Nectanebo I

Nectanebo I (Egyptian: Nḫt-nb.f; Ancient Greek: Νεκτάνεβις Nectanebis; died 361/360 BC) was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh and the founder of the 30th Dynasty, the last native dynasty to rule Egypt. His Egyptian personal name, Nakhtnebef, means "the strong one of his lord." Greek sources rendered this as Nectanebis, while Manetho’s writings, preserved by George Syncellus, give it as Nectanebes—likely a phonetic approximation due to iotacism. Although English convention uses the same name for him and his grandson Nectanebo II, the two had different names.

Nectanebo came from Sebennytos, where he served as an army general. His father, Djedhor, was a high-ranking military officer, and his mother’s name is only partially preserved as [...]mu. A stele from Hermopolis suggests he seized power by overthrowing—and possibly killing—Nepherites II, the last pharaoh of the 29th Dynasty. The Athenian general Chabrias may have assisted in this coup. Nectanebo held his coronation around 379/378 BC in both Sais and Memphis, and he moved the capital from Mendes to Sebennytos.

His relationship with the previous dynasty is unclear. He showed little respect for Nepherites II or his father Achoris, calling the former inept and the latter a usurper. He seemed to hold Nepherites I in higher regard; earlier scholars believed Nepherites I was Nectanebo’s father or grandfather, but this is now thought to be a misinterpretation of the Demotic Chronicle. It has been suggested that both Achoris and Nectanebo may have been relatives of Nepherites I. Nectanebo had two known sons: Teos, his appointed successor, and Tjahapimu.

Nectanebo was a prolific builder and restorer, more so than any Egyptian pharaoh in centuries. He commissioned work on numerous temples across the country. On the island of Philae near Aswan, he began the temple of Isis—later one of Egypt’s most important religious sites—by erecting its vestibule. He also started the First Pylon in the Precinct of Amun-Re at Karnak, and the earliest known mammisi, found at Dendera, is believed to have been built by him. Archaeological finds at Hermopolis, Hermopolis Parva, Saft el-Hinna, and Mendes show that he supported the cult of sacred animals, which grew prominent between the two Persian occupations (the 27th and 31st Dynasties). Further building projects have been found at Memphis, Tanis, and El Kab.

He was generous to the priesthood. A decree from his first year, recorded on a stele at Naucratis, required that ten percent of taxes from imports and local production in that city go to the temple of Neith at Sais. A twin stele was recently discovered in the submerged city of Heracleion. Another stele from Hermopolis, placed before a pylon of Ramesses II, lists donations Nectanebo made to local deities, and he granted other benefits to the priesthood of Horus at Edfu. This generosity demonstrated his devotion to the gods while also financially supporting the country’s largest wealth holders and funding national defense.

In 374/373 BC, Nectanebo faced a Persian attempt to retake Egypt, which the Achaemenid king Artaxerxes II still considered a rebel satrapy. After six years of preparation and pressuring Athens to recall the Greek general Chabrias, Artaxerxes sent a large army led by the Athenian general Iphicrates and the Persian Pharnabazus. The force reportedly included over 200,000 troops—Persian soldiers and Greek mercenaries—and around 500 ships. Nectanebo ordered fortifications built along the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, forcing the enemy fleet to navigate the less-defended Mendesian branch. Mutual distrust between Iphicrates and Pharnabazus prevented the enemy from reaching Memphis. The annual Nile flood, combined with the resolve of Egyptian defenders, turned what seemed like certain defeat into a complete victory for Nectanebo and his troops. After 368 BC, many western satrapies of the Achaemenid Empire rebelled against Artaxerxes II, and Nectanebo provided financial support to the rebels while re-establishing ties with Sparta and Athens.

Nectanebo died during his 19th year as ruler. His tomb, sarcophagus, and mummy have never been found. Toward the end of his reign, in Year 16 (364/363 BC), likely to address the dynastic problems that had plagued his predecessors, he revived the long-abandoned practice of co-regency, associating his son Teos with the throne. However, shortly after Teos became sole ruler, his brother Tjahapimu betrayed him and managed to place his own son Nakhthorheb (Nectanebo II) on the Egyptian throne.