Late Period
Nepherites II
29th Dynasty (Mendesian) · 399-380 BCE
Open full-size illustration →Source: Shaw, Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000)
Background
Nepherites II is one of the shortest-reigning kings on this list: he held the throne for only about four months in 380 BCE before being overthrown, and likely killed, by the general who would go on to found the 30th Dynasty as Nectanebo I. Little else about him is recorded. Further reading: UCL Digital Egypt.
Chronological source: Shaw, Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000)
Full profile
A fleeting reign
Nepherites II succeeded his father Hakor as the final ruler of the 29th Dynasty. His time on the throne was extremely brief, lasting only a few months. Domestic factionalism and internal military ambition severely compromised his position, culminating in his overthrow by a rival general from Sebennytos who established the subsequent dynasty.
A reign dated by a single inscription
Most of what is known about the end of Nepherites II's reign comes from a stele found at Hermopolis, which records his overthrow by Nakhtnebef, a general from Sebennytos who took the throne as Nectanebo I. Modern reconstructions place the takeover between June and September 380 BCE, and ancient tradition suggests Nepherites II was killed rather than simply deposed. Nectanebo did not hold a full coronation right away, waiting until around 379-378 BCE to be crowned at both Sais and Memphis, and he shifted the dynastic capital from Mendes, the power base of Nepherites II's family, to his own city of Sebennytos, marking a clean break from the fallen 29th Dynasty.
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.