Psammetichus II
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| Psammetichus II | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Psamtik II | |||
 |
|||
| Fragmentary statue head of Psamtik. | |||
| Pharaoh of Egypt | |||
| Reign | 595–589 BC, 26th dynasty | ||
| Predecessor | Necho II | ||
| Successor | Apries | ||
| Died | 589 BC | ||
Psammetichus II (also spelled Psammeticus or Psamtik) was a king of the Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt (595 BC-589 BC). His prenomen, Neferibre, means "Beautiful is the Heart of Re." (Clayton: p.195) He was the son of Necho II.
[edit] Campaigns and battles
Psammetichus marched into the Kingdom of Judah, Philistia, and Phoenicia in about 592 BC in response to moves made by Babylon, and attempted to generate anti-Babylonian sentiment among their leaders.
We also know that Psammetichus II led a foray into Nubia in 592, marching as far south as the Third or even the Fourth Cataract. A well known graffito inscribed in Greek on the left leg of the colossal seated statue of Ramesses II, on the south side of the entrance to the temple of Abu Simbel, records that:
| “ | "When King Psammetichus came to Elephantine, this was written by those who sailed with Psammetichus the son of Theocles, and they came beyond Kerkis as far as the river permits. Those who spoke foreign tongues (Greek and Carians who also scratched their names on the monument) were led by Potasimto, the Egyptians by Amasis. | ” |
The military leaders mentioned in this reference are also known to us from other sources. This was the first confrontation between Egypt and Nubia since the time of Tantamani. A Kushite king named Anlamani had revived the kingdom of Napata, and according to Egyptian records, the campaign during Psammetichus II's reign was made in order to put down a Nubian rebellion, though in fact it may have been due as much to the foreign aspirations of the Pharaoh as much as any Kushite attempt to reconquer Egypt.
The Egyptian army seems to have advanced to Pnubs and according to Reisner, perhaps Napata, where they looted the temples and destroyed the royal Kushite statues. As a result, Kush's power was crushed, and their kings had no real possibility of ever regaining control of Egypt. In fact, they seem to have been pushed to remove their capital further south. Curiously, however, Psammetichus II does not appear to have capitalized much on his victory. His troops retreated back to the First Cataract, and Elephantine continued to be the southern border of Egypt.
One outcome of this campaign was the deliberate slighting of monument, not only of the 25th Dynasty Kushite kings, but unexplainably, also of Psammetichus II's father, Necho.
[edit] Legacy
His son Apries by Queen Takhuit or Takhut, a Princess of Athribis, succeeded him. They were also the parents of Menekhubaste, a Priestess of Atum at Heliopolis, and Ankhenesneferibre, a God's Wife of Amun who died after 525 BC.
| Preceded by Necho II |
Pharaoh of Egypt 595 – 589 BC Twenty-sixth Dynasty |
Succeeded by Apries |
[edit] References
- Peter Clayton, Chronicle of the Pharaohs, Thames and Hudson, 1994.
- Nos ancêtres de l'Antiquité, 1991, Christian Settipani, p. 153 and 161
