Twenty-ninth dynasty of Egypt

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Dynasties of Pharaohs
in Ancient Egypt
Predynastic Egypt
Protodynastic Period
Early Dynastic Period
Old Kingdom
First Intermediate Period
Middle Kingdom
Second Intermediate Period
New Kingdom
Third Intermediate Period
Late Period
26th 27th 28th
29th 30th 31st
Graeco-Roman Period
Alexander the Great
Ptolemaic dynasty
Roman rule

Nepherites I founded the Twenty-ninth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (according to an account preserved in a papyrus in the Brooklyn Museum) by defeating Amyrtaeus in open battle, and later putting him to death at Memphis. Nepherites made his capital at Mendes. This brief dynasty is often considered part of the Late Period.

On Nepherites' death, two rival factions fought for the throne: one behind his son Muthis, and the other supporting a usurper Psammuthes; although Psammuthes was successful, he only managed to reign for a year.

Twenty-Ninth Dynasty
Name Dates
Nepherites I 398 - 393 BC
Psammuthes 393 BC
Hakor (Achoris) 393 - 380 BC
Nepherites II 380 BC

Psammuthes was overthrown by Hakor, who claimed to be the grandson of Nepherites I. He successfully resisted Persian attempts to reconquer Egypt, drawing support from Athens (until the Peace of Antalcidas in 386 BC), and from the rebel king of Cyprus, Evagoras. Although his son Nepherites II became king on his death, the younger Nepherites was unable to keep hold on his inheritance.

[edit] References

  • Clarysse, Willy, "Nephorites, Founder of the 29th Dynasty and His Name," Chronique d’Égypte: Bulletin périodique de la Fondation égyptologique reine Élisabeth 69 (1974), pp. 215–217.
  • Lloyd, Alan Brian, "The Late Period (664–332 BC)" in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2000, pp. 369–394.
  • Myśliwiec, Karol, The Twilight of Ancient Egypt: First Millennium B.C.E. Translated by David Lorton. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 2000.
  • Ray, John D., "Psammuthis and Hakoris," Journal of Egyptian Archæology 72 (1986), 149–158.
  • Traunecker, Claude, "Essai sur l’histoire de la XXIXe dynastie," Bulletin de l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale 79 (1979), pp. 395–436. PDF