Late Period
Artaxerxes I
27th Dynasty (First Persian Period) · 525-404 BCE
Open full-size illustration →Source: Shaw, Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000)
Background
Artaxerxes I's forces eventually crushed Egypt's Athenian-backed revolt after a grueling, years-long siege, but the aftermath turned into a personal drama at the Persian court when a broken promise of clemency collided with a grieving queen mother's demand for revenge. Background from: UCL Digital Egypt.
Reign dates: Shaw, Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000)
Full profile
Unrest and rebellion
Artaxerxes I's long reign over the Persian Empire was tested in Egypt by a major native revolt led by Inaros II, a Libyan chieftain, around 460–454 BCE. Backed heavily by the Athenian navy, the rebels succeeded in seizing control of much of the country and trapping the Persian garrison in Memphis. Artaxerxes eventually dispatched a massive army under his general Megabyzus, which crushed the rebellion, expelled the Athenians, and restored Persian rule.
A broken promise and a queen's revenge
The revolt's final phase turned into an 18-month siege of the rebels' last stronghold on the Nile island of Prosopitis, which Megabyzus finally broke by diverting the river's channels around the island so his troops could march across the exposed riverbed and strand the beached Athenian ships. Megabyzus personally promised Inaros and his Greek allies safe passage to the Persian capital, Susa, in exchange for surrender. Artaxerxes initially honored that promise despite pressure from his mother, Amestris, who wanted Inaros executed for the death of her son, the satrap Achaemenes, killed earlier in the fighting. After years of her persistent demands, Artaxerxes eventually handed Inaros and fifty of his Greek companions over to her, and ancient sources record that Inaros was put to death by crucifixion or impalement.
Sources for this profile
- Shaw, I. (Ed.). (2000). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press.
- Dodson, A., & Hilton, D. (2004). The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson.
- Leprohon, R. J. (2013). The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary. Society of Biblical Literature.
- UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology. Chronology. UCLA.
- University College London. Digital Egypt for Universities.
The complete, APA-formatted reference list is on the Academic Sources & Bibliography page.