Cambyses II, son of Cyrus the Great, was king of the Persian Achaemenid Empire from 530 to 522 BC. He is best known for his conquest of Egypt and the incorporation of that country into the Persian Empire.
Historical context
Cambyses II inherited a growing empire, founded by his father Cyrus the Great. The Persian Empire then stretched from Asia Minor to the Indus and encompassed various cultures and peoples. Egypt, then ruled by XNUMXth dynasty, represented a strategic and economic target for the expansion of the Persian Empire.
The conquest of Egypt
In 525 BC. BC, Cambyses II launched a military campaign against Egypt. He took advantage of internal tensions in Egypt and the weakening of its last pharaoh, Psammetich III, to lead a rapid invasion. After the Battle of Pelusium, Persian forces captured Memphis, the Egyptian capital, and captured Psammetich III.
Governance of Egypt
After the conquest, Cambyses II proclaimed himself pharaoh of Egypt, adopting Egyptian customs and royal titles. He strove to maintain order and govern Egypt by respecting its traditions and institutions, although some ancient accounts describe tyrannical and disrespectful behavior towards Egyptian beliefs.
Revolts and internal problems
The reign of Cambyses II was marked by several revolts and internal problems. In Egypt, local uprisings were quickly suppressed, while in Persia, unrest broke out following the suspicious death of his brother Bardiya (or Smerdis). These events ended up weakening the authority of Cambyses II and setting the stage for the revolt that would lead to his downfall.
End of reign and legacy
In 522 BC. BC, Cambyses II learned that a usurper named Gaumata, claiming to be his brother Bardiya, had seized power in Persia. On his way back to reclaim the throne, Cambyses II died under mysterious circumstances, possibly from accidental injury or suicide. The usurper was overthrown soon after by Darius I, who consolidated power and expanded the Persian Empire.
📋 LIST OF EGYPTIAN SOVEREIGNS 📋
Hotepsekhemwey / Sneferka / Nebra / ninetjer / Senedj / Noubnefer / Horus Ba / Peribsen / Sekhemib / Khasekhemwy / Neferkasokar / | |||
Djoser / Sanakht / Sekhemkhet / Spoon / Huni | |||
Sekhemre-Khutaouy Amenemhat-/Sobekhotep I/Sekhemkare Amenemhat-Senbef/Sekhemkare Amenemhat V/Ameny-Qemaou/Hotepibre Qémaou-Sa-Hornejhéritef/Ioufeni/Séânkhibrê Amény-Antef-Amenemhat (or Amenemhat VI)/Semenkarê Nebnoun/Sehotepibrê Sousekhtaouy | |||
Sekhaenre Yakbim/Nebuuserre Yaammou/Khauserre Qareh | |||
Semqen/Aper-Anat/Sakir-Har/Khyan/Apophis I/Apophis II?/Khamoudy | |||
/Sekhemre-Sementaouy Djehouty/Sekhemre-Sousertaouy Sobekhotep VIII | |||
Twenty-first dynasty | |||
Twenty-second dynasty | |||
Twenty-third dynasty | |||
Twenty-fourth dynasty | |||
1st Persian Dynasty | |||
Thirty-first dynasty (Achaemenid) | 2nd Persian Dynasty | ||