525–522 BCE
27th Dynasty of Egypt (Persian)
525–404 BCE
The 27th Dynasty, or First Persian Period, was the rule of Achaemenid kings over Egypt as a satrapy of their empire. Cambyses II conquered the country, Darius I built canals and temples such as Hibis in the Kharga Oasis, and his successors were shown as pharaohs on Egyptian monuments.
The label is a later, Manethonian one for imperial rule rather than a native family line. Revolts eventually removed the Persians around 404 BCE.
- Period
- Late Period
- Dates
- 525–404 BCE
- Rulers profiled
- 6
Rulers of the 27th Dynasty (Persian)
Best-known rulers: Cambyses II; Darius I; Xerxes I; Artaxerxes I; Darius II. Every ruler profile in the archive for this dynasty, in the order used by the chronology. Each name links to a full profile with dates, background, sources and illustrations.
522–486 BCE
486–465 BCE
465–424 BCE
424–405 BCE
405–359 BCE
Major monuments
- Darius I’s Egyptian inscriptions
- Hibis Temple
- canal inscriptions
Key events
- Persian conquest
- revolts
- imperial administration linking Egypt with the Achaemenid world.
Reading the evidence
‘Dynasty 27’ is a Manethonian label for Persian imperial rule, not a native Egyptian family line.
Sources: Shaw (2000); Metropolitan Museum; British Museum. See the full bibliography.