Petubastis III

Biography Petubastis was a local prince, dynast and probably a member of the old royal Saite line who attempted to take control of Egypt and seize power. Although he assumed the royal titles and the titulary of a pharaoh, he has been a largely unknown character and a shadowy figure in Egyptian history. According to the 2nd century Greek military author Polyaenus, who wrote about the revolt, it was the oppression and cruelty of the then Persian satrap Aryandes which led to the rebellion.

The Behistun Inscription, which offers the greatest insight into the events during this period, mentions a rebellion in Egypt which occurred at the same time as other rebellions in the eastern parts of the Persian Empire. Darius I, the author of the Behistun Inscription, does not go into any detail about how he dealt with the rebellion in Egypt. Polyaenus reports that Darius moved to Egypt to suppress the revolt, and entered into Memphis during the mourning period for the death of an Apis bull. Cunningly, the Great King promised one hundred talents of gold for the one that would provide a new Apis, impressing the natives to the point that they moved en masse to his side. This story suggests that the rebellion was not yet quelled when Darius came to Egypt.

Petubastis was ultimately defeated by Darius, who later ensured the control of the western oases by embarking on an active campaign of works there (the most famous being the Temple of Hibis at Kharga Oasis). At the same time, he most likely destroyed as much evidence as he could regarding Petubastis and his rebellion, including the temple at Amheida and the true fate of the lost army of Cambyses.

Attestations Prior to the rediscovery of several blocks referring to him in the Dakhla Oasis, the existence of this shadowy rebel ruler was confirmed by inscriptions found on two seals and one scarab that bear his name written in a royal form inside a cartouche. His figure appears on a door jamb once covered in gold leaf, now at the Louvre Museum, and on a wooden panel now in Bologna (KS 289). There also exists a document that has been dated to 522 BC, which was the first year of his reign.