Editing Nectanebo II (section)

==Rise to power==
[[File:Isis and Nectanebo II.jpg|thumb|Isis and Nectanebo II]]
In 525 BC, Egypt was conquered by the Achaemenid Empire. Because of internal struggles for the Persian imperial succession, Egypt managed to regain independence in 404 BC. In 389 BC, Pharaoh [[Hakor]] negotiated a treaty with [[Classical Athens|Athens]] and for three years (from 385 to 383 BC) managed to withstand Persian aggression.<ref>Grimal, p. 374</ref> However, following the conclusion of the [[Peace of Antalcidas]] in 387 BC between the Achaemenids and the [[polis|Greek city-states]], Egypt and [[Cyprus]] became the only obstacles to Persian hegemony in the Mediterranean.

At the beginning of 360 BC, Nectanebo's predecessor, [[Teos of Egypt|Teos]], started preparations for war against intruders. In the same year, the Egyptian army set off, traveling along the coast by land and sea. Nectanebo II accompanied his uncle Teos in that campaign and was in charge of the ''[[machimoi]]''.<ref>Grimal, p. 377</ref>

In an attempt to quickly raise finances for the war, Teos imposed taxes on Egyptians and seized temple property.<ref name ="EBE">{{cite book | last = Educational Britannica Educational| title =Ancient Egypt: From Prehistory to the Islamic Conquest| publisher = The Rosen Publishing Group|year = 2010| pages = 88–89| isbn =978-1-61530-210-9}}</ref> Egyptians, particularly the priests, resented these measures but supported Nectanebo II. Teos asked [[Sparta]]n military leader [[Agesilaus]] and Athenian general [[Chabrias]] to support him.<ref name ="Dandamaev">{{cite book | last =Dandamaev | first = M. A.| title =A political history of the Achaemenid empire| publisher = BRILL|year = 1989| page = 301| isbn =90-04-09172-6}}</ref> Agesilaus, however, said he was sent to aid Egypt and not to wage war against it.<ref name ="Dandamaev"/> Chabrias returned home with his mercenaries.<ref name ="Dandamaev"/> Teos decided to flee to the Achaemenid court, where he ultimately died of natural causes.

Nectanebo contended with an unnamed pretender to the throne from the town of [[Mendes]], who proclaimed himself pharaoh.<ref name ="Dandamaev"/> The revolt was probably led by one of the descendants of [[Nepherites I]], whose family had ruled the town before.<ref name ="Sharpe2">{{cite book | last = Sharpe| first =Samuel| title =The history of Egypt from the earliest times till the conquest by the Arabs: A. D. 640| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_uYUOAAAAQAAJ| publisher =Moxon|year = 1859| page = [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_uYUOAAAAQAAJ/page/n248 211]}}</ref> The claimant sent messengers to Agesilaus in an attempt to persuade Agesilaus to his side.<ref name ="Dandamaev"/> Agesilaus remained loyal to Nectanebo, fearing to become a turncoat. At one of the towns in the [[Nile Delta]], the troops of Nectanebo and Agesilaus were besieged by the usurper, who had gained many sympathisers. Despite the enemy's numerical superiority, Nectanebo and Agesilaus were victorious and the revolt was put down in the fall of 360 BC.<ref name="Grimal">{{cite book |last=Grimal |first=Nicolás |title=A history of ancient Egypt |author2=Nicolas-Christophe Grimal |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |year=1994 |isbn=0-306-46158-7 |page=379}}</ref>