224 I1.C. 760— B.C. 566.

second (Libyan) Djmasty did not attempt to make Egyptian authority felt south of Aswan, and at last the Nubian B.C. 7eo-73a opportunity came. In about 734 B.C., Piankhi, King of Napata, seeing the weakened and divided sway of the Twentythird Dynasty, chose a favourable moment in the revolt of Taf Nekht, Prince of Sais and Memphis, swooped down on Egypt, assaulted and occupied Memphis, and became master of the country. Bak-en-Renf, sole representative of the Twenty-fourth Dynasty, was killed ; the whole of Egypt, with the exception of a portion of the Delta, became Ba7»>-667. a province of Ethiopia, and the Twenty-fifth Dynasty was composed of Ethiopian princes.

These Kings were named Shabaka (Sabaco), Shabataka, and Taharka (Tirhakah), the latter of which trio delivered ac. 700. Hezekiah from Sennacherib. He was, however, heavily defeated by Esarheddon, son of the latter, somewhere near ac. 67i Tel-el-Kebir, and Egypt was overrun by the Assyrians.

Fierce fighting continued for the next 20 years between Ethiopia and Assyria over the prostrate body of Egypt, B.C. 652. and the latter was reduced to utter ruin. Finally Mi-Ammon-Nut, Prince of Napata, and son (?) of Taharka, partly relieved the countrj' from the Assyrians, but he h'ad no successors, and died soon afterwards. B.C. 650 ((). Psammetichus I (Twenty-sixth Dynasty), of Libyan descent, finally shook off the Assyrian yoke a few years later.

His connection with Ethiopia is chiefly confined to the fact that a large number of his troops (200,000 to 240,000, according to ancient authorities — but this number must be grossly over-stated ) quitted him as a protest against the favouritism B.a 648 (?). shewn to his foreign (Greek and Lydian) mercenaries, and took service with Ethiopia. Several versions of this story exist, but no serious disturbance of the balance of power would seem to have resulted. Herodotus states that they* ac 690(?). were given land to the south of Meroe, in the land of the Macrobii (Sennar ?). His descendant Psammetichus II appears to have attacked Ethiopia, and it is stated that Nebuchadnezzar II, after beating Necho, the previous king, made a fruitless expedition into Nubia.

B c. .566.

ETUIOPIAX KING FROM MERGE {VAOARAWIY A)— Berlin AflCSeum.

As far as can be gathered the following kings of Ethiopia succeeded Piankhi between about 730 and 525 B.C. ; little is known about them except what is given below : — Ra Usr Maat. Mer-Ka-Ra. Wach-Ka-Ra.

Aspelta, 625 b.c. Killed a colony of raw-meat-eaters at Barkal Pankhaluru, before 560 B.C.

Heru-Sa-Atef, Amen Sa Meri. A great warrior. 560-525 B.C. Nastasenen. 535-517 b.c. Ruled over Kenset and the kingdom of Alut (Napata and Soba ?) ; conquered many people.

* Referred U> by Herodotus (430 b.c.) a» Automoloi ; their descendants were later known as Sebridee or Sembritse, tee p. 319 for an explanation of the story.