EGYPT
for
support
against
the
intrigues
and
onslaughts
of
rebels
and
invaders.
His
father
Amenhotp
iii.
had
carried
on
an
active
correspondence
with
the
distant
kings
of
Babylonia,
Assyria,
and
Mitanni
in
Meso-potamia;
but
after
a
few
years
Akhenaton
must
have
lost
all
influence
with
them.
Shortly
after
Akhen-aton's
death
the
new
order
of
things,
for
which
he
had
striven
so
long
and
sacrificed
so
much,
was
abolished,
its
triumph
having
lasted
for
but
10
or
15
years.
Ammon
worship
was
then
restored,
and
retaliated
on
the
name
and
figure
of
the
heretic
king
and
of
his
god.
Although
the
18th
Dyn.
was
so
powerful
and
active,
and
had
built
temples
in
Nubia
as
well
as
in
Syria,
the
Delta
was
neglected.
Only
on
the
road
to
Asia,
at
HeliopoUs
and
Bubastis,
have
relics
been
found
of
these
kings.
Until
Akhenaton's
heresy,
their
religious
zeal
was
devoted
to
honouring
Ammon.
The
19th
Dyn.,
on
the
other
hand,
was
as
active
in
the
Delta
as
in
other
parts
of
Egypt,
and
although
Ammon
remained
the
principal
god
of
the
State,
Ptah
of
Memphis
and
RS
the
sun-god
of
HeliopoUs
were
given
places
of
honour
at
his
side.
There
is
a
famous
series
of
reliefs
at
Karnak
of
the
Syrian
war
of
Set!
i.
(c.
1300);
but
his
son
Harnesses
ii.
(c.
1290-1220)
was
the
greatest
figure
in
the
Dynasty:
he
was
not
indeed
able
to
drive
back
the
Hittites,
but
he
fought
so
valorously
in
Syria
that
they
could
make
no
advance
southward.
They
were
compelled
to
make
a
treaty
with
Pharaoh
and
leave
him
master
of
Syria
as
far
as
Kadesh
on
the
Orontes.
Ramesses
n.
was
the
greatest
builder
of
all
the
Pharaohs,
covering
the
land
with
temples
and
monuments
of
stone,
the
inscriptions
and
scenes
upon
them
in
many
cases
extolling
his
exploit
against
the
Hittites
at
the
battle
of
Kadesh,
when
his
personal
prowess
saved
the
Egyptian
camp
and
army
from
overwhelming
disaster.
Towards
the
end
of
his
long
reign
of
67
years
disorders
multiplied,
and
his
son
and
successor
Mineptah
had
to
face
encroach-ments
of
the
Libyans
on
his
own
soil
and
revolt
in
his
frontier
possessions
in
Palestine.
Mineptah,
too,
was
old,
but
by
the
fifth
year
of
his
reign
he
was
able
to
boast
of
peace
and
security
restored
to
his
country.
The
19th
Dyn.
ended,
however,
in
utter
confusion,
a
Syrian
finally
usurping
the
throne.
In
the
20th
Dyn.
the
assaults
on
Egypt
were
renewed
with
greater
violence
than
ever
by
Libyans
from
the
west
and
by
sea-rovers
from
the
islands
and
coasts
of
the
eastern
Mediterranean.
But
Setuekht
and
his
son
and
successor
Ramesses
iii.
(c.
1200-1165)
were
equal
to
the
occasion.
The
latter
was
victorious
everywhere,
on
sea
and
on
land,
and
a
great
incursion
from
the
north,
after
maiming
the
Hittite
power,
was
hurled
back
by
the
Egyptian
king,
who
then
established
his
rule
in
Syria
and
Phoenicia
over
a
wider
area
than
his
celebrated
namesake
had
controlled.
Ramesses
iii.
was
followed
by
sons
and
others
of
his
own
name
down
to
Ramesses
xn.,
but
all
within
glorious
reigns.
Under
them
the
empire
flickered
out,
from
sheer
feebleness
and
internal
decay.
Egypt
now
(c.
1100)
enters
upon
a
new
period
of
history,
that
of
the
Deltaic
Dynasties.
Thebes
was
no
longer
the
metropolis.
The
growth
of
commerce
in
the
Levant
transferred
the
centre
of
gravity
northward.
After
the
fall
of
the
New
Kingdom,
all
the
native
dynasties
originated
in
various
cities
of
Lower,
with
perhaps
Middle,
Egypt.
The
later
Ramessides
had
depended
for
their
fighting
men
on
Libyan
mercenaries,
and
the
tendency
of
the
Libyans
to
settle
on
the
rich
lands
of
Egypt
was
thus
hastened
and
encouraged.
The
mUitary
chiefs
established
their
families
in
the
larger
towns,
and
speedily
became
wealthy
as
well
as
powerful
;
it
was
from
such
families
of
Libyan
origin
that
the
later
'native'
dynasties
arose.
Dyn.
21
was
from
Tanis
(Zoan)
;
parallel
with
and
apparently
subject
to
it
was
a
dynasty
of
priest-kings
at
Thebes.
The
pitiful
report
of
a
certain
Unamun,
sent
from
Thebes
to
obtain
wood
from
Lebanon,
shows
how
completely
Egypt's
influence
in
Syria
and
the
Levant
had
passed
awayat
the
begln-
EGYPT
ning
of
this
dynasty.
The
22nd
Dyn.
(c.
950-750)
arose
in
Bubastis,
or
perhaps
at
HeracleopoUs
in
Middle
Egypt.
Its
founder,
Sheshonk
i.,
the
Biblical
Shishak,
was
energetic
and
overran
Palestine,
but
his
successors
quickly
degenerated.
The
23rd
Dyn.,
said
to
be
Tanite,
was
perhaps
also
Bubastlte.
There
were
now
again
all
the
elements
of
feudaUsm
in
the
country
except
the
central
control,
and
Egypt
thus
lay
an
easy
prey
to
a
resolute
invader.
We
find
at
the
end
of
the
23rd
Egyptian
Dyn.
Pankhl,
king
of
Ethiopia,
already
in
full
possession
of
theThebaid
(c.
730).
Tefnakht,
prince
of
Sais,
was
then
endeavouring
to
establish
his
sway
over
the
other
petty
princes
of
the
Delta
and
Middle
Egypt.
Pankhi
accepted
the
implied
challenge,
overthrew
Tefnakht,
and
com-pelled
him
to
do
homage.
Tefnakht's
son
Bocchoris
alone
forms
the
24th
Dynasty.
He
was
swept
away
by
another
invasion
led
by
Shabako
(c.
715),
who
heads
the
Ethiopian
or
25th
Dynasty.
Shabako
was
followed
by
his
son
Shabitku
and
by
Tahrak.
The
kings
of
this
dynasty,
uniting
the
forces
of
Egypt
and
Ethiopia,
endeavoured
to
extend
their
influence
over
Syria
in
opposition
to
the
Assyrians.
Tahrak
(Tirhakah)
was
particularly
active
in
this
endeavour,
but
as
soon
as
Esarhaddon
was
free
to
invade
Egypt
the
Assyrian
king
had
no
difficulty
in
taking
Memphis,
capturing
most
of
the
royal
family,
and
driving
Tahrak
southward
(c.
670).
The
native
princes
were
no
doubt
hostile
at
heart
to
the
Ethiopian
domina-tion:
on
his
departure,
Esarhaddon
left
these,
to
the
number
of
20,
with
Assyrian
garrisons,
in
charge
of
different
parts
of
the
country;
an
Assyrian
governor,
however,
was
appointed
to
Pelusium,
which
was
the
key
of
Egypt.
None
the
less
the
Ethiopian
returned
as
soon
as
the
Assyrian
host
had
withdrawn,
and
annihilated
the
army
of
occupation.
Esarhaddon
thereupon
prepared
a
second
expedition,
but
died
on
the
way.
Ashurbanipal
succeeding,
reinstated
the
governors,
and
Us
army
reached
Thebes.
On
his.
withdrawal
there
was
trouble
again.
The
Assyrian
governor
of
Pelusium
was
accused
of
treachery
with'
Niku
(Neko),
prince
of
Sais
and
Memphis,
and
Pekrur
of
Pisapt
(Goshen),
and
their
correspondence
with
Tahrak
was
intercepted.
They
were
all
brought
in
chains
to
Nineveh,
but
Niku
was
sent
back
to
Egypt
with
honour,
and
his
son
was
appointed
governor
of
Athribis.
Soon
after
this
failure
Tahrak
died:
his
nephew
Tandamane
recovered
Mem-phis,
but
was
speedily
expelled
by
Ashurbanipal,
who
advanced
up
the
river
to
Thebes
and
plundered
it.
Meanwhile
the
family
of
Neko
at
Sais
was
securing
its
position
in
the
Delta,
taking
advantage
of
the
pro-tection
afforded
by
the
Assyrians
and
the
weakening
of
the
Ethiopian
power.
Neko
himself
was
killed,
perhaps
by
Tandamane,
but
his
son
Psammetichus
took
his
place,
founding
the
ZGth
Dynasty.
Counting
his
reign
from
the
death
of
Tahrak
(c.
664),
Psammetichus
soon
ruled
both
Upper
and
Lower
Egypt,
while
in
the
absence
of
fresh
expeditions
all
trace
of
the
brief
Assyrian
domination
disappeared.
The
26th
Dyn.
marks
a
great
revival;
Egypt
quickly
regained
its
prosperity
after
the
terrible
ravages
of
civil
wars
and
Ethiopian
and
Assyrian
invasions.
Psammetichus
i.,
in
his
long
reign
of
64
years,
re-organized
the
country,
safeguarded
it
against
attack
from
Ethiopia,
and
carried
his
arms
into
S.W.
Palestine.
His
son
Neko,
profiting
by
the
long
weak-ness
of
Assyria,
swept
through
Syria
as
far
as
Carchemish
on
the
Euphrates,
and
put
the
land
to
tribute,
until
the
Babylonian
army
commanded
by
Nebuchadrezzar
hurled
him
back
(e.g.
605).
His
successors,
Psam-metichus
II.
and
Apries
(Hophra),
attempted
to
regain
influence
in
Syria,
but
without
success.
Apries
with
his
Greek
mercenaries
became
unpopular
with
the
native
soldiery,
and
he
was
dethroned
by
Ahmasi
(Amasis).
This
king,
although
he
made
aUiances
with
Croesus
of
Lydia,
Polycrates
of
Samos,
and
Battus
of
Cyrene
during
a
reign
of
46
years,
devoted
himself
to
promoting
the
internal
prosperity
of
Egypt.
It
was
a
golden
age
while
it
lasted,
but
it
did
not
prevent
the
new
Persian
masters
of
the
East
