Necho I facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Necho I |
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Horus statuette bearing the cartouches of Necho I. London, Petrie Museum.
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| Pharaoh | |
| Reign | 672–BC/BCE (26th Dynasty) |
| Predecessor | Nekauba or Tefnakht II |
| Successor | Psamtik I |
| Consort | Istemabet |
| Children | Psamtik I, possibly Ta-khered-en-ta-ihet-[weret] and Meresamun |
| Father | Tefnakht II |
| Died | BC/BCE |
Menkheperre Necho I (also known as Nekau) was an important ruler of the ancient Egyptian city of Sais. He was the first king of the 26th Dynasty of Egypt whose rule is clearly proven by history. Necho I ruled for about 8 years, from 672 BC to 664 BC. He died near Memphis. His son, Psamtik I, later brought all of Egypt back together under one rule.
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The Rule of Necho I
In 672 BC, Necho became the ruler of Sais. He took on the titles of a pharaoh. Just one year later, the powerful Assyrians, led by King Esarhaddon, invaded Egypt.
Necho became a vassal of Esarhaddon. This means he agreed to serve the Assyrian king. In return, Esarhaddon confirmed Necho's position and gave him more land. This new land might have included the important city of Memphis.
Conflicts and Loyalty
In 669 BC, King Taharqa of the 25th Dynasty moved north. He wanted to take back control of the Nile Delta region from the Assyrians. Esarhaddon prepared to fight Taharqa, but he died suddenly.
After Esarhaddon's death, his son Ashurbanipal became the new Assyrian king. Ashurbanipal continued his father's plan. In 667–666 BC, the Assyrians defeated Taharqa. They pushed him back to Thebes.
However, Ashurbanipal discovered that Taharqa and some Egyptian rulers were secretly planning against him. Necho I was one of these rulers. The Assyrian king captured the plotters. He punished some of their cities and sent the captured leaders to Nineveh.
Necho's Return to Power
Surprisingly, King Ashurbanipal pardoned Necho. He sent Necho back to Sais. Necho got back his old lands and even more new territories as a gift. His son, Psamtik, was made the mayor of Athribis.
Historians believe Ashurbanipal hoped Necho would be a loyal ally. This was important in case the 25th Dynasty pharaohs attacked again. Ashurbanipal might have wanted to create a rivalry between the Egyptian families.
Sadly, Necho I was killed in 664 BC near Memphis. He was defending his lands from a new attack by Tantamani, Taharqa's successor. Psamtik, Necho's son, fled to Nineveh for safety with Ashurbanipal. The Assyrians then drove out the Nubian invaders. They even marched south and famously attacked Thebes.
After the Nile Delta was safe again, Psamtik I was given his father's titles and lands. Later, he successfully united all of Egypt under his own rule.
Necho I's Family
Historians have studied ancient texts to learn about Necho I's family.
The Egyptologist Kim Ryholt suggests that Necho I was the son of a king named Tefnakht II. Ryholt also questions if a king named Nekauba truly existed before Necho I. He thinks some old records about Nekauba might actually refer to Necho II, a later king. This would mean Necho I directly followed Tefnakht II.
French historian Christian Settipani believes Necho I married a woman named Istemabet. They were the parents of Psamtik I.
British Egyptologist Kenneth Kitchen thinks that Princess Ta-khered-en-ta-ihet-[weret] might have been Necho's daughter. She may have been given in a politically arranged marriage to Pediese, the local ruler of Herakleopolis.
A lost stone carving from Luxor showed a singer of the god Amun named Meresamun. She was called "royal daughter of the lord of the Two lands, Nec[...]". Her name was written in a royal cartouche. It seems likely that Meresamun's father was Necho I. He probably sent his daughter to Karnak to begin Saite influence in Thebes.
Evidence of Necho I
Most of what we know about Necho I comes from Assyrian writings. However, a few Egyptian objects also mention him.
- A small statue of the god Horus made of glazed pottery has Necho's royal names on it. It also mentions the goddess Neith of Sais. This statue is now at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology.
- The stone carving of Meresamun, mentioned earlier, was once photographed in Luxor.
- A bronze kneeling statue of a king named Necho is in the Brooklyn Museum. It is hard to tell if this statue shows Necho I or the later king Necho II.
- Necho I is also mentioned in several ancient Egyptian stories written in a script called Demotic.
- A stone tablet from Necho I's second year of rule was found. It records a large gift of land to the gods Osiris, Isis, and Horus in a place called Per-Hebyt.
