Late Period
Psamtik I (Wahibre)
26th Dynasty (Saite) · 664-525 BCE
Reign begins664 BCE
Reign ends610 BCE
Dynasty span664-525 BCE
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Reclaiming independence
Psamtik I founded the 26th Dynasty by gradually breaking away from Assyrian overlords to unify Egypt. Initially ruling the western and central delta as an Assyrian vassal, he leveraged shifting political dynamics and an alliance with Lydia to consolidate his power. He successfully negotiated a peaceful transition in Upper and Lower Egypt by installing his daughter Nitocris as the God's Wife of Amun in Thebes, securing the religious establishment and ending the lingering influence of the 25th Dynasty.