Twenty-seventh Dynasty of Egypt

The Twenty-seventh Dynasty was the period of Achaemenid rule in Egypt from its conquest by Cambyses II in 525 BCE until Egyptian rulers regained independence in 404 BCE.

Achaemenid Empire: The ancient Persian empire founded by Cyrus the Great, which ruled territories from the Mediterranean to Central Asia. Egypt became a western province of this empire under Cambyses II.
Cambyses II: An Achaemenid king who conquered Egypt in 525 BCE and ruled it until 522 BCE. His conquest established Persian rule and began the dynasty.
Pharaoh: The title used for the rulers of ancient Egypt, whose authority joined political kingship with religious duties. Achaemenid kings adopted Egyptian royal titulary to present themselves as pharaohs.
Darius I's canal inscription: An inscription commemorating Darius I's canal linking the Nile to the Red Sea. Its multilingual text presents Persian kingship through a major Egyptian public work.
Satrapy of Egypt: The Achaemenid imperial province governed from Egypt by a Persian-appointed satrap. This administrative structure connected Egypt's rulers to the Persian king.
Battle of Pelusium: The 525 BCE battle in which Cambyses II defeated the Egyptian pharaoh Psamtik III. The Persian victory opened the way to the conquest of Egypt.
Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt: The last native Egyptian dynasty before the Persian conquest, ruling from 664 to 525 BCE. Its fall provides the immediate political background to Persian rule.
Udjahorresnet: An Egyptian official and priest who served under the last Saite kings and Cambyses II. His autobiographical inscription describes cooperation with Persian rulers and restoration of Egyptian institutions.
Aryandes: An early Achaemenid satrap of Egypt under Cambyses II and Darius I. His governorship illustrates how Persian officials administered Egypt.
Psamtik III: The last pharaoh of Egypt's Twenty-sixth Dynasty, defeated by Cambyses II in 525 BCE. His defeat marks the transition from native rule to Persian conquest.

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