Amasis II

Lore & Background

Amasis II was a pharaoh of common birth who rose from the ranks of the Egyptian army, having served in a campaign to Nubia under Pharaoh Psamtik II. He seized power during a revolt of native Egyptian soldiers who suspected King Apries of betraying them to favor Greek mercenaries; sent to suppress the uprising, Amasis was instead proclaimed king by the rebels. He later married Khedebneithirbinet II, a daughter of Apries, to legitimize his rule. His mother was Tashereniset, and his maternal grandmother was Tjenmutetj. His court included notable officials such as the head of the gate guard Ahmose-sa-Neith, the doctor Udjahorresnet, and a vizier named Psamtek Meryneit. Amasis was the first pharaoh after Thutmose III to conquer Cyprus. Under his administration, Egypt’s agricultural wealth reached its peak, and he adorned temples in Lower Egypt with monolithic shrines and other monuments. He was a philhellene who granted the Greeks the commercial colony of Naucratis on the Canopic branch of the Nile, contributed 1,000 talents to rebuild the temple of Delphi after it burned, and married a Greek princess named Ladice, daughter of King Battus III. He also formed alliances with Polycrates of Samos and Croesus of Lydia. His reign ended with his death before the Persian invasion; his heir Psamtik III was defeated by Cambyses II at the Battle of Pelusium in 525 BCE.

Reader's Guide

Amasis II’s reign saw Egypt reach a peak of agricultural wealth, with its economy flourishing under his prudent administration. He cultivated close ties with the Greek world, a policy that earned him a reputation as a philhellene. He granted the Greeks the commercial colony of Naucratis on the Canopic branch of the Nile, contributed a substantial sum to the rebuilding of the temple at Delphi after it burned, and married a Greek princess, Ladice, daughter of King Battus III. He also formed alliances with Polycrates of Samos and Croesus of Lydia. His building program focused on adorning the temples of Lower Egypt with splendid monolithic shrines and other monuments, as confirmed by existing remains such as a shrine excavated at Tell Nebesha. His court included notable officials: a head of the gate guard named Ahmose-sa-Neith, who appears on numerous monuments and was referenced into the 30th Dynasty; Wahibre, who served as ‘Leader of the southern foreigners’ and ‘Head of the doors of foreigners’, making him the highest border security official; and the doctor Udjahorresnet, who later became important to the Persians. Two viziers, Psamtek Meryneit and Pasherientaihet/Padineith, are also known. Amasis’s death before the Persian invasion spared him from defeat, but his son and heir Psamtik III was subsequently conquered by Cambyses.

Did You Know?

• Amasis II was of common origins and originally an officer in the Egyptian army before being proclaimed king by rebels.
• He married Khedebneithirbinet II, a daughter of Apries, to legitimize his rule.
• His court included the doctor Udjahorresnet and the head of the gate guard Ahmose-sa-Neith.
• He conquered Cyprus in his fourth year (c. 566 BCE), the first pharaoh to do so since Thutmose III.
• His tomb at Sais, described by Herodotus as a great cloistered building with palm-tree pillars, was later desecrated by Cambyses.