Kinglists Manetho Dynasties More

The Royal titulary

The full titulary was announced at the

coronation, when a pharaoh officially
Also known as: Menes Dynasty I became king.

King Menes is credited with uniting the Two Lands and was thus the first pharaoh of the
Reign of Narmer
Kingdom of Egypt according to New Kingdom king lists. They name Meni as the first king, AE Chronology c. 2900
and drawing from the same sources, Africanus and Eusebius name him Menes, while Grimal 3150&3125
Herodotus calls him Min. This conforms well with the name Menes. Manetho ^Africanus) 62 years
There is no contemporary archaeological evidence containing the cartouche name of Manetho ^Eusebius) 30 years Horus name
The oldest form of a pharaoh's name,
Menes, as the use of cartouches did not begin until the time of the Old Kingdom.
often enclosed in a serekh, a sort of
In the king lists of the New Kingdom, the nebty names were placed into cartouches "heraldic crest" representing a palace
because the scribes were unable to recognize or locate the corresponding names from the facade.
ancient sources. Fittingly, Meni means : He who endures.

The contemporary Horus name of the first king, Narmer, is well attested. It is firmly
established that he indeed was the first ruler of the kingdom. The early kings were only Nebty name
known by their Horus name, and there is no evidence that Narmer used any other. The "Two Ladies", the heraldic
goddesses Nekhbet and Wadjet,
representing Upper and Lower Egypt
respectively.
The Royal Titulary
From the hieroglyphic records

Golden Horus name

Gold was strongly associated with
eternity, but the meaning of this title is
disputed.

Throne name
(prenomen) Announced at the
coronation, and written in a cartouche.

Personal name
(nomen) The name given at birth, also
written in a cartouche.
HORUS NAME VARIANT

Narmer Tjaj Kinglists

nꜤr-mr-ṯꜢi
Turin king list
Manly catfish of Horus
223 kings – Dynasty 19
K24bU23bG47

Petrie, Tarkhan, I, plate II ^2e Abydos Canon

Beckerath, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (1999), 36b37, x+4jH4
76 kings – Dynasty 19

HORUS NAME VARIANT Saqqara Canon

58 kings – Dynasty 19

Karnak Canon
61 kings – Dynasty 18
Nar
Comparing the canons
nꜤr Abydos, Saqqara and Karnak
Catfish of Horus
K24
Ramesseum Canon
Ramesses II Mortuary Temple
Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo , 38, fig. 14b15, #40
Petrie, Royal Tombs, II, plate XIII ^91,92e
Beckerath, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (1999), 36b37, x+4jH3 Medinet Habu Canon
Ramesses III Mortuary Temple

Ancient historians

Herodotus
450 BC & Histories

Manetho
250 BC & Aegyptiaca

Diodorus
50 BC & Bibliotheca Historica

Josephus
100 CE & Against Apion

Africanus
220 CE & Chronographai

Eusebius
325 CE & Chronicon

Jerome
380 CE & Chronicon

Syncellus
800 CE & Egloga Chronographai

Eratosthenes
THRONE NAME VARIANT Probably a forgery (date unknown)

Comparing the sources

Transmission of Manetho
by Africanus et. al.
Meni*
mni
He who endures
Creative Commons
mn:n-i-A1
license
Royal Canon of Turin 3.10
Gardiner, The Royal Canon of Turin ^1959e, IIj10 All content on this website is free to
copy, redistribute and adapt in any
medium or format, provided you give
THRONE NAME VARIANT the appropriate credit. Yes, this
includes images and texts. Keep
information free!

Meni*
mni
He who endures
mn:n-i-y-G7

Royal Canon of Turin 3.11

Gardiner, The Royal Canon of Turin ^1959e, IIj11
Beckerath, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (1999), 38b39, 1jE2

THRONE NAME VARIANT

Meni*
mny
He who endures
mn:n-ii

Epigraphic Survey, Medinet Habu, Vol IV, plate 213

Lepsius, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien (1849), III, 163

The sources of antiquity

From the writings of the historians and scholars of antiquity

Author Greek Transliteration Transcription Reign

Africanus i, 1 Μηνης Menes Minis 62 years

Eusebius i, 1 Μηνης Menes Menes 30 years

Herodotus 99.2 Μινα Mina Mina

Diodorus 1.45.1/3 Μηναν / Μηνα Menan / Mena Menan / Mena

Eratosthenes 1 Μηνης Menes Menes 62 years

Bibliography

Beckerath, J. Handbuch der Ägyptischen Königsnamen, MÄS 49 ^1999ej 36&37

Baker. D. D. The Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs: Volume I & Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300&1069 BC ^London, 2008e, 237&240

Gauthier, H. Le livre des rois d'Égypte. MIFAO 17 ^1907ej 1&3; 17&19

Leprohon, R. J. The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary ^Atlanta, 2013e, 22

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