Dynasties of Egypt:

The history of ancient Egypt is divided into three main periods:

The Old Kingdom (2,700-2,200 B.C.E.)

The Middle Kingdom (2,050-1,800 B.C.E.)
The New Kingdom (1,550-1,100 B.C.E.). (It was followed by a period called the Late
New Kingdom, which lasted to about 343 B.C.E.)

Beginning around 1100 BCE, Egyptian dynasties fell. There were several reasons for
this, including a loss of military power, lack of natural resources, and political conflicts.

Manetho-An Egyptian historian who wrote the history of Egypt (Aegyptiaca) in the third
century B.C. A priest in the temple at Heliopolis, he had access to many original
sources and it was he who divided the kings into the thirty dynasties we use today.
Aegyptiaca put the number of dynasties (ruling Families) at 33. Although his original
book did not survive, we know of it from the works of later historians such as Josephus,
who lived around AD 70 and quoted Manetho in his own works. Although Manetho’s
history was based on native Egyptian sources and mythology, it is still used by
Egyptologists to confirm the succession of kings when the archaeological evidence is
inconclusive. The ancient Egyptians listed their kings in a continuous sequence
beginning with the reign on earth of the sun god, Ra. Events were recorded by the
reigns of kings and not, as in our dating system, based on a commonly agreed calendar
system. For that reason, exact dating of events in Egyptian history is unreliable.
Modern scholars have divided Manetho’s thirty dynasties into “Kingdoms.” During
certain times, kingship was divided or the political and social conditions were chaotic,
and these eras are called “Intermediate Periods.” Today the generally agreed
chronology is divided as follows, beginning from 3100 years before the birth of Christ –
BC – around 5114 years ago.

The Archaic Period (414 years)

The Old Kingdom (505 years),
The First Intermediate Period (126 years),
The Middle Kingdom (405 years),
The Second Intermediate Period (100 years),
The New Kingdom (481 years),
The Third Intermediate Period (322 years),
The Late Period (415 years),
The Ptolemaic Period (302 years).

Archaic Period
First Dynasty 3100 – 2686 BC
Before the first dynasty Egypt was in fact two lands and according to folk tales,
Menes (also thought to be Narmer) the first mortal king, after the rule of the gods,
united these two lands. But by the end of the first dynasty there appears to have
been rival claimants for the throne.
• Narmer
• Aha
• Djer
• Djet
• Den
• Anedjib
• Semerkhet
• Qaa

Second Dynasty 2890 – 2686 BC

At the end of the 1st dynasty there appears to have been rival claimants for the
throne. The successful claimant’s Horus name, Hetepsekhemwy, translates as
“peaceful in respect of the two powers” this may be a reference to the opposing
gods Horus and Seth, or an understanding reached between two rival factions. But
the political rivalry was never fully resolved and in time the situation worsened into
conflict.
The fourth pharaoh, Peribsen, took the title of Seth instead of Horus and the last
ruler of the dynasty, Khasekhemwy, took both titles. A Horus/Seth name meaning
“arising in respect of the two powers,” and “the two lords are at peace in him.”
Towards the end of this dynasty, however, there seems to have been more disorder
and possibly civil war.
• Hetepsekhemwy
• Raneb
• Nynetjer
• Peribsen
• Khasekhem (Khasekhemwy)

Old Kingdom 2686 – 2180 BC

Third dynasty 2686 2613 BC

This period is one of the landmarks of Human history. A prosperous age and the
appearance of the worlds first great monumental building – the Pyramid. The
artistic masterpieces in the tombs of the nobles show the martial wealth of this
time
Djoser – one of the outstanding kings of Egypt. His Step Pyramid at Saqqara is the
first large stone building and the forerunner of later pyramids.
• Sanakht 2686-2667
• Djoser 2667-2648
• Sekhemkhet 2648-2640
• Huni 2637-2613

Fourth dynasty 2613 2494 BC

Egypt was able to accomplish the ambitious feat of the Giza pyramids because
there had been a long period of peace and no threats of invasion. So their energies
were spent in cultivating art to it’s highest forms.
The fourth dynasty came from Memphis and the fifth from the south in
Elephantine. The transition from one ruling family to another appears to have been
peaceful.
• Sneferu 2613-2589
• Khufu 2589-2566
• Radjedef 2566-2558
• Khafre 2558-2532
• Menkaura 2532-2503
• Shepseskaf 2503-2498

Fifth Dynasty 2494 – 2345 BC

The first two kings of the fifth dynasty, were sons of a lady, Khentkaues, who was a
member of the fourth dynasty royal family. There was an institutionalisation of
officialdom and high officials for the first time came from outside the royal family.
The pyramids are smaller and less solidly constructed than those of the fourth
dynasty, but the carvings from the mortuary temples are well preserved and of the
highest quality.
There are surviving papyri from this period which demonstrate well developed
methods of accounting and record keeping. They document the redistribution of
goods between the royal residence, the temples, and officials.
• Userkaf 2494-2487
• Sahura 2487-2475
• Neferirkara Kakai 2475-2455
• Shepseskara Isi 2455-2448
• Raneferef 2448-2445
 • Nyuserra 2445-2421
• Menkauhor 2421-2414
• Djedkara Isesi 2414-2375
• Unas 2375-2345

Sixth Dynasty 2345 – 2181 BC

There are many inscriptions from the sixth dynasty. These include records of
trading expeditions to the south from the reigns of Pepi I. One of the most
interesting is a letter written by Pepy II.
The pyramid of Pepi II at southern Saqqara is the last major monument of the Old
Kingdom. None of the names of kings of the short-lived seventh dynasty are known
and the eighth dynasty shows signs of and political decay.
• Teti 2345-2323
• Userkara 2323-2321
• Pepy I 2321-2287
• Merenra 2287-2278
• Pepy II 2278-2184
• Nitiqret 2184-2181

First Intermediate Period 7th and 8th dynasties 2181- 2125 BC

About this time the Old Kingdom state collapsed. Egypt simultaneously suffered
political failure and environmental disaster. There was famine, civil disorder and a
rise in the death rate. With the climate of Northeast Africa becoming dryer,
combined with low inundations of the Nile and the cemeteries rapidly filling, this
was not a good time for the Egyptians.
The years following the death of Pepy II are most obscure. The only person from
this era to have left an impression on posterity is a woman called Nitokris who
appears to have acted as king. There are no contemporary records but Herodotus
wrote of her:
“She killed hundreds of Egyptians to avenge the king, her brother, whom his
subjects had killed, and had forced her to succeed. She did this by constructing a
huge underground chamber. Then invited to a banquet all those she knew to be
responsible for her brother’s death. When the banquet was underway, she let the
river in on them, through a concealed pipe. After this fearful revenge, she flung
herself into a room filled with embers, to escape her punishment.”
For a time petty warlords ruled the provinces. Then from the city of Herakleopolis
there emerged a ruling family led by one Khety who for a time held sway over the
whole country. However, this was short lived and the country split into North, ruled
from Herakleopolis and South, ruled from Thebes.
Whereas the Theban dynasty was stable, kings succeeded one another rapidly at
Herakleopolis. There was continual conflict between the two lands which was
resolved in the 11th dynasty.

Seventh & Eighth Dynasties 2181 – 2125 BC

This dynasty was short lived and we only know the names of two kings. There were
about seventeen minor warlords ruling different provinces.
• Wadjkara
• Qakara Iby

Ninth & Tenth Dynasties 2160 – 2025 BC

There emerged a family from the city of Herakleopolis, led by Khety, who for a time
ruled over the whole country. This did not last however, Egypt split into north and
south again. The north was ruled from Herakleopolis and the south from Thebes.
• Khety Meryibra
• Khety Wahkara
• Merykara
• Ity

Sources: https://discoveringegypt.com/ancient-egyptian-kings-queens/egyptian-old-kingdom-
dynasties/