Udjaḥorresnet was an ancient Egyptian high official who lived between the end of the 26th Dynasty and the beginning of the 27th Dynasty. He is mainly known for his efforts in promoting the Egyptian customs to the early Achaemenid kings of the 27th Dynasty. We know about his remarkable and controversial career thanks to his autobiography, inscribed on a well known statue depicting him; the statue, commonly called Naoforo vaticano was originally placed in the temple of Neith at Sais likely in Year 3 of Darius I and is now exhibited inside the Vatican Museums of Rome.
Biography
Early in his career, during the reigns of pharaohs Amasis II and Psamtik III, Udjahorresnet was a commander of ships, a physician and a priest of Neith in Sais. After the defeat at Pelusium in 525 BCE and the subsequent conquest of Egypt by Cambyses II, he eventually was relieved from his military duties. Nevertheless, his influence grew unexpectedly under the reign of the foreign kings, Cambyses and his successor Darius I: Udjahorresnet apparently became a sort of collaborationist for the Persians, managing to enter in the royal court as chancellor and chief physician. From his statue, it is known that he used his influence to make Cambyses acknowledge and respect Egyptian customs. Acculturated by Udjahorresnet, the pharaohpaid homage to the goddess Neith at Sais, not before having driven out many Persian squatters who had settled within the temple; Udjahorresnet himself composed Cambyses' pharaonic titulary, calling him the HorusSmatawy and the King of Upper and Lower EgyptMesutire. After Cambyses' death, Udjahorresnet's mission continued with Darius I: in fact, he even escorted Darius on his return to Susa and before returning to Egypt, he persuaded the new pharaoh to entrust to him the restoration of Per-ankh, a well known educational and cultural institution in ancient Egypt. Udjahorresnet probably died later during Darius' reign. His huge shaft tomb at Abusir was excavated between 1980 and 1993, and found looted in antiquity. It is still a matter of debate if Udjahorresnet was indeed buried here or not; if not, it is possible that he died and was entombed in Persia rather than Egypt.
