PSAMMETICHUS, the name of three kings of Egypt, of the 26th dynasty, distin guished on the monuments by different prenomeus, and of two other persons of ancient history. The first and most notable Psammetichus was the son of Necho I. After the defeat and death of his father, he fled into Syria, and thence, by means of foreign aid. appears to have established himself as one of the twelve monarchs who then reigned over with the rest of whom he was connected in a kind of federation. An oracle hay ing declared that the monarchy of the whole country should go to that one who made a libation out of brass, Psammetichus fulfilled the condition by pouring it out of a brazen helmet. By the answer of another oracle, he was told that he should succeed by means of brazen men who would appear from the sea. Some Carian and Ionian pirates who appeared soon after in panoplies of brass on the shores of Egypt, answered the response of the oracle. Psammetichus engaged them in his service, and by their means finally sulxlued his rivals at Momemphis, after a struggle of fifteen years' duration. Ile strengthened his pOwer by employing Greek mercenaries, whom he settled at Daphnon and Pelnsium, to protect the eastern borders of Egypt, and whose head-quarters were subsequently transferred to Memphis. To them he assigned the right wing, or post of honor, in the army—their arms and discipline being far superior to that of the native troops. This proceeding gave great disgust to the Egyptian army, and on his refusing
to send the Greeks home, after their term of service, the Elephantine garrison of 240,000 men deserted the country, and marched into Ethiopia beyond Mero6. Although exhorted, they refused to return. To protect Egypt from the Syrians, he besieged Azotus, which he finally took, after 20 years' siege. Pgammetichus fostered in every way the Greek influence in Egypt, divided among them lands, encouraged the study of the language, and contracted alliances with the Athenians. He also facilitated the commerce, and opened the ports which bad been hitherto closed. Under Psammetichus the arts revived, the sculpture and architecture imitated the older prototypes, and the government was remodeled on the plan of the ancient dynasties. In literature, a new handwriting, the demotic, was introduced. Egypt, however, had fallen into a national decadence, and its old polity and institutions, subverted by the foreign influence preva lent in the Country, could not be restored. Psammetichus reigned, according to Manetho, 54 years; his reign closed about 600-10 n.c. The other personages of this name are of little importance.—llerodotus, ii. 154; Pliny, Nat. Mist. vi. 35; 'Diodorus, i. 67, Ottani pollion-Figeac, L'Egypte, pp. 367-70; Sharpe, Hist. Egypt, p. 58.