CAMBYSES II
? B.C.- 522 B.C.

Cambyses II was the eldest son of Cyrus the Great and a member of the Achaemenian Dynasty. According to Herodotus, his mother was Cassandane. According to Ctesias, his mother was Amytis. We don't know exactly when he was born but he ruled as King of Persia from 529 B.C. - 522 B.C.

Before becoming king in 529 B.C., Cambyses II represented his father at the famous New Year festival at Babylon. (Babylon had been conquered by his pop in 539 B.C.) His father made him coregent over Babylon and officially appointed him King of Babylon in 530 B.C.

Did anything exciting happen during the reign of Cambyses II?
You bet. It was Cambyses' triumph over Egypt.

The campaign to conquer Egypt had already been on Cyrus II's mind, who planned it all out. In 525 B.C. Cambyses II executed the plan successfully and whooped Psamtik III, ruler over Egypt (now ex-ruler) after laying siege to Memphis, in Egypt, where Psamtik and the Egyptians (great band name!) barricaded themselves.

If you want to believe Herodotus, Cambyses II was a mad man and behaved as such during his conquest of Egypt. Today's historians think this report is largely an invention. But then again, who knows.

Cambyses II was on the roll and thought he might as well conquer Ethiopia. But logistics presented a problem shortly after he annexed the northern part of the country.

cambyses II's death
There were reports of riots in Syria and Cambyses II decided to leave Egypt to check it out. And that is where he died in 522 B.C. How did he die? We don't know.

Regarding the succession to the throne after Cambyses II's death, see the notes on Cyrus II.