Thirtieth Dynasty of Egypt | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 380 BC–343 BC | |||||||||
 Stele of Nectanebo I | |||||||||
| Capital | Sebennytos | ||||||||
| Common languages | Egyptian language | ||||||||
| Religion | Ancient Egyptian religion | ||||||||
| Government | Absolute monarchy | ||||||||
| Historical era | Classical antiquity | ||||||||
• Deposition ofNefaarud II | 380 BC | ||||||||
• Flight of Nectanebo II | 343 BC | ||||||||
| Currency | Egyptian gold stater | ||||||||
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TheThirtieth Dynasty of Egypt (notatedDynasty XXX, alternatively30th Dynasty orDynasty 30) is usually classified as the fifth Dynasty of theLate Period of ancient Egypt. It was founded after the overthrow ofNepherites II in 380 BC byNectanebo I, and was disestablished upon the invasion of Egypt by theAchaemenid kingArtaxerxes III in 343 BC. This is the final native dynasty of ancient Egypt; after the deposition ofNectanebo II, Egypt fell under foreign domination.
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Nectanebo I had gained control of all ofEgypt by November of 380 BC, but spent much of his reign defending his kingdom fromPersian reconquest with the occasional help ofSparta orAthens. In 365 BC, Nectanebo made his son,Teos, co-king and heir, and until his death in 363 BC, father and son reigned together. After his father's death, Teos invaded the Persian territories of modernSyria andIsrael and was beginning to meet with some successes when he lost his throne due to the machinations of his own brotherTjahapimu.[1]: 377 Tjahepimu took advantage of Teos' unpopularity within Egypt by declaring his son—and Teos' nephew,Nectanebo II—king. The Egyptian army rallied around Nectanebo II which forced Teos to flee to the court of the king of Persia.[1]: 379
Nectanebo II's reign was dominated by the efforts of the Persian rulers to reconquer Egypt, which they considered asatrapy in revolt. For the first ten years, Nectanebo avoided the Persian reconquest becauseArtaxerxes III was forced to consolidate his control of the realm. Artaxerxes then attempted an unsuccessful invasion of Egypt in the winter of 351/350 BC; the repercussions of his defeat prompted revolts inCyprus,Phoenicia, andCilicia.[1]: 379–380 Although Nectanebo gave support to these revolts, Artaxerxes eventually suppressed them and was once again able to invade Egypt in 343 BC. This second invasion proved successful, and Nectanebo was forced to withdraw from his defenses in the Nile Delta toMemphis, where he saw that his cause was lost. He thereupon fled south toNubia, where he is assumed to have found refuge at the court of KingNastasen ofNapata. Nectanebo, however, may have managed to maintain some form of independent rule in the south of Egypt for 2 more years since a document fromEdfu is dated to his eighteenth year.[1]: 380–381
Although a shadowy figure namedKhababash proclaimed himself king and led a rebellion against the Persians from about 338 to 335 BC, Nectanebo has been considered the last nativepharaoh of Egypt. His flight marked the end of Egypt as an independent entity.[1]: 381
| Name of Pharaoh | Image | Reign | Prenomen (Throne name) | Horus-name | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nectanebo I (Nakhtnebef I) |  | 380–362 BC | Kheperkare | Tjemaa | Son of a military official named Teos (not to be confused with his own son and successor) and himself a prominent general, he deposed and likely killedNefaarud II to end the Twenty-ninth Dynasty. The elder Nectanebo moved the capital of Egypt fromMendes to Sebennytos.[2] He also engaged in many building projects across Egypt, perhaps outdoing many of his predecessors; Nectanebo is credited with beginning the construction of the Temple ofIsis atPhilae, among other things.[2] He respected religion and attempted to bring Egypt closer to the gods by restoring monuments and giving them gifts, as well as defended Egypt from the aggressiveAchaemenid Empire.[2] |
| Teos (Djedhor) | ._30th_Dynasty._From_the_Palace_of_Apries_at_Memphis%2c_Egypt._The_Petrie_Museum_of_Egyptian_Archaeology%2c_London.jpg) | 362–360 BC | Irmaatenre | Khaemmaatseshemtawy | Co-regent with his father Nectanebo I from about 365 BC, Teos became unpopular with the Egyptian people because he raised taxes to fund a military campaign to conquer Achaemenid Syria and Palestine, including thesatrapies ofEber-Nari andPhoenicia.[2] The king's brother,Tjahapimu, took advantage of this to install his own son, Nectanebo II, on the throne. |
| Nectanebo II (Nakhtnebef II) |  | 360–343 BC | Senedjemibra Setenpeninhur | Merytawy | The last native ruler of ancient Egypt, his deposition marked the end of Egyptian hegemony until1952. Nectanebo, however, was a very competent pharaoh, perhaps the most energetic of the dynasty, as he engaged in building and repairing monuments on a scale exceeding that of his grandfather's, forged alliances with the Greekpoleis, and boosted the economy.[3] He was overthrown byArtaxerxes III around 343 BC and fled toNubia; his subsequent fate is lost to history, although some believe he died shortly after.[4] |
| Djedhor A | [...]mu (♀) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Nectanebo I | Meryethapi (♀) | Nesibanebdjedet A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teos | Tjahapimu | Udjashu (♀) | Tikhabes (♀) | Pediamun | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Khedebneithirbinet II (?) (♀) | Nectanebo II | Nakhtnebef A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| unnamed son | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ancient Egypt topics | |
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