Hophra

Hophra is the Greek name for Apries, a pharaoh of Egypt's 26th Dynasty who ruled in the late Saite period during the late 6th century BCE. The exact dates are uncertain, but most scholars place his reign around 589–570 BCE. He was part of the line that governed Egypt after Necho II and sought to preserve Egyptian independence amid Persian expansion and domestic challenges.

During his reign, Apries continued Egypt's policy of projecting influence in the Near East and maintaining control over its provinces. Contemporary sources describe a period marked by internal unrest and difficulties sustaining military campaigns abroad, reflecting a time of strain for the Saite administration.

Apries was eventually overthrown in a rebellion led by a military commander named Amasis, who would become Pharaoh Amasis II. Apries died during the upheaval, and Amasis II established a new phase of Saite rule. Egypt would remain independent until the Persian conquest under Cambyses II around 525 BCE.

In classical and biblical sources, Hophra is best known as the Greek rendering of Apries. The name appears in Herodotus and in the Book of Jeremiah (44:30), which mentions Pharaoh Hophra in the context of his downfall. The historical details of Apries’ reign are reconstructed from a combination of Greek, biblical, and Egyptian sources, with some variation among accounts.