Egyptian Independence from Persia
Following the death of Darius II, the Egyptian dynast Amyrtaeus expelled Persian authority and established native rule. Egypt remained independent of the Achaemenid Empire from 404 until its reconquest in 343 BCE, governed by the 28th through 30th dynasties. The secession deprived Persia of one of its wealthiest provinces and repeatedly frustrated royal attempts at reconquest, which depended heavily on Greek mercenaries. It became a standing demonstration that the periphery of the empire could assert sovereignty when central authority weakened. The episode is part of the same structural erosion — satrapal autonomy and peripheral revolt — that left the empire vulnerable to Macedonian conquest a generation later.
- Year: 404 BCE
- Category: Political
