27th & 28th Dynasty Pharaohs

Pharaoh Cambyses II

Reigned in Egypt: 525 to 522 BC
Background: Persian Ruler from the House of Achaemenid, previously he served as Governor of north Babylon before he ascended the Achaemenid Throne
Parents: Cyrus the Great and Queen Cassandane
Religion: Indo-Iranian 

Cambyses II had himself crowned in his predecessors’ Capital City of Sais inside the Temple of Neith, with the traditional Egyptian titles, “Descended from the Gods Ra, Horus and Osiris”, and “King of Upper and Lower Egypt”.

Pharaoh Cambyses II conquered Egypt in the Battle of Pelusium in 525 BC, which was a part of a Battle Plan that he and his father had worked out before his father’s death. They wished for Persia to rule all the lands between the Euphrates and Nile Rivers. After Egypt, Pharaoh Cambyses II brought the Libyans and the Greeks of Cyrene and Barca under his rulership and they would often send him gifts as well as the required tributes.

In 522 BC Pharaoh left Egypt hastily to put down an uprising in his native Persia, but he died after a leg wound turned gangrenous in Syria, it is not certain whether this was an accident, he received a wound from an enemy force, he himself accidently stabbed himself whilst mounting his horse, or whether it was a failed assassination by forces vying to remove him from Persia’s Throne which worked in the longer term. Bardiva, his brother, succeeded Pharaoh Cambyses II, as he died without a suitable heir.

Pharaoh Darius I, also known as Darius the Great

Reigned in Egypt: 522 to 486 BC
Background: Persian Ruler from the House of Achaemenid, he ascended to the Achaemenid Throne at the same time as the Egyptian Throne
Parents: His father was Hystaspes, and his mother was either Irdabama or Rhodogune
Religion: Indo-Iranian or Zoroastrianism

Pharaoh Darius I ascended the Throne when he seized it after the murder of Pharaoh Bardiya or the man impersonating Bardiya. He was 28 years old and ruled over the largest scale that the Persian Empire reached: Egypt, North Africa and Northeast Africa, Macedonia, Paeonia and Thrace, the Caucasus, Black Sea coasts and the Balkans, the Indus Valley, parts of Libya, parts of Sudan and Central Asia.

Pharaoh’s reign began on a bumpy trajectory as after the previous Persian Ruler was murdered. Firstly, he needed to defeat the army of the Memphite Pharaoh who was loosely connected to the 26th Dynasty. Secondly, he lookeed at his Realm and the uprisings which were occurring throughout the then Persian Empire: Elam, Assyria, Babylon and finally Scythian Nomads. Darius and his Army put every single revolt down, including the Babylonian uprising which included a siege for over a year and a half.

Darius encouraged the Egyptian religion being worshiped and followed in Egypt, following this his building achievements including new Temples, dedicated to Gods Nekhbet, Amun and Ptah, new roads and canals, and restored many Temples. His military life finally wore Pharaoh down. After the Persians were defeated at the Battle of Marathon, Pharaoh began planning a new Greek campaign. The planning stage was at its zenith after three years of prepping. Timing being everything, Egypt revolted and the stress this forced on Pharaoh combated with his health failing. He would never lead another Military Campaign and shortly after he died.

Pharaoh or Regent Artabanus of Persia

Reigned in Egypt: 465 to 464 BC
Background: Persian Head of the Royal Bodyguard, he assassinated his predecessor, Pharaoh Xerxes I, who he was protecting
Religion: Indo-Iranian or Zoroastrianism

Allegedly he was forced into killing his predecessor, Pharaoh Xerxes I, because he was already responsible for Pharaoh’s son and Crown Prince of Egypt, Darius. However, other accounts claim that he placed Artaxerxes I as Pharaoh and he remained as a Regent for him. Whichever case was true, within a few months, Artaxerxes I killed Artabanus.

Pharaoh Artaxerxes I

Reigned in Egypt: 465 to 424 BC
Background: Persian Ruler from the House of Achaemenid, he ascended to the Achaemenid Throne at the same time as the Egyptian Throne
Parents: The third son of Xerxes I and Amestris
Religion: Zoroastrianism

When Artaxerxes I discovered that Artabanus had killed his predecessor, Pharaoh Xerxes I, and his son, Crown Prince of Egypt, Darius, he killed Artabanus and his sons in revenge.

Pharaoh faced a revolt in Egypt from 460 to 454 BC which was headed by 26th Dynasty descendant, Libyan Prince Inaros II, paired with the Athenians. He defeated the Persian Army, and they were forced to retreat into the ancient city of Memphis. The Athenians and Prince Inaros II were finally defeated in 454 BC and many were removed to the Persian City of Susa and held there in a form of imprisonment.

Pharaoh Darius II

Reigned in Egypt: 423 to 404 BC, last Pharaoh of Dynasty 27
Background: Persian Ruler from the House of Achaemenid, he ascended to the Achaemenid Throne at the same time as the Egyptian Throne
Parents: Son of Artaxerxes I and Cosmartidene of Babylon
Religion: Zoroastrianism

Pharaoh Darius II was previously known as Ochus who killed his half-brother, Pharaoh Sogdianus to take on the Throne, but little is known about his reign in relation to Egypt. He died after reigning for 19 years and was the last Pharaoh of the 27th Dynasty.