Editing Artaxerxes II (section)

===Egypt campaign (373 BC)===
Although successful against the Greeks, Artaxerxes had more trouble with the [[Egypt]]ians, who had successfully revolted against him at the beginning of his reign. An attempt to reconquer Egypt in 373 BC under the command of [[Pharnabazus II|Pharnabazus]], satrap of [[Hellespontine Phrygia]], was completely unsuccessful, but in his waning years, the Persians did manage to defeat a joint Egyptian–Spartan effort to conquer [[Phoenicia]].

====Unfolding of the Egyptian campaign====
In 377 BC, Pharnabazus was reassigned by Artaxerxes II to help command a military expedition into rebellious Egypt, having proven his ability against the Spartans.<ref>{{Cite book | title=Trouble in the West: Egypt and the Persian Empire, 525-332 BC | last=Ruzicka | first=Stephen | publisher=Oxford University Press | year=2012 | isbn=978-0-19-976662-8 | location=New York, NY | pages=55–62}}</ref>

[[File:Achaemenid campaign against Egypt 373 BCE.jpg|thumb|upright|Achaemenid campaign of Pharnabazus II against Egypt in 373 BC.]]
After four years of preparations in the Levant, Pharnabazus gathered an expeditionary force of 200,000 Persian troops, 300 triremes, 200 galleys, and 12,000 Greeks under [[Iphicrates]].<ref name="IG372">{{cite book | last1=Gershevitch | first1=I. | last2=Fisher | first2=William Bayne | last3=Boyle | first3=John Andrew | last4=Yarshater | first4=Ehsan | last5=Frye | first5=Richard Nelson | title=The Cambridge History of Iran | date=1985 | publisher=Cambridge University Press | isbn=978-0-521-20091-2 | page=372 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BBbyr932QdYC&pg=PA372 | language=en}}</ref> The Achaemenid Empire had also been applying pressure on Athens to recall the Greek general [[Chabrias]], who was in the service of the Egyptians, but in vain.{{sfn|Grimal|1992|pp=375–376}} The Egyptian ruler [[Nectanebo I]] was thus supported by Athenian General Chabrias and his mercenaries.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Ruzicka | first1=Stephen | title=Trouble in the West: Egypt and the Persian Empire, 525-332 BC | date=2012 | publisher=Oxford University Press | isbn=978-0-19-990877-6 | pages=99–105 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XVFpAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA99 | language=en}}</ref>

The Achaemenid force landed in Egypt with the Athenian general Iphicrates near [[Mendes]] in 373 BC.<ref name="IG373">{{cite book | last1=Gershevitch | first1=I. | last2=Fisher | first2=William Bayne | last3=Boyle | first3=John Andrew | last4=Yarshater | first4=Ehsan | last5=Frye | first5=Richard Nelson | title=The Cambridge History of Iran | date=1985 | publisher=Cambridge University Press | isbn=978-0-521-20091-2 | page=373 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BBbyr932QdYC&pg=PA373 | language=en}}</ref>  The expedition force was too slow, giving time to the Egyptians to strengthen defenses. Pharnabazus and Iphicrates appeared before [[Pelusium]], but retired without attacking it, [[Nectanebo I]], king of Egypt, having added to its former defences by laying the neighboring lands under water, and blocking up the navigable channels of the Nile by embankments. ([[Diodorus Siculus]] xv. 42; [[Cornelius Nepos]], ''[[Iphicrates]]'' c. 5.) Fortifications on the [[Pelusium|Pelusiac]] branch of the Nile ordered by Nectanebo forced the enemy fleet to seek another way to sail up the [[Nile]]. Eventually the fleet managed to find its way up the less-defended Mendesian branch.{{sfn|Grimal|1992|pp=375–376}} At this point, the mutual distrust that had arisen between Iphicrates and Pharnabazus prevented the enemy from reaching [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]]. Then, the annual [[Nile flood]] and the Egyptian defenders' resolve to defend their territory turned what had initially appeared as certain defeat for Nectanebo I and his troops into a complete victory.{{sfn|Lloyd|1994|p=348}}

After several weeks, the Persians and their Greek mercenaries under Iphicrates had to re-embark. The expedition against Egypt had failed.<ref name="IG373"/> It was the end of the career of Pharnabazus, who was now over 70 years old.<ref name="IG">{{cite book | last1=Gershevitch | first1=I. | last2=Fisher | first2=William Bayne | last3=Boyle | first3=John Andrew | last4=Yarshater | first4=Ehsan | last5=Frye | first5=Richard Nelson | title=The Cambridge History of Iran | date=1985 | publisher=Cambridge University Press | isbn=978-0-521-20091-2 | page=374 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BBbyr932QdYC&pg=PA374 | language=en}}</ref> Pharnabazus was replaced by [[Datames]] to lead a second expedition to Egypt, but he failed and then started the "Satraps' Revolt" against the Great King.<ref name="IG"/>