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Twenty-seventh Dynasty of Egypt facts for kids

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Twenty-seventh Dynasty of Egypt
𐎸𐎭𐎠𐎹
Mudrāya  (Old Persian)
Province of the Achaemenid Empire
525 BC–404 BC
Flag of Twenty-seventh Dynasty of Egypt
Standard of Cyrus the Great
Western part of the Achaemenid Empire.jpg
Western part of the Achaemenid Empire, with the territories of Egypt.
Government
Pharaoh  
• 525–522 BC
Cambyses II (first)
• 423–404 BC
Darius II (last)
Historical era Achaemenid era
• Battle of Pelusium
525 BC
• Rebellion of Amyrtaeus
404 BC
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt
Twenty-eighth Dynasty of Egypt
Inarus and possible Greek generals as prisonners, seized by Artaxerxes I
This ancient seal shows a Persian king. He is holding a spear towards an Egyptian pharaoh. Four captives are tied on a rope, showing his power.

The Twenty-seventh Dynasty of Egypt (also called Dynasty XXVII or 27th Dynasty) was a time when Egypt was part of the Achaemenid Empire. This empire was a huge Persian kingdom. This period lasted from 525 BC to 404 BC.

It began when Cambyses II, the King of Persia, conquered Egypt. He won the Battle of Pelusium (525 BC) and then became the Pharaoh of Egypt. This rule ended when an Egyptian named Amyrtaeus led a rebellion and became pharaoh himself. Later, Persia ruled Egypt again for a short time under the Thirty-first Dynasty of Egypt.

A New Chapter: Persian Rule in Egypt

The last pharaoh of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt was Psamtik III. He was defeated by Cambyses II in May 525 BC. This battle happened near the Nile delta. Soon after, Cambyses became the pharaoh of Egypt. This marked the start of the 27th Dynasty.

Egypt then became a "satrapy" of the Achaemenid Empire. A satrapy was like a province, ruled by a governor called a "satrap." Egypt joined with Cyprus and Phoenicia to form the sixth satrapy. Aryandes was the first satrap in Egypt.

Cambyses II: Changes and Challenges

As pharaoh, Cambyses II made big changes. He reduced the money and resources given to many Egyptian temples. A special document, written in demotic script (an ancient Egyptian writing style), ordered these cuts. Only a few important temples, like those in Memphis and Heliopolis, kept their resources.

Cambyses left Egypt in 522 BC and died on his way back to Persia. His younger brother, Bardiya, was supposed to take over. However, many historians believe Bardiya was actually an impostor named Gaumata. They think the real Bardiya had been killed by Cambyses earlier.

Darius I: Rebellions and Reforms

Darius I suspected the impostor. He led a takeover in September 522 BC. He became the new King of Persia and Pharaoh of Egypt. Darius spent much of his time putting down revolts across his vast empire.

Around 522 BC or 521 BC, an Egyptian prince named Petubastis III led a rebellion. He declared himself pharaoh. The Greek historian Polyaenus said this revolt was because of high taxes. Polyaenus also wrote that Darius himself came to Egypt. He arrived during a time of sadness for the death of a sacred bull, the Herald of Ptah. Darius offered a large reward to anyone who could find the next sacred bull. This impressed the Egyptians, and they joined his side, ending the rebellion.

Darius I showed more interest in Egypt than Cambyses. He helped write down Egypt's laws. He also finished a canal system at Suez. This canal connected the Bitter Lakes to the Red Sea. It made travel much easier than crossing the desert. This allowed Darius to bring skilled Egyptian workers to build his palaces in Persia. This led to a "brain drain" in Egypt, meaning many talented people left. This caused a drop in the quality of Egyptian art and buildings during this time.

However, Darius was more supportive of Egyptian temples than Cambyses. He gained a reputation for respecting different religions. In 497 BC, Darius visited Egypt. He had the satrap Aryandes executed for treason. Aryandes had tried to make his own coins, which was seen as an attempt to separate Egypt from the Persian Empire. Darius died in 486 BC, and his son Xerxes I became the next ruler.

Xerxes I: Tighter Control

When Xerxes I became king, Egypt rebelled again. This time, it might have been led by Psamtik IV. Xerxes quickly stopped the rebellion. He put his brother Achaemenes in charge as satrap.

Xerxes ended the special status Egypt had under Darius. He demanded more supplies from Egypt, likely to pay for his invasion of Greece. Xerxes also promoted the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda over Egyptian gods. He stopped funding Egyptian monuments. Xerxes was killed in 465 BC. This led to a power struggle, and Artaxerxes I became the next King and Pharaoh.

Artaxerxes I: Major Revolts

In 460 BC, another big Egyptian rebellion started. It was led by a Libyan chief named Inaros II. The Athenians from Greece helped him. Inaros defeated a Persian army and killed the satrap Achaemenes. He took control of Memphis and much of Egypt.

Inaros and his Athenian allies were finally defeated by a Persian general named Megabyzus in 454 BC. Megabyzus promised Inaros safety if he surrendered. Inaros agreed, but Artaxerxes later had him executed. Artaxerxes died in 424 BC.

The End of the 27th Dynasty

Artaxerxes' successor, Xerxes II, ruled for only 45 days before being killed by his brother Sogdianus. Sogdianus was then killed by his brother Ochus, who became Darius II.

Darius II ruled from 423 BC to 404 BC. Towards the end of his reign, a rebellion led by Amyrtaeus began. In 405 BC, Amyrtaeus, with the help of soldiers from Crete, drove the Persians out of Memphis. He declared himself pharaoh the next year, ending the 27th Dynasty.

Darius II's successor, Artaxerxes II, tried to take Egypt back. But problems with his brother Cyrus the Younger stopped him. Even though Artaxerxes II was still seen as the rightful pharaoh in some parts of Egypt until 401 BC, his slow response allowed Egypt to become truly independent.

After this, three Egyptian dynasties ruled independently: the 28th, 29th, and 30th Dynasty. Later, Artaxerxes III briefly reconquered Egypt in 343 BC. This short period is known as the 31st Dynasty.

Historians used to think Persian rule in Egypt was weak or harsh. But new studies suggest that the Persian influence was important. Egyptians had many different experiences during this time.

Leaders of the 27th Dynasty

The pharaohs of the 27th Dynasty ruled for about 121 years. This was from 525 BC to 404 BC. The rulers with a violet background were native Egyptian pharaohs who rebelled against the Persian rule.

Name of pharaoh Image Reign Throne name Important Notes
Cambyses II Stela Cambyses Apis closeup.jpg 525–522 BC Mesutire Defeated Psamtik III at the Battle of Pelusium.
Bardiya/ Gaumata Gaumata portrait on the Behistun inscription.jpg 522 BC Possibly an impostor who pretended to be Bardiya.
Petubastis III Ignota prov., pannello decorativo del re sehibra, xxiii dinastia, 823-716 ac..JPG 522/521–520 BC Seheruibre Led a rebellion against the Persian pharaohs.
Darius I the Great Flickr - isawnyu - Hibis, Temple Decorations (III).jpg 522–486 BC Seteture
Psamtik IV 480s BC Thought to be a rebel against the Persian pharaohs.
Xerxes I the Great Xerxes Image.png 486–465 BC
Artabanus 465–464 BC Killed Xerxes I, but was later killed by Artaxerxes I.
Artaxerxes I Cartouche Artaxerxes I Lepsius.jpg 465–424 BC
Xerxes II 425–424 BC Claimed the throne for a very short time.
Sogdianus 424–423 BC Also claimed the throne briefly.
Darius II Darius ii.png 423–404 BC The last pharaoh of the 27th Dynasty.

Timeline of Persian Pharaohs

Darius II Sogdianus Xerxes II Artaxerxes I Xerxes I Darius I Bardiya Cambyses II

Important Satraps of Egypt

Satraps were the governors of the Persian provinces. Here are some of the key satraps who ruled Egypt during the 27th Dynasty:

Name of Satrap Time in Rule Ruling Persian Monarch Notes
Aryandes 525–522 BC; 518–c.496 BC Cambyses II, Darius I He was removed from power after a revolt, then put back in charge. Later, Darius I removed him again.
Pherendates c.496–c.486 BC Darius I He might have been killed during a revolt.
Achaemenes c.486–459 BC Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I He was the brother of Xerxes I. He was later killed by the rebel leader Inaros II.
Arsames c.454–c.406 BC Artaxerxes I, Xerxes II, Artaxerxes II He was the longest-serving satrap of Egypt.

Historical Records

Historians learn about this period from several ancient writers:

See Also

  • Thirty-first Dynasty of Egypt (343 BC–332 BC) — This was the second time Persia ruled Egypt.

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