, (Ἀπρίας), a king of Egypt, the 8th of the 26th (Saite)
dynasty, the Pharaoh-Hophra of Scripture (lxx. Ουαφρῆ),
the Vaphres of Manetho, succeeded his father Psammuthis, B. C. 596.
The commencement of his reign was distinguished by great success in war. He conquered
Palestine and Phoenicia, and for a short time re-established the Egyptian influence in Syria,
which had been overthrown by Nebuchadnezzar. He failed, however, to protect his ally Zedekiah,
king of Jerusalem, from the renewed attack of Nebuchadnezzar, who took and destroyed
Jerusalem. (B. C. 586.) About the same time, in consequence of the
failure of an expedition which Apries had sent against Cyrene, his army rebelled and elected
as king Amasis, whom Apries had sent to reconcile them. The crueltyof Apries to Patarbemis,
whom he had sent to bring back Amasis, and who had failed in the attempt, exasperated the
principal Egyptians to such a degree, that they deserted him, leaving him only to the
protection of an auxiliary force of 30,000 Greeks. With these and the few Egyptians who
remained faithful to him, Apries encountered Amasis at Momemphis, but his army was overpowered
by numbers, and he himself was taken alive. Amasis treated him for some time with kindness,
but at length, in consequence of the continued murmurs of the Egyptians, he suffered him to be
put to death. (Hdt. 161, &c., 169, 4.159; Diod. 1.68; Athen. 13.560; Jerem. 37.5,7, 44.30, 46.26;
Ezek. 29.3; J. AJ 10.9.7; AMASIS.)