Amasis then married Chedebnitjerbone II, one of the daughters of his predecessor Apries, in order to legitimise his kingship.

Herodotus describes how Amasis II would eventually cause a confrontation with the Persian armies.

According to Herodotus, Amasis, was asked by Cambyses II or Cyrus the Great for an Egyptian ophthalmologist on good terms.

Herodotus also describes that just like his predecessor, Amasis II relied on Greek mercenaries and council men.

This head probably came from a temple statue of Amasis II.

Under Amasis or Ahmose II, Egypt's agricultural based economy reached its zenith.

), Amasis was able to defeat an invasion of Egypt by the Babylonians under Nebuchadrezzar II ; henceforth, the Babylonians experienced sufficient difficulties controlling their empire that they were forced to abandon future attacks against Amasis.

Amasis II died in 526 BC.

Herodotus also relates the desecration of Ahmose II / Amasis ' mummy when the Persian king Cambyses conquered Egypt and thus ended the 26th Saite dynasty:

Image: Louvres-antiquites-egyptiennes-img 2713. jpg | Papyrus, written in demotic script in the 35th year of Amasis II, on display at the Louvre

Dated to the first year of Amasis II, on display at the Louvre

vi: Amasis II

Nebuchadnezzar successfully fought the Pharaohs Psammetichus II and Apries throughout his reign, and during the reign of Pharaoh Amasis in 568 BC it is rumoured that he may have briefly invaded Egypt itself.

The war took place in 525 BCE, when Amasis II had just been succeeded by his son Psamtik III.

* 526 BC — Psammetichus III succeeds Amasis II as king of Egypt.

* 567 BC — Former pharaoh Apries invades Egypt with Babylonian help but is defeated by Saite pharaoh Amasis II ( also known as Ahmose II ).

* 570 BC — Amasis II succeeds Apries as king of Egypt.

There, according to Herodotus he visited the Pharaoh of Egypt Amasis II.

Croesus, now feeling secure, formed an alliance with Sparta in addition to those he had with Amasis II of Egypt and Nabonidus of Babylonia, and launched his campaign against the Persian Empire in 547 BC.

: See Amasis II for the 26th Dynasty pharaoh whose name sometimes appears as Ahmose II.

* Amasis II ( or Ahmose II ), ( reigned c. 570 BC-c. 526 BC ), pharaoh of the twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt

General Amasis, sent to meet them and quell the revolt, was proclaimed king by the rebels instead, and Apries, who had now to rely entirely on his mercenaries, was defeated.

An inscription confirms the struggle between the native Egyptian and the foreign soldiery, and proves that Apries was killed and honourably buried in the third year of Amasis ( c. 567 B. C. E .).

Some information is known about the family origins of Amasis: his mother was a certain Tashereniset as a bust statue of this lady, which is today located in the British Museum, shows.

Amasis worrying that his daughter would be a concubine to the Persian king refused to give up his offspring ; Amasis also was not willing to take on the Persian empire so he concocted a trickery in which he forced the daughter of the ex-pharaoh Apries, whom Herodotus explicitly confirms to have been killed by Amasis, to go to Persia instead of his own offspring.

One such figure was Phanes of Halicarnassus, who would later on leave Amasis, for reasons Herodotus does not clearly know but suspects were personal between the two figures.

Amasis assigned the commercial colony of Naucratis on the Canopic branch of the Nile to the Greeks, and when the temple of Delphi was burnt, he contributed 1, 000 talents to the rebuilding.

However, Amasis was later faced with a more formidable enemy with the rise of Persia under Cyrus who ascended to the throne in 559 B. C. E.

Amasis reacted by cultivating closer ties with the Greek states to counter the future Persian invasion into Egypt but was fortunate to have died in 526 B. C. E.

Cyprus gained independence for some time around 669 but was conquered by Egypt under Amasis ( 570-526 / 525 ).

She was taken to Egypt in the time of Pharaoh Amasis, and freed there for a large sum by Charaxus of Mytilene, brother of Sappho, the lyric poet.

A temple attested by its foundation deposits was built by Amasis.

When Apries marched back to Egypt in 567 BC with the aid of a Babylonian army to reclaim the throne of Egypt, he was likely killed in battle with Amasis ' forces.

Amasis thus secured his kingship over Egypt and was now the unchallenged ruler of Egypt.

According to Herodotus, Amasis thought Polycrates was too successful, and advised him to throw away whatever he valued most in order to escape a reversal of fortune.

The first important painter of this time was the Amasis Painter ( 560 – 525 BC ), named after the famous potter Amasis, with whom he primarily worked.

Whereas Lydos showed more the abilities of a skilled craftsman, the Amasis Painter was an accomplished artist.

The work of Lydos and the Amasis Painter was, by contrast, not imitated as frequently.

At this time of crisis, the Egyptians turned in support towards a victorious general, Amasis II who had led Egyptian forces in a highly successful invasion of Nubia in 592 BC under pharaoh Psamtik II, Apries ' father.

Amasis quickly declared himself pharaoh in 570 BC and Apries fled Egypt and sought refuge in another foreign country.

" Amasis, the former general who had declared himself pharaoh also married Apries ' daughter Chedebnitjerbone II to legitimise his accession to power.

He then allied with Amasis II, pharaoh of Egypt, as well as the tyrant of Naxos Lygdamis.

Plato also notes the city as the birthplace of the pharaoh Amasis II.

Psamtik III was the son of the pharaoh Amasis II and one of his wives, Queen Tentkheta.

He succeeded his father as pharaoh in 526 BC, when Amasis died after a long and prosperous reign of some 44 years.