Nectanebo II

A king named Nectanebo ruled Egypt long ago.

He was a great builder. He made many beautiful temples for his gods.

He also helped artists make new styles of art.

Nectanebo worked hard to keep his land safe. He even won a big battle against an empire. His people loved him very much.

But then, a man he trusted let him down. This caused a war that Nectanebo lost.

The king had to flee to a new land. He was the last native king of Egypt. It is amazing how much one man can do.

Nectanebo II was a king of ancient Egypt. He ruled from 358 to 340 BC. He was the last native ruler of his land.

Nectanebo was a busy builder. He built and fixed many temples for the gods. He gave much to the priests. His work helped new art styles grow.

He also worked to keep Egypt safe. He used Greek soldiers to help his army. In 351 BC, he won a big fight against the Persians. His people called him a divine falcon.

But things changed in 344 BC. A man named Mentor of Rhodes let the king down. Mentor joined the Persians instead. This led to a large war. Nectanebo lost the fight in 342 BC.

The king had to flee to Nubia. We do not know what happened to him after that. A large stone tomb was made for him. People once thought it was for Alexander the Great. Now we know it was for Nectanebo II.

Nectanebo II was a very important leader in ancient Egypt. He was the last native ruler of his land. This means he was the last king from the Egyptian people. He ruled during the Thirtieth Dynasty from 358 to about 340 BC.

His Egyptian name was Nakht-hor-hebyt. This name means "victorious is Horus of Hebyt." People often called him Nectanebo because of the Greek way of saying his name. He lived during a time of big changes for his country.

Religion was a huge part of his life and his work. He loved the different gods and their many holy sites. Nectanebo II built many new temples and fixed old ones. He built a temple for Khnum in Abu and one for Amun at Sekhtam.

He also gave gifts to the priests at many places. Some experts think he did this to show he was a rightful king. His builders created a special art style that lasted a long time.

Nectanebo II was also a very busy builder of monuments. He worked on many religious centers across the whole country. He built a lot in a place called Sebennytos.

His name can be found in many places like Heliopolis and Bubastis. He even made a rule to protect the mountains in Abydos. He did not let people take stone from those special mountains. This showed how much he cared about his holy lands.

Keeping Egypt safe was a very hard job for him. He had to fight the strong Achaemenid Empire many times. In 351 BC, he won a big battle against them.

His people were so happy that they called him "Nectanebo the divine falcon." He even used Greek soldiers to help his Egyptian army. But in 344 BC, a man named Mentor of Rhodes betrayed him. Mentor joined the Persians instead of helping the king.

In 342 BC, the Persians finally took over Egypt. Nectanebo II had to flee south to a place called Nubia.

We do not know exactly what happened to him after that. A giant stone tomb was made for him long ago. For a long time, people thought it belonged to Alexander the Great. After experts read the writing on it, they found it was Nectanebo's. The tomb is now in the British Museum in London.

Nectanebo II was the final native pharaoh of ancient Egypt. He ruled during the Thirtieth Dynasty from 358 to approximately 340 BC. His Egyptian name was Nakht-hor-hebyt, which translates to "victorious is Horus of Hebyt."

While he was a native ruler, his name is often known through the Greek form, Nectanebo. His reign was a period of great tension between Egypt and the Achaemenid Empire. This empire was a massive power that repeatedly attempted to conquer Egyptian lands. Nectanebo II spent much of his time defending his country's independence.

To protect Egypt, Nectanebo II used several different military strategies. He built up a new army and hired Greek mercenaries to fight alongside his troops. This was a common practice for leaders during this era. In 351 BC, he faced a major attempt by the Achaemenids to reclaim Egypt. Along with his generals and the Spartan leader Lamius, he won a major victory.

Following this success, his people gave him a special title. They called him "Nectanebo the divine falcon" and established cults in his honor.

However, his military success was eventually undone by betrayal. In 345/44 BC, Nectanebo II sent 4,000 Greek mercenaries to help a Phoenician rebellion. These soldiers were led by a man named Mentor of Rhodes. Instead of remaining loyal, Mentor conspired with the Persians and the king of Sidon, Tennes. This collusion weakened the Egyptian defenses. In the winter of 343 BC, the Persian King Artaxerxes III marched against Egypt. Nectanebo II led a massive force of 60,000 Egyptians, 20,000 Libu, and many Greek mercenaries. Despite his fortifications and flat-bottomed boats, he was defeated in 342 BC.

After the defeat, the Persians occupied the city of Memphis and took control of Egypt. Nectanebo II fled south toward Upper Egypt and eventually into Nubia. He was granted asylum there and managed to hold some power for a short time. He even attempted to regain his throne with the help of a man named Khabash.

Ultimately, his attempt failed, and his final fate remains unknown to history. His loss marked the end of native Egyptian rule.

Religion was a central part of Nectanebo II's domestic policies. He was a very active builder who improved temples across the entire country. He built a temple for Khnum in Abu and one for Amun at Sekhtam.

He also dedicated a diorite naos, which is a small shrine, to Anhur-Shu. Some historians suggest his intense building was a way to prove he was a legitimate ruler. Because he was seen as a usurper, showing devotion to the gods helped secure his status.

Nectanebo II left a lasting mark on Egyptian art and architecture. He built extensively in Sebennytos, specifically at the site of Behbeit El Hagar. The relief decorations created during his reign influenced the art of the later Ptolemaic Kingdom. His name appears at many major religious sites, including Heliopolis, Athribis, and Bubastis.

He even issued a decree to protect the "Mysterious Mountains" in Abydos by forbidding stone quarrying there. This shows his deep connection to the sacred landscape of Egypt.

One of the most famous objects associated with him is a large stone sarcophagus. This seven-ton container was found in Alexandria by Napoleon's forces in 1798.

For a long time, people mistakenly believed it belonged to Alexander the Great. However, once experts deciphered the hieroglyphics, they found Nectanebo II's name on it. The inscriptions were from the "Book of What is in the Underworld." The sarcophagus is now kept in the British Museum in London. It serves as a physical link to the final years of native Egyptian pharaonic rule.