The Last Native Kings

In 404 BC, as Persian power in Egypt broke down, an Egyptian named Amyrtaeus of Sais claimed the throne. For about sixty years, three short native dynasties ruled. They were the last Egyptian-born kings of an independent Egypt until modern times.

Key idea

Egyptian kings ruled again from 404 BC until Persia returned in 343 BC: the 28th, 29th and 30th Dynasties. Nectanebo II, of the 30th Dynasty, was the last native pharaoh. After him came Persian kings, then Alexander and the Greek Ptolemies.

The last dynasties before Alexander. All are after 664 BC, so the dates are exact.
Dynasty	Dates	From	Kings
28th	404–399 BC	Sais	Amyrtaeus
29th	399–380 BC	Mendes	Nepherites I, Hakor and others
30th	380–343 BC	Sebennytos	Nectanebo I, Teos, Nectanebo II
31st	343–332 BC	Persia	the second Persian rule

The last native dynasties, the second Persian period, and Alexander's arrival in 332 BC.

A last burst of building

The 30th Dynasty kings were great builders. Nectanebo I and Nectanebo II added to temples all over Egypt; the oldest standing building at Philae is a gateway hall of Nectanebo I, and he lined the avenue between Karnak and Luxor with sphinxes bearing his name. Their style led straight into the Ptolemaic temples.

Why it works

Independence had to be defended. The Persians tried several times to win Egypt back, and the native kings paid Greek mercenaries and generals to help hold them off. In 343 BC the Persian king Artaxerxes III finally broke through, and Nectanebo II fled south. Egypt was a Persian province again, now for only eleven years.

Worked example: The last pharaoh?

Cleopatra VII ruled Egypt until 30 BC. Nectanebo II lost his throne in 343 BC. Who is called the last native pharaoh, and why?

Cleopatra belonged to the Ptolemies, a Macedonian Greek family that came with Alexander.
Nectanebo II was an Egyptian, born into an Egyptian dynasty.
So Nectanebo II was the last native-born king; Cleopatra was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

Answer: Nectanebo II: the last Egyptian-born pharaoh. Cleopatra was the last Ptolemaic ruler.

Later Egyptians told legends about Nectanebo II; one, in the Greek Alexander Romance, made him the secret father of Alexander the Great. That is a legend, but it shows how much Egyptians wanted their last king to live on.

Common mistake

Thinking Cleopatra was the last Egyptian pharaoh. She was Macedonian Greek by family; Nectanebo II was the last native-born king. Cleopatra was the last of the Ptolemies.

The Last Native Kings

A last burst of building

Practice

Builds on

Leads to

Sources and further reading