B.C. Dynasty XXVI, from Saïs. 666. Psemthek I. (Psammetichus) allowed Greeks to settle in the Delta, and employed Greek soldiers to fight for him. 612. Nekau II. (Necho) defeated Josiah, king of Judah, and was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar II. son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon. 596. Psammetichus II. 591. Uaḥ-ab-Ra (Hophra of the Bible, Gr. Apries) marched to the help of Zedekiah, king of Judah, who was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar II. His army rebelled against him, and he was dethroned; Amāsis, a general in his army, then succeeded to the throne. 572. Аāḥmes II. favoured the Greeks, and granted them many privileges; in his reign Naucratis became a great city. 528. Psammetichus III. was defeated at Pelusium by Cambyses the Persian, and taken prisoner; he was afterwards slain for rebelling against the Persians. Dynasty XXVII, from Persia. 527. Cambyses marched against the Ethiopians and the inhabitants of the Oases. 521. Darius Hystaspes endeavoured to open up the ancient routes of commerce; he established a coinage, and adopted a conciliatory and tolerant system of government, and favoured all attempts to promote the welfare of Egypt. 486. Xerxes I. 465. Artaxerxes I., during whose reign the Egyptians revolted, headed by Amyrtæus. B.C. 425. Darius Nothus, during whose reign the Egyptians revolted successfully, and a second Amyrtæus became king of Egypt. 405. Artaxerxes II. Dynasty XXVIII, from Saïs. Amen-rut (Amyrtæus), reigned six years. Dynasty XXIX, from Mendes. Dynasty XXX, from Sebennytus. 378. Necht-Heru-heb (Nectanebus I.) defeated the Persians at Mendes. 360. T'e-her surrendered to the Persians. 358. Necht-neb-f (Nectanebus II.) devoted himself to the pursuit of magic, and neglected his empire; when Artaxerxes III. (Ochus) marched against him, he fled from his kingdom, and the Persians again ruled Egypt. PERSIANS. 340. Artaxerxes III. (Ochus). 338. Arses. 336. Darius III. (Codomannus) conquered by Alexander the Great at Issus. MACEDONIANS. 332. Alexander the Great founded Alexandria. He showed his toleration of the Egyptian religion, by sacrificing to the god Amen of Libya. C B.C. PTOLEMIES.* 305. Ptolemy I. Soter, son of Lagus, became king of Egypt after Alexander's death. He founded the famous Alexandrian Library, and encouraged learned Greeks to make Alexandria their home; he died B.C. 284. 285. Ptolemy II. Philadelphus built the Pharos, founded Berenice and Arsinoë, caused Manetho's Egyptian history to be compiled, and the Greek version of the Old Testament (Septuagint) to be made. 247. Ptolemy III. Euergetes I. The stele of Canopus † was set up in the ninth year of his reign; he obtained possession of all Syria, and was a patron of the arts and sciences. 222. Ptolemy IV. Philopator defeated Antiochus, and founded the temple at Edfa. 205. Ptolemy V. Epiphanes. During his reign the help of the Romans against Antiochus was asked for by the Egyptians. Coelesyria and Palestine were lost. to Egypt. He was poisoned B.C. 182, and his son Ptolemy VI. Eupator, died in that same year. The Rosetta Stone was set up in the eighth year of the reign of this king. * For the chronology of the Ptolemies see Lepsius, Königsbuch, Synoptische Tafeln 9. This important stele, preserved at Gizeh (Nos. 5400 and 5401), is inscribed in hieroglyphics, Greek and demotic with a decree made at Canopus by the priesthood, assembled there from all parts of Egypt, in honour of Ptolemy III. It mentions the great benefits which he had conferred upon Egypt, and states what festivals are to be celebrated in his honour and in that of Berenice, etc., and concludes with a resolution ordering that a copy of this inscription in hieroglyphics, Greek and demotic shall be placed in every large temple of Egypt. Two other copies of this work are known. B.C. Ptolemy VI. did not reign a full year. 181. Ptolemy VII. Philometor was taken prisoner at Pelusium by Antiochus IV., B.C. 171, and died 170. Ptolemy VIII. is murdered by Physcon. 146. Ptolemy IX. Euergetes II. 117. Ptolemy X. Soter II. Philometor II. (Lathyrus), reigns jointly with Cleopatra III. Ptolemy X. is banished (B.C. 106), his brother Ptolemy XI. Alexander I. is made co-regent, but afterwards banished (B.c. 89) and slain (B.C. 87); Ptolemy X. is recalled, and dies B.C. 81. 81. Ptolemy XII. Alexander II. is slain. 81. Ptolemy XIII. Neos Dionysos (Auletes), ascends the throne; dies B.C. 52. 52. Ptolemy XIV. Dionysos II. and Cleopatra VII. are, according to the will of Ptolemy XIII. to marry each other; the Roman senate to be their guardian. Ptolemy XIV. banishes Cleopatra, and is a party to the murder of Pompey, their guardian, who visits Egypt after his defeat at Pharsalia. Cæsar arrives in Egypt to support Cleopatra (B.C. 48); Ptolemy XIV., is drowned; Ptolemy XV., brother of Cleopatra VII., is appointed her co-regent by Cæsar (B.C. 47); he is murdered at her wish, and her son by Cæsar, Ptolemy XVI., Cæsarion, is named co-regent (B.C. 45). B. C. 42. Antony orders Cleopatra to appear before him, and is seduced by her charms; he kills himself, and Cleopatra dies by the bite of an asp. Egypt becomes a Roman province B.C. 30. ROMANS. 27. Cæsar Augustus becomes master of the Roman Empire. Cornelius Gallus is the first prefect of Egypt. Under the third prefect, Aelius Gallus, Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, invades Egypt, but is defeated. A. D. 14. Tiberius. In his reign Germanicus visited Egypt. 37. Caligula. In his reign a persecution of the Jews took place. 41. Claudius. 55. Nero. In his reign Christianity was first preached in Egypt by Saint Mark. The Blemmyes made raids upon the southern frontier of Egypt. 69. Vespasian. Jerusalem destroyed A.D. 70. 82. Domitian causes temples to Isis and Serapis to be built at Rome. 98. Trajan. The Nile and Red Sea Canal (Amnis Trajânus) re-opened. 117. Hadrian. Visited Egypt twice. 161. Marcus Aurelius caused the famous Itinerary to be made. 180. Commodus. 193. Septimius Severus. 211. Caracalla visited Egypt, and caused a large number of young men to be massacred at Alexandria. 217. Macrinus. 218. Elagabalus. |