historical,
for this does not seem to have been the only
sacrilege the king was guilty of. He is accused of
having made fun of the statues of Ta, which represent
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the god as a dwarf, and having robbed temples and
burned several statues of gods. These outrages were no doubt
all committed after he had become insane. For the inscription
of hoor Uja Sutanet proves that in the early part
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of his reign this king had everywhere sought to imitate
the Pharaohs. The Greek historians were naturally prejudiced against him,
and strove to make him appear as a wild, remorseless tyrant,
in glaring contrast to his father Cyrus, whom they depicted
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as an ideal ruler. The whole history of Cambises was
written by Herodotus from an unhistorical standpoint. His object was
to make this reign a grand tragedy. The king was
a wild, insane tyrant, and his violent death was a
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punishment for his many sins against the gods and men.
This may be tragedy, but it certainly is not history.
Persia itself suffered from the insanity of the king just
as much as did Egypt. Cambises's greatest crime was the
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murder of his brother Bardja, whom he had assassinated by Prosasspes.
He is also accused of having attempted to murder Croaesis,
the old friend of his father, and of having killed
the son of procsasspies while drunk. At last the end came.
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Cambises had, for unknown reasons, gone to Syria. Here news
of a rever in Persia reached him. He had, before
leaving Persia, appointed Padizaethes, a magian superintendent of the palace.
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This man knew of the murder of Barja, and determined
to make use of his knowledge. He had a brother
named Gaumada, who closely resembled the murdered prince. This brother
he placed on the throne and proclaimed through all the
land that Barja had ascended the throne of Persia. Cambises
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easily convinced himself that this so called Barja was a swindler,
and determined to suppress the revolt. As he was about
to start out on this expedition, he accidentally wounded himself
tradition asserts in the thigh, the same place where he
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wounded the APIs, and of this wound he died. Before
his death, however, he assembled his nobles about his bed,
confessed the murder of Barja, and urged them to punish
the median usurper Darius, the first Egyptian ant Liush five
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twenty one through four eighty five b C. For a while,
the Persian nobles remained inactive, fearing to divulge the murder
of Barjia. But finally, in five twenty one b C. Darius,
the son of his Staspies, who was the next heir
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to the throne Cambises, having died childless, with six companions,
succeeded in slaying the Usurper. As his Staspies declined the crown,
Darius now became King of Persia. The new king was
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compelled to combat with several Usurpers in Persia, but Egypt
remained loyal. Our Yandes, the satrap appointed by Cambises, had
been left in office by Darius. He felt sufficiently strong
to attempt the extension of the Persian power in Africa.
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A fine opportunity to do this soon offered itself when
Cambises invaded Egypt. Synnae had voluntarily submitted and paid tribute.
King Archisilaus the third made about this time a trip
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to Barcia, after having appointed his mother Ferretime, regent. Here,
he was murdered by some Syrenaic refuse. As soon as
Ferretime heard of this, she went to Egypt and asked
Ariyandes to aid her in punishing the murderers of her son.
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Ariandes gladly assented and sent an army under the Egyptian
Akhmas and a fleet under the Persian Badras against Barsaia.
Feratime herself accompanied the army. The combined forces reached the
city without loss, and the extradition of Archisilaus's murderers was
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demanded but refused. The city was hereupon beleaguered, but held
out for nine months, and was then captured only by Stratagem.
Feratime's revenge was terrible. Her son's murderers were crucified and
their wives were cruelly mutilated. Part of the prisoners taken
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were handed over to Ferritime. Part were sent to Persia
and settled in Bactria by Darius. The army now advanced
to Euhasperides, but soon began the retreat. A wrangle between
the commanders had led to this retreat, and soon after
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they started, a messenger came from Ariandes, ordering them home.
On the retreat, the Libyans are said to have attacked
and cut to pieces the rear guard. Ariandes had a
definite object in recalling the army. He had planned the
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foundation of an independent Egyptian empire. The details of his
plan are unknown, but he seems to have become dangerous,
for he was executed at the command of Darius late
in the year five seventeen b c. Darius himself came
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to Egypt. Shortly before his arrival, the APIs Steer, which
had been enthroned in the reign of Cambises, died, and
Darius offered a reward of one hundred talents to whomsoever
would find the new APIs. Darius thus returned to the
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policy inaugurated by Cambises when he first came to Egypt.
Early in his reign, he ordered hoor Ucha Sutanet to
fill the complement of temple scribes. This noble accordingly established
schools for the scribes and fitted them out with everything
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that was needful. For Darius well knew that this was
the best way of observing the names of the gods,
their temples, and incomes forever. He repaired the Temple of
Memphis and made valuable presence to the Temple of Edfu,
But his chief work was the building of the temple
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in the Oasis El Khargei. We see thus that Darius
posed everywhere as a pharaoh, and so successfully did he
carry out this policy that he completely won the hearts
of his Egyptian subjects in a very short while. Like Nikau,
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Darius determined to re establish the connection between the Nile
and the Red Sea that had existed in the times
of Seti the first and Rameses the second a stelle
bearing on one side an inscription in hieroglyphics, and on
the other SI side and translation of this and Medean,
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Persian and Babylonian recounts this fact. This inscription reads, quote,
I am of Persian. With the aid of Persia, I
conquered Egypt. I gave orders to dig this canal from
the river Nile, which flows in Egypt, to the sea
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which is connected with Persia. Then this canal was dug
as I had ordered. But I said, now go and
destroy half this canal from the city of Bira to
the sea, because such is my will. End quote Why
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this last order was given, he does not say. Diodorus
and Strabo, however, relate that his engineers represented to him
that if the canal now were completed, the Red Sea,
which lay higher than Egypt, would flood the country. It
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is a curious fact that Herodotus regarded the canal as completed,
for he says it was four days journey long and
wide enough to allow two triremes to pass in line.
It is further noteworthy that Cambises had already founded a
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city named Cambis Sun after him, near the route of
the canal. Probably he had intended to undertake the work,
but had died before it was begun. The most important
act of his reign was that he erected Egypt, together
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with Libya, Barcia, and Syrinae, into the sixth Satrope. This
satrope had to pay an annual tax of seven hundred
talents or eight hundred and twenty six thousand dollars. The
fisheries of Lake Moeris were declared to be the property
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of the crown. The Egyptians had to furnish the Persian
garrison of the Citadel of Memphis one hundred and twenty
thousand bushels of grain annually. Further, they had to furnish
salt and nile water for the royal table. The income
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of the city of Antilla was given the Queen of Persia,
according to some accounts, for her shoes, according to others,
for her belts, or as we would say, for pin money.
Late in this reign, four years after the Battle of Marathon,
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the Egyptians made an effort to regain their independence. They
made a man named Chabash king, but before Darius could
march against the rebels, he died four eighty five b C.
In the thirty sixth year of his reign Xerxes Egyptian
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Cheshiresh four eighty five through four seventy two b C.
When Xerxes came to the throne of Persia, Chabash had
firmly established himself in Egypt. He assumed the coronation name
of senentanin setep Ena and was exercising all the functions
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of a legitimate pharaoh. In the second year of his reign,
he interred an APIs, probably the one that was enthroned
in the thirty first year of Darius. His reign, several temples,
among them that of Butto, were given large tracts of land.
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The Egyptian king did not neglect to prepare to meet
an attack from Persia, which could be expected every day.
The mouths of the Nile were strongly fortified, and everything
was put in readiness to repel the expected attack. The
rebel king could not, however, hold out against Xerxes. The
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country was again subdued, and Achimenes, the king's brother, was
appointed satrap with orders to institute a very strict regime.
Achimenes kept his position all his life, and it was
probably his harsh rule that led to the revolt of Inaros.
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In the war with Greece, the Egyptians had to fit
out and man two hundred vessels, the crews of which
were afterward transferred to the land army and took part
in the Battle of Plateaea, Arta Xerxes Egyptian artak Sheeshas
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and the Revolt of Enaros four sixty four through four
forty eight b C. After the assassination of Xerxes, the
country was for a while plunged into anarchy and divided
by wars for the succession, which were finally brought to
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a close in four sixty four b C by the
accession of Artaxerxes. During these wars, the Persians lost control
over several provinces, among which was Egypt. As they had
taken advantage of the temporary weakness of the Persians after
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their defeat at Marathon. The Egyptians now took advantage of
the anarchy existing in Persia to make another fight for liberty.
Syrinae had during the past reign gradually regained its independence,
and the Libyans seemed to have been left pretty much
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to themselves since the revolt of Chabash. In fact, it
would seem that this rebel was a Libyan or of
Libyan descent. His name certainly is not Egyptian. At the
time Artaxerxes came to the throne, a sovereign named Inaros,
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the son of Semtek, ruled over the Libyan tribes that
dwelt on the Egyptian border. This chief, to dermined to
free Egypt from the Persian yoke, and easily succeeded in
inciting the greater part of the country to revolt. The
people chose him king, drove out the Persian tax collectors,
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and raised an army. The first object of the new
pharaoh was to secure allies against Persia. He easily succeeding
in getting aid from Syne. He next turned to Athens,
and the Athenians concluded a treaty with him and ordered
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their fleet of two hundred sail which lay at Cyprus,
to proceed to Egypt. This fleet forced its way up
the Nile as far as Memphis, two thirds of which
city had already fallen into the hands of the Egyptians.
The citadel, however, was still held by the Persians, and
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such a Egyptians as had remained loyal to Persia. The citadel,
the combined forces of the Egyptians and Greeks beleaguered, but
all attempts to reduce it failed. Meanwhile, art Xerxes, hearing
of the revolt, had confirmed his uncle Achamenes as satrap
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of Egypt and sent him an army of three hundred
thousand men to put down the rebellion. This army entered
the Delta without encountering any opposition. At Paprimus, they were
met by the combined forces of the Egyptians and Athenians
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and utterly routed. They fled from the field, and the Egyptians,
pursuing a terrible massacre, ensued. Only a mere fragment of
the vast army succeeded in getting safely behind them the
walls of Memphis four sixty two BC. Achimenes himself was
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mortally wounded and died soon After the battle, his body
was sent to Artaxerxes. The Persian king now began intriguing
for the withdrawal of the Athenian troops, offering the Spartans
large subsidies if they would attack Athens. Failing in this,
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he at last fitted out a new army and placed
it under command of Artabanos and Megabizos, two brave generals.
In four sixty one BC, this new army of three
hundred thousand men marched into Silesia. Here a halt was
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made and the Silesians and Phoenicians were ordered to equip
a fleet three hundred triremes. Having been fitted out, they
were manned with the best troops in the army. The
land forces were put through a careful course of training. Meanwhile,
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the war had come to a standstill in Egypt. The
combined forces of the Egyptians and Athenians still lay before
the citadel of Memphis, but could not compel its surrender.
At length, in four sixty BC, the Persian army began
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to move, marching along the coast so as to keep
in constant communication with the fleet. The army at length
entered Egypt without having encountered any opposition. The allies seemed
to have been utterly blind to the threatening danger, deeming
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it probable that the Persians should again attack them after
their terrible defeat at Papramus two years before. They were, however,
pretty rudely awakened when they suddenly found themselves face to
face with the Persian army. They accepted the proffered battle
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and were utterly routed. Memphis was relieved, and the Athenians
withdrew with their ships to the island of Procipitis in
the Nile. A year and a half they held out
here until the Persians damned the Nile and thus beached
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the Athenian ships. The Athenians, burning their vessels, entrenched themselves
and prepared to sell their lives dearly. But the object
of the Persians was not to destroy them, but to
render them useless as allies of Inaros, and to drive
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them from Egypt. They therefore concluded a treaty with the Athenians,
guaranteeing them a safe retreat. In this manner, part of
the Athenian army succeeded in reaching Athens by way of
Libya and Syrenae. Inaros was not so fortunate, wounded and
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captured in an engagement. He was sent to Persia, his
life being spared here. At the instigation of Queen Amestris,
who desired to avenge Achimenes, he was crucified and his
companions were beheaded. The war was not, however, ended, yet
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the Athenians had sent a fleet of fifty sail to
reinforce their fleet. Before Memphis, it entered the Mendigian brandch
of the Nile, where it was surprised by the Phoenicians
and almost completely destroyed, only a few vessels escaping. For
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several years, Amertaeus Egyptian Ahmenrut succeeded in holding his own
in the Delta. Like his friend and ally in Naros,
he sent to Athens for aid, and sixty ships were
ordered by Simon to proceed to Egypt from Cyprus. But
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these vessels were of no avail, for they returned to
Athens on hearing of Simon's death four forty nine b C.
In four forty five b C, a certain Semtec Greek Semeticos,
seems to have held an independent position in Egypt, for
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he sent thirty thousand bushels of grain to Athens after
the rebellion had been suppressed. Ardebanos and Megabisos returned home,
and Larcemes was appointed satrap. Thanairas, the son of Enaros,
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and Pawsyris, the son of Amartaeus, were given their hereditary principalities,
the former probably Libya, and the latter the western part
of the Delta. How long these princes reigned and in
what relation they stood to Persia, we cannot say. Herodotus,
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who visited Egypt shortly after the suppression of the revolt
of Enaros, found Egypt tranquil under Persian rule. There was
then no trace of an independent Egyptian kingdom, and the
only traces of the late troubles were the bleaching bones
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on the old battlefields. Egypt was again prosperous and happy,
celebrating its old festivals in the old manner, a striking
proof of the elasticity of the people. The reigns of
Xerxes the Second, Sogdianus, and Darius the Second had but
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little import for Egypt four forty eight through four fourteen
b C. Except that in the latter part of Darius's reign,
the Egyptians again revolted, and this time succeeded in gaining
their independence under the leadership of amen Rut Section two.
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The twenty eighth dynasty four fourteen through four o eight
b C. Amenrut Greek Amarteus. Late in the year four
fifteen b C. Amenrut of Saus succeeded with the aid
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of Greek mercenaries, in delivering Egypt from the Persian rule.
No details of this successful revolt are known, but it
would seem that it stood in some connection with the
revolt of Pyesuthnes in Lydia, which occurred at about the
same time, while that of Amorges in Karia four thirteen
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to four twelve b C. Kept the Persian kings busy
at home, so that amen Rut was enabled to establish
himself firmly on the Egyptian throne. The whole of Egypt
soon came under his control, and it would even seem
that he was able to take the offensive against Persia.
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A remark of Thucydides appears to point to the fact
that he was allied with Athens in four twelve and
four eleven b C. In four ten b C, according
to Diodorus, he together with the King of Arabia, threatened
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the Phoenetian Sea board, and the Persian king sent a
fleet of three hundred sail against them. Despite these successes,
he could not hold himself on the throne, but was
deposed by the mercenaries. His son was excluded from the succession,
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and naif akh Rut elevated to the throne four O
eight b C. Section three. The twenty ninth dynasty four
O eight through three eighty six b C. Naif akh
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Rut the first Nepharides four O eight through four O
two b C. The first act of the new king
was to appoint his son nect hoor Heb nectanebus Co regent,
but this act did not please the people, and Prince
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nect hor Heb was banished to his city, from which
he returned twenty one years later as king. All that
we know of this king is that an APIs Steer
was buried in the second year of his reign. Some
blocks bearing his name found at Thebes prove that he
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built there passa mut Greek Samuthus four O two to
four O one b C. According to the Demodic Chronicles,
this pharaoh had not served the gods well and consequently
had not been generally recognized. This assertion is not well founded.
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As the inscriptions prove. Numerous blocks of stone bearing his
name ra Oesser Settep and ra Passamut, found at Thebes
prove that he built at the temple of Ammun. Hacre
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Greek a Chorus four hundred through three eighty six b c.
Ruled thirteen years. He had been, like his predecessor, placed
on the throne by the mercenaries, and as he was
just and looked after the decaying temples, he was retained
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as king. As long as he lived. He was busy
repairing temples in all parts of Egypt. Diodorus relates that
Hacer became involved in the wars between Greece and Persia.
At this time, Sparta was at war with the common enemy,
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and Agasilaeus sent envoys to Egypt asking for aid. Hacer
sent him timber for one hundred triremes and five hundred
thousand bushels of grain. These stores were forwarded to Rhodos,
which city had meanwhile deserted Sparta and joined Persia, so
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that the present intended for that state came to be
used against it. We hear also through Theopompus of a
treaty of alliance which this kinge concluded with the Pisidian.
But we know not what came of this alliance. Possibly
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it stood in some connection with a war between Egypt
and Persia that lasted from three ninety through three eighty
seven b C, and in which Isocrates says the three
greatest Persian generals, Abrocomas, Tethranes, and Pharnambasos, had fought against
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Egypt for three years without accomplishing anything, just before the
beginning of the Cypriote War. This war broke out in
three eighty six b C. King Euagorus of Cyprus revolting
against Persia and calling on Hacre for aid. The Pharaoh
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sent him troops, but before the war was well begun
he died three eighty six b C. Naif Akrut, the
second Greek Nepherites three eighty six b C, the son
of Hacer, succeeded his father on the throne with the
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aid of the troops, but the people did not support him,
and consequently the soldiers deserted him and killed his son.
They hereupon restored the right, that is, they placed on
the throne nect Hoorheb, the son of naif Akrut, the first,
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who had been banished and deprived of his right to
the succession, and Chapter one, Part one
Chapter ten, Part one of History of Egypt. This is
a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
(00:23):
Recording by Rick VENA History of Egypt by F. C. H. Wendel,
Chapter ten, From the Persian conquest to the invasion of
Alexander the Great five twenty five through three thirty one BC,
(00:48):
Section one the twenty seventh Dynasty Persians five twenty five
through four fourteen b C. Cambises five twenty five through
five twenty two b C. The fall of Memphis seems
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to have sealed the fate of Egypt. The rest of
the country, in all probability submitted peaceably. The very fact
that the Libyans Barsey and Syrinae offered their submission and
sent tribute right after the capture of Memphis proves that
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from that time on, the Persian monarch was the undisputed
ruler of Egypt. Cambises appointed Ariyandi's setrap of Egypt, but
seems not to have changed any of the laws and
institutions of the land. Shortly after Memphis surrendered, the king
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paid a visit to Sayis, the then capital of Egypt.
The stories that Herodotus relates of outrages committed here by
Cambises are unhistorical, being utterly disproved by an inscription on
the statue of the hereditary prince hoor Ucha Sutenet, who
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had been keeper of the seal, chief scribe of the palace,
admiral of the fleet, chief physician, et cetera. Under Achmes's
second and Semtec the third. This man relates that Kambut
Cambises came to Egypt and ruled all the land, remaining
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as King of Egypt and taking the coronation name of Mesut.
Hoor Ujasutenet was appointed by him chief physician and superintendent
of the palace. He initiated the king into the mysteries
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of the goddess Nat and described to him her temple.
He now complained of the Persian soldiery that had taken
quarters in the temple, and begged that they be removed
so that the temple might be clean again. The king
ordered that the temple be cleansed, that all of her
(03:36):
servants be restored to the goddess, and at her festivals
be celebrated as of yore. When the king came to Sayis,
he went to the temple of Naut, worshiped her, and
sacrificed to her in all the other gods of Sayis.
In short, conducted all the sacred ceremonies, the same as
(04:01):
every former king had done. He also ordered hor Ujasutanet
to prepare an inventory of all the temple utensils, and
to erect buildings for the goddess. We see that the
Persian monarch strove to appear as the successor of the Pharaohs,
(04:23):
a policy he pursued until his understanding was clouded by insanity.
Cambises now determined to conquer the rest of Africa. Three
expeditions were planned, one against Carthage, another against the Oasis
(04:43):
of Ammon, and a third against Ethiopia. The first of
these expeditions was never undertaken, as the Phoenicians, who made
up the greater part of the Persian fleet, refused to
serve again Carthage, and Cambises, owing to the fact that
(05:05):
they had joined him voluntarily, did not dare to force them.
The expedition against the Oasis of Ammun proved a failure.
An army of fifty thousand men started from Thebes and
marched through the Sahara to the Greek town of Oasis.
(05:26):
After they left the smaller Oasis, no news of them
ever reached Egypt. In all probability, they perished in a
sand storm. The expedition against Ethiopia was in the main successful,
although the Greek historians strove to give the impression that
(05:48):
it was a failure. Besides the half legendary account of Herodotus,
according to which provisions gave out on the march and
the men, after eating their beasts of burden, were compelled
to resort to cannibalism. We have no full account of
(06:09):
this campaign, but the fact that Ethiopian troops fought against
the Greeks under Xerxes, and the mention by Ptolemy and
Pliny of a town Cambisson, Tamieya and Ethiopia prove that
the campaign was successful. Moreover, Strabo and others relate that
(06:35):
Cambises captured the capital of Ethiopia and named it Meroa
after his sister. As the army was returning, a sandstorm
overtook it near the First Cataract, and the greater part
of the one hundred and fifty thousand men perished. Only
(06:57):
a fragment of the great army returned learned to Egypt.
Cambises had, however, fully accomplished his object. He had thoroughly
subdued Egypt and secured it against foreign invasion. On his
return from Ethiopia, a great change came over the spirit
(07:19):
of his reign. From early youth he had been subject
to epileptic fits, and now he became insane. His insanity
seems to have first broken out in Memphis at the
festival of the enthroning of an APIs Steer. While the
(07:41):
king was warring in Ethiopia. The old APIs Steer had died,
and shortly before his return a new one had been found.
As he entered Memphis, he found, according to Herodotus, the
citizens celebrating a great festival. This naturally angered him, as
(08:05):
he supposed they were rejoicing over the loss of his army.
So he summoned the elders of the city before him
and asked them why the Egyptians were celebrating a festival
now that he was returning after meeting with so severe
a loss, and had celebrated no festival when he first came.
(08:30):
They replied that a god had been born to the Egyptians,
whose birth was always celebrated in this manner, and the
king had them executed as liars. He then sent for
the priests, and, on questioning them, received the same answer.
(08:51):
Now he made further inquiries regarding the god, and finally
ordered the sacred steer to be brought before him. When
the animal was brought, the king drew his sword, intending
to kill it, but succeeded only in wounding it on
the thigh. Then he scoffed at the priests, telling them
(09:14):
there God was only flesh and blood. After all. He
now had the priests scourged and had all persons who
took part in the festival killed. The APIs died of
his wound soon afterward, and was secretly interred by the priests.
(09:35):
While this account is certainly overdrawn, we have no reason
to doubt that the killing of the APIs is historical,
for this does not seem to have been the only
sacrilege the king was guilty of. He is accused of
having made fun of the statues of Ta, which represent
(09:57):
the god as a dwarf, and having robbed temples and
burned several statues of gods. These outrages were no doubt
all committed after he had become insane. For the inscription
of hoor Uja Sutanet proves that in the early part
(10:19):
of his reign this king had everywhere sought to imitate
the Pharaohs. The Greek historians were naturally prejudiced against him,
and strove to make him appear as a wild, remorseless tyrant,
in glaring contrast to his father Cyrus, whom they depicted
(10:42):
as an ideal ruler. The whole history of Cambises was
written by Herodotus from an unhistorical standpoint. His object was
to make this reign a grand tragedy. The king was
a wild, insane tyrant, and his violent death was a
(11:05):
punishment for his many sins against the gods and men.
This may be tragedy, but it certainly is not history.
Persia itself suffered from the insanity of the king just
as much as did Egypt. Cambises's greatest crime was the
(11:29):
murder of his brother Bardja, whom he had assassinated by Prosasspes.
He is also accused of having attempted to murder Croaesis,
the old friend of his father, and of having killed
the son of procsasspies while drunk. At last the end came.
(11:52):
Cambises had, for unknown reasons, gone to Syria. Here news
of a rever in Persia reached him. He had, before
leaving Persia, appointed Padizaethes, a magian superintendent of the palace.
(12:12):
This man knew of the murder of Barja, and determined
to make use of his knowledge. He had a brother
named Gaumada, who closely resembled the murdered prince. This brother
he placed on the throne and proclaimed through all the
land that Barja had ascended the throne of Persia. Cambises
(12:37):
easily convinced himself that this so called Barja was a swindler,
and determined to suppress the revolt. As he was about
to start out on this expedition, he accidentally wounded himself
tradition asserts in the thigh, the same place where he
(12:58):
wounded the APIs, and of this wound he died. Before
his death, however, he assembled his nobles about his bed,
confessed the murder of Barja, and urged them to punish
the median usurper Darius, the first Egyptian ant Liush five
(13:23):
twenty one through four eighty five b C. For a while,
the Persian nobles remained inactive, fearing to divulge the murder
of Barjia. But finally, in five twenty one b C. Darius,
the son of his Staspies, who was the next heir
(13:45):
to the throne Cambises, having died childless, with six companions,
succeeded in slaying the Usurper. As his Staspies declined the crown,
Darius now became King of Persia. The new king was
(14:05):
compelled to combat with several Usurpers in Persia, but Egypt
remained loyal. Our Yandes, the satrap appointed by Cambises, had
been left in office by Darius. He felt sufficiently strong
to attempt the extension of the Persian power in Africa.
(14:29):
A fine opportunity to do this soon offered itself when
Cambises invaded Egypt. Synnae had voluntarily submitted and paid tribute.
King Archisilaus the third made about this time a trip
(14:49):
to Barcia, after having appointed his mother Ferretime, regent. Here,
he was murdered by some Syrenaic refuse. As soon as
Ferretime heard of this, she went to Egypt and asked
Ariyandes to aid her in punishing the murderers of her son.
(15:14):
Ariandes gladly assented and sent an army under the Egyptian
Akhmas and a fleet under the Persian Badras against Barsaia.
Feratime herself accompanied the army. The combined forces reached the
city without loss, and the extradition of Archisilaus's murderers was
(15:39):
demanded but refused. The city was hereupon beleaguered, but held
out for nine months, and was then captured only by Stratagem.
Feratime's revenge was terrible. Her son's murderers were crucified and
their wives were cruelly mutilated. Part of the prisoners taken
(16:03):
were handed over to Ferritime. Part were sent to Persia
and settled in Bactria by Darius. The army now advanced
to Euhasperides, but soon began the retreat. A wrangle between
the commanders had led to this retreat, and soon after
(16:25):
they started, a messenger came from Ariandes, ordering them home.
On the retreat, the Libyans are said to have attacked
and cut to pieces the rear guard. Ariandes had a
definite object in recalling the army. He had planned the
(16:46):
foundation of an independent Egyptian empire. The details of his
plan are unknown, but he seems to have become dangerous,
for he was executed at the command of Darius late
in the year five seventeen b c. Darius himself came
(17:07):
to Egypt. Shortly before his arrival, the APIs Steer, which
had been enthroned in the reign of Cambises, died, and
Darius offered a reward of one hundred talents to whomsoever
would find the new APIs. Darius thus returned to the
(17:30):
policy inaugurated by Cambises when he first came to Egypt.
Early in his reign, he ordered hoor Ucha Sutanet to
fill the complement of temple scribes. This noble accordingly established
schools for the scribes and fitted them out with everything
(17:53):
that was needful. For Darius well knew that this was
the best way of observing the names of the gods,
their temples, and incomes forever. He repaired the Temple of
Memphis and made valuable presence to the Temple of Edfu,
But his chief work was the building of the temple
(18:17):
in the Oasis El Khargei. We see thus that Darius
posed everywhere as a pharaoh, and so successfully did he
carry out this policy that he completely won the hearts
of his Egyptian subjects in a very short while. Like Nikau,
(18:40):
Darius determined to re establish the connection between the Nile
and the Red Sea that had existed in the times
of Seti the first and Rameses the second a stelle
bearing on one side an inscription in hieroglyphics, and on
the other SI side and translation of this and Medean,
(19:03):
Persian and Babylonian recounts this fact. This inscription reads, quote,
I am of Persian. With the aid of Persia, I
conquered Egypt. I gave orders to dig this canal from
the river Nile, which flows in Egypt, to the sea
(19:26):
which is connected with Persia. Then this canal was dug
as I had ordered. But I said, now go and
destroy half this canal from the city of Bira to
the sea, because such is my will. End quote Why
(19:47):
this last order was given, he does not say. Diodorus
and Strabo, however, relate that his engineers represented to him
that if the canal now were completed, the Red Sea,
which lay higher than Egypt, would flood the country. It
(20:08):
is a curious fact that Herodotus regarded the canal as completed,
for he says it was four days journey long and
wide enough to allow two triremes to pass in line.
It is further noteworthy that Cambises had already founded a
(20:29):
city named Cambis Sun after him, near the route of
the canal. Probably he had intended to undertake the work,
but had died before it was begun. The most important
act of his reign was that he erected Egypt, together
(20:50):
with Libya, Barcia, and Syrinae, into the sixth Satrope. This
satrope had to pay an annual tax of seven hundred
talents or eight hundred and twenty six thousand dollars. The
fisheries of Lake Moeris were declared to be the property
(21:13):
of the crown. The Egyptians had to furnish the Persian
garrison of the Citadel of Memphis one hundred and twenty
thousand bushels of grain annually. Further, they had to furnish
salt and nile water for the royal table. The income
(21:35):
of the city of Antilla was given the Queen of Persia,
according to some accounts, for her shoes, according to others,
for her belts, or as we would say, for pin money.
Late in this reign, four years after the Battle of Marathon,
(21:56):
the Egyptians made an effort to regain their independence. They
made a man named Chabash king, but before Darius could
march against the rebels, he died four eighty five b C.
In the thirty sixth year of his reign Xerxes Egyptian
(22:21):
Cheshiresh four eighty five through four seventy two b C.
When Xerxes came to the throne of Persia, Chabash had
firmly established himself in Egypt. He assumed the coronation name
of senentanin setep Ena and was exercising all the functions
(22:47):
of a legitimate pharaoh. In the second year of his reign,
he interred an APIs, probably the one that was enthroned
in the thirty first year of Darius. His reign, several temples,
among them that of Butto, were given large tracts of land.
(23:10):
The Egyptian king did not neglect to prepare to meet
an attack from Persia, which could be expected every day.
The mouths of the Nile were strongly fortified, and everything
was put in readiness to repel the expected attack. The
rebel king could not, however, hold out against Xerxes. The
(23:35):
country was again subdued, and Achimenes, the king's brother, was
appointed satrap with orders to institute a very strict regime.
Achimenes kept his position all his life, and it was
probably his harsh rule that led to the revolt of Inaros.
(23:58):
In the war with Greece, the Egyptians had to fit
out and man two hundred vessels, the crews of which
were afterward transferred to the land army and took part
in the Battle of Plateaea, Arta Xerxes Egyptian artak Sheeshas
(24:21):
and the Revolt of Enaros four sixty four through four
forty eight b C. After the assassination of Xerxes, the
country was for a while plunged into anarchy and divided
by wars for the succession, which were finally brought to
(24:43):
a close in four sixty four b C by the
accession of Artaxerxes. During these wars, the Persians lost control
over several provinces, among which was Egypt. As they had
taken advantage of the temporary weakness of the Persians after
(25:06):
their defeat at Marathon. The Egyptians now took advantage of
the anarchy existing in Persia to make another fight for liberty.
Syrinae had during the past reign gradually regained its independence,
and the Libyans seemed to have been left pretty much
(25:29):
to themselves since the revolt of Chabash. In fact, it
would seem that this rebel was a Libyan or of
Libyan descent. His name certainly is not Egyptian. At the
time Artaxerxes came to the throne, a sovereign named Inaros,
(25:50):
the son of Semtek, ruled over the Libyan tribes that
dwelt on the Egyptian border. This chief, to dermined to
free Egypt from the Persian yoke, and easily succeeded in
inciting the greater part of the country to revolt. The
people chose him king, drove out the Persian tax collectors,
(26:15):
and raised an army. The first object of the new
pharaoh was to secure allies against Persia. He easily succeeding
in getting aid from Syne. He next turned to Athens,
and the Athenians concluded a treaty with him and ordered
(26:35):
their fleet of two hundred sail which lay at Cyprus,
to proceed to Egypt. This fleet forced its way up
the Nile as far as Memphis, two thirds of which
city had already fallen into the hands of the Egyptians.
The citadel, however, was still held by the Persians, and
(26:59):
such a Egyptians as had remained loyal to Persia. The citadel,
the combined forces of the Egyptians and Greeks beleaguered, but
all attempts to reduce it failed. Meanwhile, art Xerxes, hearing
of the revolt, had confirmed his uncle Achamenes as satrap
(27:22):
of Egypt and sent him an army of three hundred
thousand men to put down the rebellion. This army entered
the Delta without encountering any opposition. At Paprimus, they were
met by the combined forces of the Egyptians and Athenians
(27:43):
and utterly routed. They fled from the field, and the Egyptians,
pursuing a terrible massacre, ensued. Only a mere fragment of
the vast army succeeded in getting safely behind them the
walls of Memphis four sixty two BC. Achimenes himself was
(28:08):
mortally wounded and died soon After the battle, his body
was sent to Artaxerxes. The Persian king now began intriguing
for the withdrawal of the Athenian troops, offering the Spartans
large subsidies if they would attack Athens. Failing in this,
(28:32):
he at last fitted out a new army and placed
it under command of Artabanos and Megabizos, two brave generals.
In four sixty one BC, this new army of three
hundred thousand men marched into Silesia. Here a halt was
(28:54):
made and the Silesians and Phoenicians were ordered to equip
a fleet three hundred triremes. Having been fitted out, they
were manned with the best troops in the army. The
land forces were put through a careful course of training. Meanwhile,
(29:15):
the war had come to a standstill in Egypt. The
combined forces of the Egyptians and Athenians still lay before
the citadel of Memphis, but could not compel its surrender.
At length, in four sixty BC, the Persian army began
(29:37):
to move, marching along the coast so as to keep
in constant communication with the fleet. The army at length
entered Egypt without having encountered any opposition. The allies seemed
to have been utterly blind to the threatening danger, deeming
(29:59):
it probable that the Persians should again attack them after
their terrible defeat at Papramus two years before. They were, however,
pretty rudely awakened when they suddenly found themselves face to
face with the Persian army. They accepted the proffered battle
(30:21):
and were utterly routed. Memphis was relieved, and the Athenians
withdrew with their ships to the island of Procipitis in
the Nile. A year and a half they held out
here until the Persians damned the Nile and thus beached
(30:42):
the Athenian ships. The Athenians, burning their vessels, entrenched themselves
and prepared to sell their lives dearly. But the object
of the Persians was not to destroy them, but to
render them useless as allies of Inaros, and to drive
(31:03):
them from Egypt. They therefore concluded a treaty with the Athenians,
guaranteeing them a safe retreat. In this manner, part of
the Athenian army succeeded in reaching Athens by way of
Libya and Syrenae. Inaros was not so fortunate, wounded and
(31:26):
captured in an engagement. He was sent to Persia, his
life being spared here. At the instigation of Queen Amestris,
who desired to avenge Achimenes, he was crucified and his
companions were beheaded. The war was not, however, ended, yet
(31:49):
the Athenians had sent a fleet of fifty sail to
reinforce their fleet. Before Memphis, it entered the Mendigian brandch
of the Nile, where it was surprised by the Phoenicians
and almost completely destroyed, only a few vessels escaping. For
(32:11):
several years, Amertaeus Egyptian Ahmenrut succeeded in holding his own
in the Delta. Like his friend and ally in Naros,
he sent to Athens for aid, and sixty ships were
ordered by Simon to proceed to Egypt from Cyprus. But
(32:33):
these vessels were of no avail, for they returned to
Athens on hearing of Simon's death four forty nine b C.
In four forty five b C, a certain Semtec Greek Semeticos,
seems to have held an independent position in Egypt, for
(32:56):
he sent thirty thousand bushels of grain to Athens after
the rebellion had been suppressed. Ardebanos and Megabisos returned home,
and Larcemes was appointed satrap. Thanairas, the son of Enaros,
(33:16):
and Pawsyris, the son of Amartaeus, were given their hereditary principalities,
the former probably Libya, and the latter the western part
of the Delta. How long these princes reigned and in
what relation they stood to Persia, we cannot say. Herodotus,
(33:41):
who visited Egypt shortly after the suppression of the revolt
of Enaros, found Egypt tranquil under Persian rule. There was
then no trace of an independent Egyptian kingdom, and the
only traces of the late troubles were the bleaching bones
(34:02):
on the old battlefields. Egypt was again prosperous and happy,
celebrating its old festivals in the old manner, a striking
proof of the elasticity of the people. The reigns of
Xerxes the Second, Sogdianus, and Darius the Second had but
(34:25):
little import for Egypt four forty eight through four fourteen
b C. Except that in the latter part of Darius's reign,
the Egyptians again revolted, and this time succeeded in gaining
their independence under the leadership of amen Rut Section two.
(34:51):
The twenty eighth dynasty four fourteen through four o eight
b C. Amenrut Greek Amarteus. Late in the year four
fifteen b C. Amenrut of Saus succeeded with the aid
(35:13):
of Greek mercenaries, in delivering Egypt from the Persian rule.
No details of this successful revolt are known, but it
would seem that it stood in some connection with the
revolt of Pyesuthnes in Lydia, which occurred at about the
same time, while that of Amorges in Karia four thirteen
(35:38):
to four twelve b C. Kept the Persian kings busy
at home, so that amen Rut was enabled to establish
himself firmly on the Egyptian throne. The whole of Egypt
soon came under his control, and it would even seem
that he was able to take the offensive against Persia.
(36:02):
A remark of Thucydides appears to point to the fact
that he was allied with Athens in four twelve and
four eleven b C. In four ten b C, according
to Diodorus, he together with the King of Arabia, threatened
(36:22):
the Phoenetian Sea board, and the Persian king sent a
fleet of three hundred sail against them. Despite these successes,
he could not hold himself on the throne, but was
deposed by the mercenaries. His son was excluded from the succession,
(36:44):
and naif akh Rut elevated to the throne four O
eight b C. Section three. The twenty ninth dynasty four
O eight through three eighty six b C. Naif akh
(37:05):
Rut the first Nepharides four O eight through four O
two b C. The first act of the new king
was to appoint his son nect hoor Heb nectanebus Co regent,
but this act did not please the people, and Prince
(37:28):
nect hor Heb was banished to his city, from which
he returned twenty one years later as king. All that
we know of this king is that an APIs Steer
was buried in the second year of his reign. Some
blocks bearing his name found at Thebes prove that he
(37:51):
built there passa mut Greek Samuthus four O two to
four O one b C. According to the Demodic Chronicles,
this pharaoh had not served the gods well and consequently
had not been generally recognized. This assertion is not well founded.
(38:16):
As the inscriptions prove. Numerous blocks of stone bearing his
name ra Oesser Settep and ra Passamut, found at Thebes
prove that he built at the temple of Ammun. Hacre
(38:36):
Greek a Chorus four hundred through three eighty six b c.
Ruled thirteen years. He had been, like his predecessor, placed
on the throne by the mercenaries, and as he was
just and looked after the decaying temples, he was retained
(38:58):
as king. As long as he lived. He was busy
repairing temples in all parts of Egypt. Diodorus relates that
Hacer became involved in the wars between Greece and Persia.
At this time, Sparta was at war with the common enemy,
(39:20):
and Agasilaeus sent envoys to Egypt asking for aid. Hacer
sent him timber for one hundred triremes and five hundred
thousand bushels of grain. These stores were forwarded to Rhodos,
which city had meanwhile deserted Sparta and joined Persia, so
(39:45):
that the present intended for that state came to be
used against it. We hear also through Theopompus of a
treaty of alliance which this kinge concluded with the Pisidian.
But we know not what came of this alliance. Possibly
(40:06):
it stood in some connection with a war between Egypt
and Persia that lasted from three ninety through three eighty
seven b C, and in which Isocrates says the three
greatest Persian generals, Abrocomas, Tethranes, and Pharnambasos, had fought against
(40:29):
Egypt for three years without accomplishing anything, just before the
beginning of the Cypriote War. This war broke out in
three eighty six b C. King Euagorus of Cyprus revolting
against Persia and calling on Hacre for aid. The Pharaoh
(40:51):
sent him troops, but before the war was well begun
he died three eighty six b C. Naif Akrut, the
second Greek Nepherites three eighty six b C, the son
of Hacer, succeeded his father on the throne with the
(41:14):
aid of the troops, but the people did not support him,
and consequently the soldiers deserted him and killed his son.
They hereupon restored the right, that is, they placed on
the throne nect Hoorheb, the son of naif Akrut, the first,
(41:36):
who had been banished and deprived of his right to
the succession, and Chapter one, Part one
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