Pharaoh Psamtik III’s Deadly Encounter With Cambyses II Of Persia Ended The 26th Dynasty Of Egypt

Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com – Compassion is not an emotion most associate with ancient Egyptian Pharaohs who could be fearless, harsh, and ruthless rulers. History judges Pharaohs by looking back at their success and failures. Still, one tends to forget that beneath the elaborate makeup and crown monarchs of ancient Egypt were flesh and blood individuals with emotions not unlike modern humans. Being a Pharaoh was demanding, and there was no room for self-pity, but if Pharaoh Psamtik III knew what was about to happen, he would have wished not to be the king at all.

Pharaoh Psamtik III's Deadly Encounter With Cambyses II Of Persia Ended The 26th Dynasty Of Egypt

The information we possess about Psamtik III comes from the Greek historian Herodotus, who documented the Pharaoh’s life and disastrous reign.

Troublesome Reign Of Pharaoh Psamtik III

Psamtik III ascended the throne around 526 BC., and he had the great misfortune to deal with the Persians who fiercely attacked Egypt at the time. It is said that some days after his coronation, rain fell at Thebes (modern Luxor), which was a rare event that frightened Egyptians, who interpreted this as a bad omen. Psamtik III was doomed to failure, and his reign marked the end of the twenty-sixth dynasty.

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