Necho I
Necho I (fl. c. 672–664 BCE) was an ancient Egyptian prince and ruler of Sais in the Nile Delta, who governed as a vassal under the Neo-Assyrian Empire and is recognized as the immediate predecessor and progenitor of the 26th (Saite) Dynasty through his son Psamtik I.[1][2] Originally a local leader in the western Delta, Necho was imprisoned by Assyrian forces following a rebellion among Delta princes but was subsequently reinstated and invested by King Ashurbanipal as king of Sais and Memphis, consolidating Assyrian influence over Lower Egypt after the expulsion of Kushite rulers.[1] His brief reign laid foundational alliances and administrative structures that enabled Psamtik I's later unification of Egypt, marking the transition from fragmented vassalage to the Saite Period's cultural and political revival.[3] Archaeological and textual attestations for Necho I derive primarily from Assyrian royal annals rather than extensive Egyptian monuments, reflecting the era's geopolitical dependencies.[1]![Necho-KnellingStatue_BrooklynMuseum_c.jpg][float-right]