AMASIS, a king of the Egyptians, began to reign in the year before Christ 569. From the station of a com mon soldier, he became one of the principal officers in the court of Apries. A number of the Egyptians having rebelled against the authority of that prince, Amasis was sent toappease the insurgents, and bring them hack to their allegiance. While he was addressing them, according to his instructions, they placed a crown upon he, head, awl f,rut lann•d him king' ol Egy Anmasi• accepted the dignity, put himself at their head, and tea , soon joined by the greater part. of his tountryineh. Apries retired to Lipp( r Egy pi, where In; maintained Inmstli for several years. In the meantime, Nebuchad nezzar, king of Babylon, taking advantage of these iim testiue divisions, invaded Egypt with a powerful atm), overran the whole country, and at length, haying entered into a treaty ts nit Amasis, left hint as his deputy, in possession ol the kingdom (A. C. 569.) Atter the Ut parture of the Baby Ionians, Apries cutlet ten a body of troops, and attempted to recover time throne of Egypt , but was defeated, taken prisoner, and strangled by Ama sis. The new king, about the beginning of his reign, was in danger ol being despised by his subjects on ac count of his low extraction ; but he speedily conciliated their affections by his mild and henclieent conduct. It
is said also, that he removed their prejudices by' the fol lowing device : He caused a golden vessel, in which he was accustomed to wash his feet, to be mouldt d into the statue of a divinity ; and, when the Egyptians were paying their adorations to this idol. he reminded them. that in the same manner as they worshipped this smut( in its present form, though its materials had once com posed a vessel employed in the meanest services, so they ought to respect hint as their prince, though he tun: formerly filed au obscure place among them. Ile greatly improved and beautified the country of Egypt and erected a magnificent temple to Isis. Ile is saio to have been the author of that law which Solon afterwards borrowed from the Egyptians, and recommended to the Athenians ; viz. That every person, under pain of death, should annually state, before a magistrate, what was his employment, and how he subsisted. lie continued to reign in Egypt, highly respected and beloved by his sub jects, for the space of 44 years ; and died while Caniby ses was preparing to invade his kingdom, in the year be fore Christ 526. See ii. IJictl. SicuLs. 1. i. part ii. (7)