# Cambyses II

_The second Achaemenid emperor (530–522 BC)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/cambyses-ii
Last updated: 2026-11-09

> Cambyses II was the second King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 530 to 522 BCE. He was the son of and successor to Cyrus the Great ; his mother was Cassandane. His relatively brief reign was marked by his conquests in North Africa, notably Egypt, which he took by defeating pharaoh Psamtik III at the Battle of Pelusium in 525 BC. After his victory in Egypt, he expanded the empire's holdings in Africa by taking Cyrenaica, the coastal region of eastern Libya. In the spring of 522 BC, Cambyses had to leave Egypt hastily to put down a revolt in Persia.

## Quick facts

- **Place of birth:** Ecbatana ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182483#P19))
- **Place of death:** Ecbatana ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182483#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Achaemenid Empire ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182483#P27))
- **Occupation:** sovereign ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182483#P106))
- **Spouse:** Atossa; Roxane; Phaedymia ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182483#P26))
- **Positions held:** Great King; King of Kings; pharaoh ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182483#P39))

## Questions

**What positions has Cambyses II held?**  
Positions held by Cambyses II include: Great King; King of Kings; pharaoh.

## Related

- [Cyrus the Great](https://diginpl.com/people/cyrus-the-great)
- [Bardiya](https://diginpl.com/people/bardiya)
- [Artaxerxes I](https://diginpl.com/people/artaxerxes-i)
- [Darius III](https://diginpl.com/people/darius-iii)
- [Darius the Great](https://diginpl.com/people/darius-the-great)
- [Xerxes I](https://diginpl.com/people/xerxes-i)
- [Darius II](https://diginpl.com/people/darius-ii)
- [Artaxerxes III](https://diginpl.com/people/artaxerxes-iii)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Cambyses II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambyses_II) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q182483](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182483) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Stela Cambyses Apis closeup.jpg by Jona Lendering (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stela_Cambyses_Apis_closeup.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Cambyses II, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Stela Cambyses Apis closeup.jpg — Jona Lendering, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Cambyses II". DigiNepal. Last updated 9 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/cambyses-ii. Retrieved 9 November 2026.