7th century BCE – 6th century BCE
Egypt, centred on Sais
Psamtek I was the founder of Egypt’s Saite Dynasty and the ruler who reunited Egypt after Assyrian and Kushite domination. He secured recognition in Thebes, organized a military system heavily dependent on Greek and Carian mercenaries, encouraged Greek and Phoenician trade, and established the commercial settlement of Naukratis. His later intervention in Syria supported Assyria against Babylon and the Medes.
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The Story
Psamtek, whose name was rendered by Greek writers as Psammetichos, rose from the Delta town of Sais to become ruler of a reunited and independent Egypt. The circumstances of his accession remain unclear. One possibility is that the Assyrians appointed him viceroy after Tanwetamani’s defeat, while Egyptian tradition represented Egypt as divided among twelve kings before Psamtek overthrew the other eleven.
His authority remained contested after he took power. Assyria supported opposition to the Egyptian rebellion through forces sent by Gyges of Lydia, while Tanwetamani continued to control Kush and claimed the Egyptian throne. Thebes recognized Tanwetamani during Psamtek’s early years, but Psamtek secured Theban recognition in 654 BC by arranging the adoption of his daughter as heir to the office of the God’s Wife of Amun-Re.
Psamtek’s military power rested principally on Greek and Carian mercenaries. He established them in two settlements called the Stratopeda, or “camps,” near the Pelusian branch of the Nile, while Greek soldiers also served at Daphnae and Elephantine. Phoenician mercenaries appear to have served at Memphis, and the foreign troops were regularly employed in the Saite kings’ external wars.
Psamtek encouraged Phoenician and Greek merchants to come to Egypt, contributing to the development of Naukratis as a Greek trading settlement. Egypt exported grain, linen, papyrus, and Nubian materials such as gold, ivory, and ebony, while receiving wine, olive oil, and silver. Greek settlement also coincided with the introduction of iron smelting in Egypt, whose earliest archaeological evidence is associated with Naukratis and Daphnae.
Psamtek ruled for a long period, from 663 to 610 BC, and generally avoided extravagant foreign projects. Toward the end of his reign, however, he sent forces into Syria in support of Assyria. The Egyptian intervention formed part of a wider balance-of-power struggle against the coalition of Babylon and the Medes, but it could not prevent the capture and destruction of Nineveh in 612 BC.
7th century BCE – 6th century BCE
Egypt, centred on Sais
Psamtek I was the founder of Egypt’s Saite Dynasty and the ruler who reunited Egypt after Assyrian and Kushite domination. He secured recognition in Thebes, organized a military system heavily dependent on Greek and Carian mercenaries, encouraged Greek and Phoenician trade, and established the commercial settlement of Naukratis. His later intervention in Syria supported Assyria against Babylon and the Medes.
Continue exploring
The Story
Psamtek, whose name was rendered by Greek writers as Psammetichos, rose from the Delta town of Sais to become ruler of a reunited and independent Egypt. The circumstances of his accession remain unclear. One possibility is that the Assyrians appointed him viceroy after Tanwetamani’s defeat, while Egyptian tradition represented Egypt as divided among twelve kings before Psamtek overthrew the other eleven.
His authority remained contested after he took power. Assyria supported opposition to the Egyptian rebellion through forces sent by Gyges of Lydia, while Tanwetamani continued to control Kush and claimed the Egyptian throne. Thebes recognized Tanwetamani during Psamtek’s early years, but Psamtek secured Theban recognition in 654 BC by arranging the adoption of his daughter as heir to the office of the God’s Wife of Amun-Re.
Psamtek’s military power rested principally on Greek and Carian mercenaries. He established them in two settlements called the Stratopeda, or “camps,” near the Pelusian branch of the Nile, while Greek soldiers also served at Daphnae and Elephantine. Phoenician mercenaries appear to have served at Memphis, and the foreign troops were regularly employed in the Saite kings’ external wars.
Psamtek encouraged Phoenician and Greek merchants to come to Egypt, contributing to the development of Naukratis as a Greek trading settlement. Egypt exported grain, linen, papyrus, and Nubian materials such as gold, ivory, and ebony, while receiving wine, olive oil, and silver. Greek settlement also coincided with the introduction of iron smelting in Egypt, whose earliest archaeological evidence is associated with Naukratis and Daphnae.
Psamtek ruled for a long period, from 663 to 610 BC, and generally avoided extravagant foreign projects. Toward the end of his reign, however, he sent forces into Syria in support of Assyria. The Egyptian intervention formed part of a wider balance-of-power struggle against the coalition of Babylon and the Medes, but it could not prevent the capture and destruction of Nineveh in 612 BC.
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