Cambyses II facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cambyses II 𐎣𐎲𐎢𐎪𐎡𐎹
King of Kings Great King King of Persia King of Babylon Pharaoh of Egypt King of Countries
Cambyses (left, kneeling) as pharaoh while worshipping an Apis bull (524 BC)
King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire
Reign	530 – July 522 BC
Predecessor	Cyrus the Great
Successor	Bardiya
Co-ruler	Cyrus the Great (530 BC)
Pharaoh of Egypt
Reign	525 – July 522 BC
Predecessor	Psamtik III
Successor	Bardiya Royal titulary
Died	July 522 BC Agbatana, Eber-Nari
Consort	See below
Dynasty	Achaemenid
Father	Cyrus the Great
Mother	Cassandane
Religion	Indo-Iranian religion (possibly Zoroastrianism)

Cambyses II was the second King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire. He ruled from 530 to 522 BC. He was the son of Cyrus the Great, who founded the huge Achaemenid Empire. His mother was Cassandane.

Before becoming king, Cambyses was a governor in northern Babylonia for a short time in 538 BC. He lived in the cities of Babylon and Sippar. His father, Cyrus, later made him a co-ruler in 530 BC. Cyrus then went on a journey to Central Asia and died there. This made Cambyses the sole ruler of the vast Achaemenid Empire.

Cambyses' time as king was not very long, but it was important because he conquered new lands in North Africa. He is most famous for conquering Egypt in 525 BC. He defeated the Egyptian pharaoh Psamtik III at the Battle of Pelusium. After taking control of Egypt, he also expanded the empire into Cyrenaica. In 522 BC, Cambyses quickly left Egypt to deal with a rebellion in Persia.

While traveling through Syria, he got a wound on his leg. This wound became infected, and Cambyses died three weeks later in a place called Agbatana, which is likely the modern city of Hama. He had no children, so his younger brother Bardiya became king. Bardiya ruled for a short time before Darius the Great took over. Darius then made the Achaemenid Empire even stronger.

Who Was Cambyses II?

Cambyses II was a powerful ancient Persian king. He was the second ruler of the Achaemenid Empire, which was one of the largest empires in the ancient world. His main goal was to expand and secure the empire his father, Cyrus the Great, had built.

What Does His Name Mean?

The name "Cambyses" (in Old Persian, Kaᵐbūjiya) has a debated origin. Some experts think it comes from the Elamite language. Others believe it is linked to the Kambojas, an Iranian group who lived in northwestern India. His name was known in other languages too, like Elamite Kanbuziya and Akkadian Kambuziya.

His Family and Background

Cambyses was the oldest son of Cyrus the Great and Cassandane. He had a younger brother named Bardiya and three sisters: Artystone, Atossa, and Roxanne. His grandfather was also named Cambyses, who was a king of Persis from 600 to 559 BC.

His family came from a long line of Persian tribal leaders. Starting with Cyrus the Great, they expanded their power. They conquered the Median Empire, the Neo-Babylonian Empire, Lydia, and parts of Central Asia. This is how they created the huge Achaemenid Empire.

Cambyses' Early Life

Overview of the ruins of Babylon

In 538 BC, Cambyses' father, Cyrus, made him governor of northern Babylonia. This area included the famous city of Babylon. Before this, Cambyses took part in a special ceremony during the New Year festival. He received a royal scepter, which was a symbol of power.

However, his time as governor lasted only nine months. Cyrus removed him from the position for reasons we don't know. After this, Cambyses mostly lived in the Babylonian cities of Babylon and Sippar.

Later, Cyrus made Cambyses a co-ruler. This meant they ruled together. Both Cambyses and Cyrus used the title "King of Babylon, King of the Lands." Cyrus's younger son, Bardiya, was given his own area in Central Asia that did not have to pay taxes. Cambyses was part of his father's journey against the Massagetae. But because he was the heir to the throne, he was sent back to Persia before Cyrus died. Cambyses brought his father's body back to Pasargadae in Persis, where he was buried in a tomb.

Military Adventures

Planning to Conquer Egypt

Evolution of the Achaemenid Empire.

Cambyses became king of the Achaemenid Empire without any problems. His empire was very large but still quite new. Cambyses wanted to keep control over the lands his father had conquered. He also wanted to expand the empire by conquering Egypt, which was the last major power in the Near East.

Historians believe that conquering Egypt was a plan started by his father, Cyrus. They wanted to connect Babylonia with the lands across the Euphrates River, which meant they needed to control the area between the Euphrates and Nile rivers. This would naturally lead to conflict with Egypt, which also had interests in that region.

At the time, Amasis II was the pharaoh of Egypt. He had an ally named Polycrates, a Greek ruler, who was causing trouble for the Achaemenids. However, Polycrates later switched sides and joined Cambyses. Another former ally of Amasis II, a military leader named Phanes of Halicarnassus, also joined Cambyses. Before invading Egypt, Cambyses took control of Cyprus from Amasis II. This was a big loss for the Egyptian pharaoh.

Conquering Egypt and Nearby Lands

An old drawing showing Cambyses II meeting Psamtik III.

By 526 BC, Amasis II had died, and his son Psamtik III became the new pharaoh. This made Egypt weaker. Meanwhile, Cambyses had prepared his army well. He built the first Persian navy, using ships and sailors from Phoenicia and Asia Minor.

On his way to Egypt, Cambyses made a deal with the Arabs. They controlled the desert between Gaza and Egypt. This deal gave Cambyses' army enough water to cross the desert and reach the Nile. This also helped Cambyses take control of other lands between Egypt and Persia, including Gaza, an important trading city. Gaza became the main base for the Persian army's invasion of Egypt.

In 525 BC, Cambyses finally invaded Egypt. In the spring, the Persian and Egyptian armies fought at Pelusium. The Persians won this battle. One story says that Cambyses won by putting animals like cats, sheep, and dogs in front of his army. Egyptians thought these animals were sacred. The Egyptians stopped using their war machines because they were afraid of hurting the animals and making their gods angry.

Cambyses' forces then surrounded Memphis, where Psamtik III and his soldiers were hiding. Even though the pharaoh's forces fought hard, Cambyses captured Memphis. He set up a Persian-Egyptian army base there. By summer, all of Egypt was under Persian control. Cambyses then wanted to control the lands to the west (Libya and Cyrenaica) and south (Nubia).

More Conquests

The people of Libya, and later the Greeks in Cyrene and Barca, accepted Cambyses' rule. They sent gifts to show they were loyal. Cambyses was generous and sent Amasis II's Greek widow, Ladice, back to Cyrene.

Cambyses had planned to attack the Phoenician city of Carthage. However, his Phoenician soldiers did not want to fight against their own people, so the plan was canceled. In the south, Cambyses followed the same policy as the previous pharaohs to keep the Kingdom of Kush in check. He set up an army base at Elephantine.

Some ancient stories say that Cambyses' journeys against Ammon in the Siwa Oasis and Ethiopia ended very badly. These stories often say Cambyses was "mad" and didn't plan well. However, some modern historians think these stories might not be fully true. They believe there was a bias against Cambyses. It's more likely that the challenges of these journeys made Cambyses decide to turn back. There is some archaeological evidence that the Achaemenids did use a stronghold in the south of Egypt during their rule.

How Cambyses Ruled Egypt

Statue of an Apis.

Cambyses followed Egyptian royal traditions. He took titles like "king of Upper and Lower Egypt" and "descendant of Ra, Horus, Osiris." These were the same titles used by earlier Egyptian pharaohs. Cambyses used this to show that his conquest of Egypt was rightful. He even claimed to be of Egyptian descent, saying he was the son of a princess named Nitetis.

At Sais, Cambyses was crowned in the temple of the goddess Neith. He performed religious rituals and offered sacrifices to the Egyptian gods.

Some ancient historians wrote that Cambyses was cruel in Egypt. They said he looted temples, made fun of local gods, and damaged royal tombs. One famous story says Cambyses killed the Egyptian sacred bull Apis. However, Egyptian records from that time do not mention any temple looting. Also, Cambyses is said to have ordered the burial of an Apis bull in a special sarcophagus. The next Apis bull died four years after Cambyses had already passed away.

This suggests that the story of Cambyses killing the Apis bull is not true. Instead, Cambyses likely took part in the ceremonies for the Apis bull. Other sources also show that Cambyses treated Egyptian culture and religion with care.

According to an Egyptian text, Cambyses reduced the large amounts of money that Egyptian temples received from the pharaohs. Only the three most important temples were allowed to keep all their wealth. Because of this, some Egyptian priests who lost money spread false stories about Cambyses. The issue of temple wealth was not new; earlier pharaohs had also tried to reduce the temples' economic power. Like Cyrus in Babylon, Cambyses allowed the Egyptian nobles to keep their local power.

How the Empire Was Run

An coin from Sardis, possibly made during Cambyses II's rule.

During the reigns of Cyrus and Cambyses, there was a system for collecting money, but it wasn't a strict tax system like we have today. People either gave gifts to the king or paid taxes.

The governors, called satraps, who ruled different parts of the empire under Cambyses were all Persian. For example, Aryandes was the satrap in Egypt. Many senior officials and officers who went with Cambyses to Egypt were also Persian. Some were even relatives of the king, like his cousin Darius, who held important jobs under both Cyrus and Cambyses. Darius's father, Hystaspes, was a governor in another region. Important roles close to the king were also held by Persians, such as Prexaspes, who carried messages for Cambyses.

What Was Cambyses Like?

Some ancient writers, like Herodotus, described Cambyses as a "despot" (a ruler with total power) and said he was "half-mad, cruel, and rude." However, this might have been part of later propaganda from Persia and Egypt that was against Cambyses. It's possible that the Persian nobles didn't like him because he wanted to have all the power himself.

Death and Who Ruled Next

In the spring of 522 BC, Cambyses quickly left Egypt because there was a rebellion in Persia. Before he left, he made Egypt a satrapy (a province) and put the Persian Aryandes in charge as governor.

Cambyses died shortly after, and the exact reasons are debated. Most stories say that while he was traveling through Syria, he got a wound on his leg. This wound became infected, and Cambyses died three weeks later in July. The place was called Agbatana, which is probably the modern city of Hama.

Cambyses died without any children. So, his younger brother Bardiya became the next king.

According to Darius, who was a high-ranking officer under Cambyses, Bardiya decided he couldn't be King of Kings and died by his own hand. Other ancient historians, like Herodotus, say his death was an accident. One story says Cambyses accidentally stabbed himself in the leg with his sword. Another says that while getting on his horse, his sword broke and pierced his thigh. Some modern historians wonder if Cambyses was actually killed, perhaps by Darius, who later became king himself, or by supporters of Bardiya.

Cambyses was buried in Neyriz in southeastern Persis. Even after his death, special offerings were made in his name. When Cambyses died, the Achaemenid Empire was very strong. It stretched from Cyrenaica in the west to the Hindu Kush mountains in the east, and from the Syr Darya river to the Persian Gulf.

See also

In Spanish: Cambises II para niños

• Cambysene
• Cambyses Romance

Sources

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• Brosius, Maria (2000). "Women i. In Pre-Islamic Persia". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol.  
• Dandamayev, Muhammad A. (2000). "Achaemenid taxation". Encyclopaedia Iranica.  
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