DECAY OF ETHIOPIAN INFLUENCE 23

Naoroji a "black man"; moreover, the name Tharbis

does not appear on any monumental records, but

this is not necessarily important. Later on in the

Christian era the stretch north of Tafa is said to

have been peopled by a Himyaritic race originating

in Yemen, Southern Arabia, with which country

and with Egypt the Midianites had intimate trade

connections.

Once again the wave of Egyptian influence

abated, and gradually weakened until the advent

of Piankhi, when Egypt fell to Ethiopia.

After the eventual defeat and flight of Taharka,

the third of the dynasty, by the Assyrians, when

he lost Memphis and Thebes in the seventh century

B.C., his stepson Tanuath-Amen, on his death, pro-

claimed himself King and re-occupied Thebes and Memphis, ejecting the Assyrians.

This proved unpopular with these enterprising

aliens, who returned in numbers 660 B.C., and the

subsequent history of Tanuath - Amen and the

Ethiopian dynasty is indicated by the latter half

of his name, so far as Egypt is concerned.

Relations with Egypt appear to have been slight

for 200 years, and the exertions of the rulers were absorbed in extending and securing their

dominions. But this period was remarkable for

the accession of Egyptian blood in the reign of Psammeticus I., the following King (Twenty-sixth Dynasty), through the revolt of Egyptian troops

stationed at Assuan, who were recompensed with the country of a disaffected tribe, twelve days