Apries

Long ago, a king ruled Egypt. His name was Apries. He was a busy builder. He built many big temples.

Apries had a sister. She was a leader in a holy place. He also sent soldiers to help other lands.

Later, there was a fight in his army. A general named Amasis took the throne. This led to a civil war.

Apries had to leave his home. He tried to come back to Egypt. But he lost the fight for the throne.

Even though they fought, Amasis was kind to him after. He gave the old king a proper burial. It is sad when leaders fight.

Apries was a king of Egypt. He was part of a ruling family. He took the throne from his father, Psamtik II. Apries ruled for 19 years. He was a busy builder. He made new parts for temples in many places. One place was called Memphis. He also built things at Athribis and Sais.

Apries faced many hard times. He sent soldiers to help Jerusalem. But the Babylonians won that fight. Later, Apries had trouble with his own army. A general named Amasis led a revolt. This was a civil war. The Egyptian soldiers and foreign soldiers fought each other. Amasis took the throne for himself.

Apries had to flee Egypt. He tried to return with a Babylonian army. He likely died in battle. Some stories say he was captured. In those stories, the people made him die by strangling. Amasis was a new king. He showed respect to the old king. Amasis gave Apries a proper burial in Sais. He even married Apries' daughter to show he was the rightful leader.

Apries was a pharaoh who ruled Egypt a long time ago. He was the fourth king of the Twenty-sixth dynasty. His name is also written as Wahibre Haaibre in some records. He took the throne from his father, Psamtik II. Historians say he ruled for 19 years. He is also mentioned in the Bible as Hophra.

Apries was a very busy builder during his reign. He worked on many important temples. He added new parts to temples at Athribis. He also built at the Bahariya Oasis. He made changes to temples in Memphis and Sais. These buildings helped show his power as a leader.

His time as king was not always easy. Apries tried to help the city of Jerusalem. He sent soldiers to protect it from Babylonian forces. The Babylonians were led by Nebuchadnezzar II. The soldiers had to leave Jerusalem after a long siege. This was a hard time for the region.

Trouble also came from within his own army. A general named Amasis led a revolt. This was a civil war between different groups of soldiers. The Egyptian troops and foreign soldiers fought each other. Amasis eventually took the throne for himself. Apries had to leave Egypt to find safety.

Apries tried to win back his kingdom later. He returned with the help of a Babylonian army. He likely died during a battle with Amasis's forces. One story says he was captured and killed by the people. Amasis treated his body with great respect. He gave Apries a proper burial in Sais.

Apries was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt. He belonged to the Twenty-sixth dynasty. His Egyptian name was Wahibre Haaibre. Historians like Herodotus and Diodorus call him Apries. Another historian named Manetho called him Ouaphris. Manetho recorded that Apries ruled for 19 years. The Bible also mentions him. In the Book of Jeremiah, he is called Hophra.

Apries became king after his father died. His father was the pharaoh Psamtik II. During his reign, Apries was a very active builder. He focused on improving religious sites across Egypt. He constructed additions to temples at Athribis, which is also known as Tell Atrib. He also worked on temples at the Bahariya Oasis. Other construction projects took place in Memphis and Sais.

Apries dealt with many different political challenges. In the fourth year of his reign, his sister Ankhnesneferibre became the God's Wife of Amun at Thebes. This was an important religious position. Apries also tried to help the Kingdom of Judah. He sent a force to Jerusalem to protect it. They were trying to stop Babylonian forces led by Nebuchadnezzar II. However, the Egyptian forces withdrew quickly. They seemed to want to avoid a major fight with the Babylonians. After an 18-month siege, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem.

In other regions, Apries was a military leader. Classical historians say he campaigned in the Levant. He took control of the city of Sidon. This action reportedly terrified other cities in Phoenicia. Because of this fear, those cities submitted to him. This control was likely not permanent. A stela from Tahpanhes shows that an invasion was attempted in Egypt. However, the forces of Apries were strong enough to repel it.

Conflict also arose in Cyrenaica to the west. A leader named Battus II encouraged Greeks to settle in Cyrene. This caused tension with the local Libyans. The Libyan king, Adicran, asked Apries for military help. Apries sent an army to fight in Cyrene. Unfortunately, his army suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Irasa. This loss led to serious trouble back in Egypt.

A civil war broke out within the Egyptian army. This war was between indigenous Egyptian troops and foreign mercenaries. The Egyptian soldiers supported a general named Amasis. Amasis had previously led a successful invasion of Nubia. This invasion happened under the reign of Apries' father. Amasis declared himself pharaoh in 570 BC. Apries was forced to flee Egypt to find safety in a foreign land.

Apries eventually tried to reclaim his throne. He returned to Egypt with the help of a Babylonian army. He likely died in battle against the forces of Amasis. Herodotus tells a different version of these events. He suggests Apries survived the battle and was captured. Amasis reportedly treated him well at first. However, the Egyptian people demanded justice. They placed Apries in their own hands, and he was strangled to death.

Amasis became the unchallenged ruler of Egypt after these events. He took steps to make his rule seem legal. He married Khedebneithirbinet II, who was the daughter of Apries. Despite their conflict, Amasis showed respect for the former king. He performed proper funerary rituals for Apries. He had the body carried to Sais for burial. He even provided full military honors for the deceased pharaoh.

Apries left behind several monuments. He erected an obelisk at the city of Sais. This obelisk was moved much later in history. In the 3rd century AD, the Roman Emperor Diocletian moved it. It was originally placed at the Temple of Isis in Rome. Today, you can find this obelisk in Rome. It stands in front of the Santa Maria sopra Minerva basilica church.