Latest / The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History / Artaxerxes III and the Reconquest of Egypt
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've talked a lot about Cyrus and Darius and Xerxes — the big names. But there's one Achaemenid king who barely gets mentioned, even though he pulled off something none of them could: he actually reconquered Egypt after it had broken away. Luna: Wait — Egypt broke away? I thought Cambyses conquered it early on. Lucas: He did, yeah. Cambyses took Egypt in 525 BCE, and it stayed in Persian hands for about a hundred years. But then, around 404 BCE, a local pharaoh named Amyrtaeus led a successful revolt, and Egypt went independent again. For the next sixty years, the Persians just couldn't get it back. Darius II tried, Artaxerxes II tried — both failed. It was a running sore for the empire. Luna: So who finally pulled it off? Lucas: Artaxerxes III — also known as Ochus. He came to the throne in 358 BCE, and he was determined to restore the empire's full glory. But he had a reputation for being ruthless. Ancient sources paint him as a tyrant who murdered his own family to secure power. Whether that's true or just propaganda, he was certainly effective. In 351 BCE he launched a first attempt at Egypt, and it failed badly. That failure triggered revolts across the empire — Phoenicia, Cyprus, Cilicia. He spent years crushing those, and then, in 343 BCE, he tried again for Egypt. Luna: What did he do differently the second time? Lucas: He assembled a massive force — both Persian levies and Greek mercenaries. The Greek contingent was led by Mentor of Rhodes, a very capable commander who had actually served the Egyptian pharaoh before switching sides. Artaxerxes also had a general named Bagoas, a eunuch who became his chief advisor. They marched down the coast of the Levant, through the Sinai, and approached Egypt from the east. The pharaoh at the time was Nectanebo II — the last native Egyptian pharaoh ever. Luna: Nectanebo II — I've heard that name. He's the one who built those temples at Philae, right? Lucas: Exactly. He was a builder, but also a competent ruler. He had fortified the eastern frontier, especially the Pelusiac branch of the Nile. He knew the Persians would come that way. He posted garrisons along the river and also had a Greek mercenary force under a commander named Menthes. But Nectanebo made a critical mistake: he spread his forces too thin, trying to defend multiple points along the Nile. The Persians, under Mentor's advice, feinted at one spot and then struck hard at another. They broke through at Pelusium. Luna: So the invasion itself sounds like a textbook campaign — feint, then breakthrough. Lucas: It was impressively executed. But what happened after the breakthrough is where Artaxerxes III earned his reputation. Once the Persian army was inside Egypt, they sacked cities, destroyed temples, and reportedly carried off a huge number of captives. The ancient historians — Diodorus Siculus, mainly — say that Artaxerxes III melted down Egyptian gold statues and even slaughtered the sacred Apis bull. That last detail might be propaganda, but it shows how the Persians wanted to break Egyptian morale completely. Luna: And Nectanebo? What happened to him? Lucas: He fled south to Nubia, and he never returned. The Persians installed their own satrap, and Egypt became a province again. For about ten years, it stayed under Persian control — until Alexander the Great showed up. So Artaxerxes III did what no Achaemenid king had done in sixty years. But his victory came at a terrible cost, and it didn't last. Luna: It's interesting — he's often called 'the Cruel', but he was also the last strong Achaemenid ruler before Alexander. Lucas: That's right. And it's a shame he's so overlooked, because his reconquest of Egypt is one of the great military achievements of the late Achaemenid period. And here's something — this deep research we do, it takes time and resources. A handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what funds making this many of these episodes. We don't run ads, so it's listener-supported in the truest sense. If you've been enjoying diving into these corners of history with us, that's the way to keep it going. Luna: Yeah, I think our listeners appreciate that we go beyond the usual stories. And the Egypt reconquest is definitely one of those. Lucas: So where were we? Artaxerxes III had crushed Egypt, but the empire was still fragile. The very same year he conquered Egypt, he also had to deal with a revolt in Sidon. Mentor of Rhodes, the Greek mercenary leader, played a key role there too. He tricked the Sidonian king into surrendering by promising leniency, and then Artaxerxes executed thousands. It was a pattern: ruthless efficiency, but it bred resentment. Luna: So the reconquest was a short-term success that sowed the seeds of future rebellion. Lucas: Exactly. By 338 BCE, just five years after Egypt fell, Artaxerxes III was assassinated by his own vizier, Bagoas — the same eunuch who had helped him conquer Egypt. Bagoas then placed Artaxerxes' youngest son on the throne, and the empire spiraled into dynastic chaos. Within a decade, Alexander's invasion would succeed precisely because the empire was internally divided. So in a way, Artaxerxes III's brutality solved one problem but created a bigger one. Luna: It's a classic story of winning the battle but losing the war — or at least setting up the loss. Lucas: Right. And that's why I think it's worth remembering him. He's not a hero — far from it — but he was a pivotal figure. Without his reconquest, Alexander might have faced a united Egypt allied with Persia. Instead, Egypt welcomed Alexander as a liberator. It's one of those what-ifs that actually has a clear answer. Luna: So next time we might talk about how Alexander dealt with Egypt? Or maybe the fall of the empire itself? Lucas: Both good options. But for now, I think we've given Artaxerxes III his due. A ruthless king, a brilliant campaign, and a cautionary tale about the limits of power.