This article contains a list of the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, from the Early Dynastic Period before 3000 BC through to the end of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, when Egypt became a province of Rome under Augustus Caesar in 30 BC.
It should be noted that there are three women rulers of Egypt on this list of pharaohs who chose not to take the title pharaoh who were not Ptolemaic queen consorts (Sobeknefru, Hatshepsut, and Twosret), because pharaoh was a male title. On this list, they are noted as "Queen ________."
Note that the dates given must be regarded in most instances as approximate. Dating systems for Egyptian studies are quite various, depending on how they are constructed and what assumptions are used. Presented below is one such interpretation, but it is assuredly not the only one.
Archaic period
The Archaic period includes the
Early Dynastic Period, when
Lower Egypt and
Upper Egypt were ruled as separate kingdoms, and the
First and
Second Dynasties
Early dynastic: Lower Egypt
Lower Egypt, known as the Black Land, consisted of the northern
Nile and the Nile
Delta. The following list may not be complete:
Early dynastic: Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt, known as the Red Land, consisted of the southern Nile and the
deserts. The following list may not be complete (there are many more of uncertain existence):
First Dynasty
The
First Dynasty ruled from c.
3050 BC to
2890 BC.
Second Dynasty
The
Second Dynasty ruled from
2890 to
2686 BC.
Old Kingdom
The
Old Kingdom is period in the third millennium BC when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilisational complexity and achievement (the first of three so-called "Kingdom" periods which mark the high points of civilization in the Nile Valley), spanning the period when Egypt was ruled by the
Third Dynasty through to the
Sixth Dynasty (
2630–
2151 BC). Many
Egyptologists also include the Memphite
Seventh and
Eighth Dynasties in the Old Kingdom as a continuation of the administration centralised at
Memphis. The Old Kingdom was followed by a period of disunity and relative cultural decline referred to by Egyptologists as the
First Intermediate Period -- or, as the Egyptians called it, the "first illness."
The royal capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom was located at Memphis, where Djoser established his court. The Old Kingdom is perhaps best known, however for the large number of pyramids which were constructed at this time as pharaonic burial places. For this reason, the Old Kingdom is frequently referred to as "the Age of the Pyramids".
Third Dynasty
The
Third Dynasty ruled from
2686 to
2613 BC.
Fourth Dynasty
The
Fourth Dynasty ruled from
2613 to
2498 BC and included the pharaohs who had the
Great Pyramids built,
Khufu (Cheops),
Khafra (Chephren) and
Menkaura (Mycerinus).
| Nomen (Praenomen)
| Comments
| Dates
|
| Sneferu
| —
| 2613–2589
|
| Khufu | Greek form Cheops. Built the great pyramid of Giza. | 2589–2566
|
| Djedefra (Radjedef) | — | 2566–2558
|
| Khafra | Greek form Chephren | 2558–2532
|
| — | here some authorities insert Bikheris, following Manetho | —
|
| Menkaura | Greek form Mycerinus | 2532–2503
|
| Shepseskaf | – | 2503–2498
|
| — | here some authorities insert Thampthis, following Manetho | —
|
Fifth Dynasty
The
Fifth Dynasty ruled from
2498 to
2345 BC.
Sixth Dynasty
The
Sixth Dynasty ruled from
2345 to
2181 BC.
First intermediate period
The
First Intermediate Period is the period between the end of the
Old Kingdom and the advent of the
Middle Kingdom.
The Old Kingdom rapidly collapsed after the death of Pepi II. He had reigned for 94 years, longer than any monarch in history, and died aged 100. The latter years of his reign were marked by ineffeciency because of his advanced age.
The Union of the Two Kingdoms fell apart and regional leaders had to cope with the resulting famine.
Around 2160 BC, a new line of pharaohs tried to reunite Lower Egypt from their capital in Herakleopolis Magna. In the meantime, however, a rival line based at Thebes was reuniting Upper Egypt and a clash between the two rival dynasties was inevitable.
Around 2055 BC, a descendant of the pharaoh Intef III defeated the Herakleopolitan pharaohs, reunited the Two Lands, founded the Eleventh Dynasty and ruled as Mentuhotep II, the first pharaoh of the Middle Kingdom.
Seventh and Eighth Dynasties (combined)
The
Seventh and Eighth Dynasties ruled from
2181 to
2160 BC.
(This table is based on the Abydos Table from the Temple of Seti I, taken from
www.narmer.pl/main/abydos_en.html)
| Name
| Comments
| Dates
|
| Neferkara I | - |
|
| Neferkara Nebi | - |
|
| Djedkara Shemai | - |
|
| Neferkara Khendu | - |
|
| | Some authorities place here Merenhor |
|
| Neferkamin Seneferka | - |
|
| Nikara | - |
|
| Neferkara Tereru | - |
|
| Neferkahor | - |
|
| Neferkara Pepyseneb | - |
|
| Neferkamin Anu | - |
|
| Qakare Ibi | - |
|
| Neferkara II | - |
|
| Neferkawhor Khuwihap | - |
|
| Neferirkara | - |
|
Ninth Dynasty
The
Ninth Dynasty ruled from
2160 to
2130 BC.
Tenth Dynasty
The
Tenth Dynasty was a local group that held sway over
Upper Egypt that ruled from
2130 to
2040 BC.
Eleventh Dynasty
The
Eleventh Dynasty was a local group with roots in
Lower Egypt that ruled from
2134 to
1991 BC.
Middle Kingdom
The
Middle Kingdom is the period from the end of the
First Intermediate Period to be beginning of the
Second Intermediate Period. In addition to the
Twelfth Dynasty, some scholars include the
Eleventh,
Thirteenth and
Fourteenth Dynasties in the Middle Kingdom. The Middle Kingdom can be noted for the expansion of trade outside of the kingdom that occurred during this time. This opening of trade eventually led to the downfall of the Middle Kingdom, induced by an invasion from the
Hyksos.
Twelfth Dynasty
The
Twelfth Dynasty ruled from
1991 to
1802 BC, and is considered by later Egyptians to have been their greatest dynasty.
Second intermediate period
The
Second Intermediate Period is a period of disarray between the end of the
Middle Kingdom, and the start of the
New Kingdom. It is best known as when the
Hyksos made their appearance in Egypt, whose reign comprised the
Fifteenth and
Sixteenth Dynasties.
The Thirteenth Dynasty was much weaker than the Twelfth Dynasty, and was unable to hold onto the long land of Egypt. The provincial ruling family in Xois, located in the marshes of the western Delta, broke away from the central authority to form the Fourteenth Dynasty.
The Hyksos made their first appearance during the reign of Sobekhotep IV, and around 1720 BC took control of the town of Avaris (the modern Tell ed-Dab'a/Khata'na). The Hyksos, led by Salitis, the founder of the Fifteenth Dynasty, overran Egypt during the reign of Dudimose I.
Around the time Memphis fell to the Hyksos, the native Egyptian ruling house in Thebes declared its independence and set itself up as the Seventeenth Dynasty. This dynasty eventually drove the Hyksos back into Asia
Thirteenth Dynasty
The
Thirteenth Dynasty (following the
Turin King List) ruled from
1803 to around
1649 BC and lasted 153 or 154 Yrs according to Manetho.
The position of the following kings is uncertain:
Fourteenth Dynasty
The
Fourteenth Dynasty was a local group from the eastern Delta, based at
Xois (
Avaris), that ruled from around
1705 to around
1690 BC.
The Turin King List provides an additional 25 names, some fragmentary, and no dates. None are attested to elsewhere, and all are of very dubious provenance.
Fifteenth Dynasty
The
Fifteenth Dynasty arose from among the
Hyskos people: desert
Bedouins who emerged out of the
Fertile Crescent to establish a short-lived governance over much of the Nile region, and ruled from
1674 to
1535 BC.
Sixteenth Dynasty
The
Sixteenth Dynasty was a local group based on the north coast of the
Sinai (
Pelusium) and ruled from
1663 to around
1555 BC:
Some sources include as many as six more names – Semqen, Khauserre, Seket, Ahetepre, Amu, and Nebkhepeshre (Apepi III) – who are not attested elsewhere. This group seems to have disappeared entirely by 1555 BC.
Seventeenth Dynasty
The
Seventeenth Dynasty was based in
Upper Egypt and ruled from
1650 to
1550 BC:
New Kingdom
The
New Kingdom is the period covering the
Eighteenth,
Nineteenth, and
Twentieth dynasty of Egypt, from the
16th century BC to the
11th century BC, between the
Second Intermediate Period, and the
Third Intermediate Period.
Through military dominance abroad, the New Kingdom saw Egypt's greatest territorial extent. It expanded far into Nubia in the south, and held wide territories in the Near East. Egyptian armies fought with Hittite armies for control of modern-day Syria.
Two of the best known pharaohs of the New Kingdom are Akhenaten, also known as Amenhotep IV, whose exclusive worship of the Aten is often interpreted as the first instance of monotheism, and Ramesses II, who attempted to recover the territories in modern Israel, Lebanon and Syria that had been held in the Eighteenth Dynasty. His reconquest led to the Battle of Qadesh, where he led the Egyptian armies against the army of the Hittite king Muwatalli II.
Eighteenth Dynasty
The
Eighteenth Dynasty ruled from
1550 to
1295 BC:
Nineteenth Dynasty
The
Nineteenth Dynasty ruled from
1295 to
1186 BC and includes one of the greatest pharaohs:
Rameses II the Great:
Twentieth Dynasty
The
Twentieth Dynasty ruled from
1185 to
1070 BC:
Third intermediate period
The
Third Intermediate Period marked the end of the
New Kingdom after the collapse of the Egyptian empire. A number of dynasties of
Libyan origin ruled, giving this period its alternative name of the Libyan Period.
High Priests of Amun at Thebes
While not regarded as a dynasty
per se, the
High Priests of Amun at Thebes were nevertheless of such power and influence that they were effectively the rulers of Upper Egypt from
1080 to
945 BC.
Twenty-first Dynasty
The
Twenty-first Dynasty was based at
Tanis and was a relatively weak group. Theoretically, they were rulers of all Egypt, but in practice their influence was limited to Lower Egypt. They ruled from
1069 to
945 BC
Twenty-second Dynasty
The pharaohs of the
Twenty-second Dynasty were
Libyans, ruling from around
945 to
720 BC:
Twenty-third Dynasty
The
Twenty-third Dynasty was a local group, again of
Libyan origin, based at
Leontopolis, that ruled from
836 to
720 BC:
The Libu
Not reckoned a dynasty as such, the
Libu were yet another group of western nomads (
Libyans) who occupied the western Delta from
805 to
732 BC.
Twenty-fourth Dynasty
The
Twenty-fourth Dynasty was a short-lived rival dynasty located in the western Delta (
Sais), with only two Pharaoh ruling from
732 to
720 BC.
Late period
The
Late Period runs from
732 BC to Egypt becoming a province of
Rome in
30 BC, and includes periods of rule by
Nubians,
Persians, and
Macedonians.
Twenty-fifth Dynasty
Nubians invaded Egypt in
732 BC and took the throne of Egypt, establishing the
Twenty-fifth Dynasty which ruled until
656 BC.
| Name
| Comments
| Dates
|
| Piye
| King of Nubia; conquered Egypt in 20th year; full reign at least 24 years, possibly 30+ years
| 752-721
|
| Shabaka
| -
| 721-707
|
| Shebitku
| Synchronism with Sargon II of Assyria establshes his accession date at 707/706 BC
| 707-690
|
| Taharqa
| -
| 690-664
|
| Tantamani
| died 653
| 664-656
|
They were ultimately driven back into Nubia, where they established a kingdom at Napata (656-590), and, later, at Meroë (590 BC-4th cent. AD).
Twenty-sixth Dynasty
The
Twenty-sixth Dynasty ruled from around
672 to
525 BC.
Twenty-seventh Dynasty
Egypt was conquered by the
Persian Empire in
525 BC and annexed by the Persians until
404 BC. The
Achaemenid shahs were acknowledged as pharaohs in this era, forming a
"Twenty-seventh" Dynasty:
Twenty-eighth Dynasty
The
Twenty-eighth Dynasty lasted only 6 years, from
404 to
398 BC, with one Pharaoh:
| Name
| Comments
| Dates
|
| Amyrtaeus
| Descendant of the Saite pharaohs of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty; led a successful revolt against the Persians
| 404 – 398 BC
|
Twenty-ninth Dynasty
The
Twenty-ninth Dynasty ruled from
398 to
380 BC:
Thirtieth Dynasty
The
Thirtieth Dynasty ruled from
380 until Egypt once came more under Persian rule in
343 BC:
Thirty-first Dynasty
Egypt again came under the control of the
Achaemenid Persians. After the practice of
Manetho, the Persian rulers from
343 to
332 BC are occasionally designated as the
Thirty-first Dynasty:
Argead Dynasty
The
Macedonians under
Alexander the Great ushered in the
Hellenistic period with his conquest of Persia and Egypt. The
Argeads ruled from
332 to
309 BC:
Ptolemaic Dynasty
The second
Hellenistic dynasty, the
Ptolemies ruled Egypt from
305 BC until Egypt became a province of
Rome in
30 BC (whenever two dates overlap, that means there was a co-regency):
Rome
Egypt became a province of
Rome under
Augustus Caesar in
30 BC.
Subsequent Roman Emperors were accorded the title of Pharaoh, although exclusively in Egypt.
References
- Sir Alan Gardiner Egyptian Grammar: Being an Introduction to the Study of Hieroglyphs, Third Edition, Revised. London: Oxford University Press, 1964. Excursus A, pp. 71-76.
See also
External links
Pharaohs | Egypt-related lists | Lists of monarchs
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"List of pharaohs"