Apries

Template:Short description Template:Redirect-distinguish2 Template:Distinguish Template:Infobox pharaoh

Apries (Template:Langx) is the name by which Herodotus<ref name=Herodotus-Hists-II>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp and Diodorus<ref name=DiodorusSc-BibcaHist-I>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp designate Wahibre Haaibre, a pharaoh of Egypt (Template:Nobr), the fourth king (counting from Psamtik I) of the Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt.<ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref> He was equated with the Ouaphris (Template:Lang) of Manetho, who correctly records that he reigned for 19 years. Apries is also called Hophra in Jeremiah 44:30 (Template:Hebrew Name; Template:Langx).<ref>Template:Cite journal gives the written form of this particular name.</ref>

Biography

Apries inherited the throne from his father, pharaoh Psamtik II, in Template:Nobr<ref name=Clayton-2006-p195/> Apries was an active builder who constructed "additions to the temples at Athribis (Tell Atrib), Bahariya Oasis, Memphis and Sais."<ref name=Shaw-Nicholson-1995-p37>Template:Cite book</ref> In the 4th year of his reign, Apries' sister Ankhnesneferibre was made the new God's Wife of Amun at Thebes.<ref name=Shaw-Nicholson-1995-p37/> However, Apries' reign was also fraught with internal problems. In Template:Nobr Apries dispatched a force to Jerusalem to protect it from Babylonian forces sent by Nebuchadnezzar II (Book of Jeremiah 37:5; 34:21). His forces quickly withdrew, however, apparently avoiding a major confrontation with the Babylonians.<ref name=Miller-Hayes-1986-p414/><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Jerusalem, following an 18 month-long siege, was destroyed by the Babylonians in either Template:Nobr Apries's unsuccessful attempt to intervene in the politics of the Kingdom of Judah was followed by a mutiny of soldiers from the strategically important Aswan garrison.<ref name=Clayton-2006-p195/><ref name=Miller-Hayes-1986-p414>Template:Cite book</ref>

According to classical historians, Apries campaigned in the Levant, took Sidon and so terrified the other cities of Phoenicia that he secured their submission.<ref name=Herodotus-Hists-II/>Template:Rp<ref name=DiodorusSc-BibcaHist-I/>Template:Rp However, this supposed submission was likely short lived.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> A recently uncovered stela from Tahpanhes records that Template:Nobr attempted to invade Egypt in Template:Nobr but Apries' forces were capable to repel the invasion.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

In Cyrenaica to the west, Battus II of Cyrene had encouraged further Greek settlement in his city, especially from the Peloponnese and Crete. This sparked conflict with the indigenous Libyans, whose king Adicran appealed to Apries for help around Template:Nobr Apries launched a military expedition against Cyrene, but was decisively defeated at the Battle of Irasa.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Clayton-2006-p195/>

When the defeated army returned home, a civil war broke out in the Egyptian army between the indigenous troops and the foreign mercenaries. The Egyptians threw their support to Template:Nobr a general who had led Egyptian forces in a highly successful invasion of Nubia in Template:Nobr under Pharaoh Template:Nobr Apries' father.<ref name=Clayton-2006-p195/> Amasis quickly declared himself pharaoh in Template:Nobr and Apries fled Egypt and sought refuge in a foreign country. When Apries marched back to Egypt in Template:Nobr with the aid of a Babylonian army to reclaim the throne of Egypt, he was likely killed in battle with Amasis' forces.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Shaw-Nicholson-1995-p37/>Template:Efn Alternatively, Herodotus<ref name=Herodotus-Hists-II/>Template:Rp holds that Apries survived the battle, and was captured and treated well by the victorious Amasis, until the Egyptian people demanded justice against him, whereby he was placed into their hands and strangled to death.<ref name=Herodotus-Hists-II/>Template:Rp Amasis thus secured his kingship over Egypt and was then its unchallenged ruler.

Amasis, however, reportedly treated Apries' mortal remains with respect and observed the proper funerary rituals by having Apries' body carried to Sais and buried there with "full military honours."<ref name=Shaw-Nicholson-1995-p37/> Amasis, the former general who had declared himself pharaoh, also married Apries' daughter, Khedebneithirbinet II, to legitimise his accession to power. While Herodotus claimed that the wife of Apries was called Nitetis (Template:Lang, in Greek), "there are no contemporary references naming her" in Egyptian records.<ref name=Shaw-Nicholson-1995-p37/>

Eusebius placed the eclipse of Thales in Template:Nobr in the eighth or twelfth year of Apries' reign.

Monuments

An obelisk which Apries erected at Sais was moved by the 3rd century AD Roman Emperor Diocletian and originally placed at the Temple of Isis in Rome. It is today located in front of the Santa Maria sopra Minerva basilica church in Rome.

Sphinx of Pharaoh Apries, from the collection of Count Caylus, now in the Louvre Museum
Apries' obelisk in Rome is known as the Pulcino della Minerva