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Period · 664–332 BC
Late Period
- Dates
- 664–332 BC
- Dynasties
- 26th to 31st Dynasties
- Capital
- Sais, Memphis
- In the directory
- 30 entries
Under the kings from Sais, Egypt flourishes once more and deliberately looks back to the art of the Old Kingdom. Twice the country becomes part of the Persian Empire; in between, the last native pharaohs rule.
Achievements and events
- 664 BCPsamtik I reunites the country: the beginning of the ‘Saite Renaissance’.
- c. 620 BCGreek merchants settle in the trading town of Naucratis in the Nile Delta.
- c. 600 BCNecho II begins a canal from the Nile to the Red Sea, which the Persian king Darius I completes. According to Herodotus, Phoenicians sail around Africa on Necho’s orders; whether this is true is disputed.
- 525 BCThe Persian king Cambyses II conquers Egypt.
- 404 BCAmyrtaeus frees Egypt from Persian rule.
- c. 370 BCThe 30th Dynasty builds many temples, for example on the island of Philae.
- 343 BCNectanebo II, the last native pharaoh, flees from the Persians.
All rulers of the period
26th Dynasty (Saite period)
- Psamtik I664–610 BC
- Necho II610–595 BC
- Psamtik II595–589 BC
- Apries589–570 BC
- Amasis570–526 BC
- Psamtik III526–525 BC
27th Dynasty (First Persian rule)
- Cambyses II525–522 BC
- Petubastis IV Seheribre
- Darius I521–486 BC
- Psamtik IVc. 486 BC
- Xerxes I486–466 BC
- Artaxerxes I465–424 BC
- Inaros II
- Xerxes II424–423 BC
- Sogdianus423 BC
- Darius II423–404 BC
- Artaxerxes II404–402 BC
28th Dynasty
- Amyrtaeus (Psamtik V)404–399 BC
29th Dynasty
- Nepherites I399–393 BC
- Muthis393–392 BC ?
- Hakor393–380 BC ?
- Psammuthes393–392 BC ?
- Nepherites II380 BC
30th Dynasty
- Nectanebo I379–360 BC
- Djedhor/Teos360–359 BC
- Nectanebo II359–341 BC
31st Dynasty (Second Persian rule)
- Artaxerxes III341–338 BC
- Arses338–336 BC
- Khabash338–336 BC
- Darius III336–332 BC