Chapter 10

Boussard.A French engineer in the army of Napoleon I., who discovered the Rosetta Stone at Fort St. Julien in 1799.92

Brugsch,Heinrich. The greatest living Egyptologist and disciple of Lepsius. He was born in Berlin on Feb. 18, 1827, and is at present Professor of Egyptology in the same city.26

Bubastis.Now Tel-Basta. The capital of theXVIIIth nome of Lower Egypt, theפִּי־בֶסֶת,Pī-Bēseth, of the Bible (Ezek. xxx: 17), and called by the EgyptiansPer-Bas·t, "the home of the goddess Bast". The temple of this deity, the goddess of love, is now a mass of ruins.92

Bûlâk.The port of Cairo. Here is the famous "Musée Boulaq", the national Egyptian Museum, founded by the French Egyptologist Mariette (died 1881).38

Busiris.Now Abu-Sîr, situated about half-way down the Damietta branch of the Nile. The capital of theIXth nome of Lower Egypt, called in EgyptianPer-Usȧr·t, "the house of Osiris", and by the Copts[Pûsiri], whence the Greek Busiris.92

Byzantium.An ancient Greek city on the Bosphorus, now occupied by the city of Constantinople. It was founded about B. C. 667, and was for a long time the capital of the Eastern Greek Empire.8

Caesar.At first the surname of the Roman gens (or house) Julia, but after the time of Augustus the title of the Roman emperors. The word was applied indiscriminately to all the emperors, but stands for Augustus on our obelisk-crab.737482

Caesar-ânkh-zeta-Ptaḥ-Ȧs·t-mer.The family name of the emperor Augustus (which see).39

Caesareum.A temple in Alexandria dedicated to theRoman emperors, where divine honors were paid them.39

Cairo.The capital of Egypt, situated twelve miles above the place where the Nile resolves itself into its seven branches. It was founded about A. D. 973 on the site of the former town of Fostât (الفسطاط). The stones of ancient Memphis helped to build up the city. The Arabic name of Cairo is El-Kâhira (القاهرة"the victorious city").151136389091

Cairo Obelisk.This is said to have formed part of a gate-way in Cairo. It has now disappeared, but may be identical with one of the Amyrtæus Obelisks.11

Caligula,Caius Cæsar. The third Roman emperor (A. D. 37-41), whose name in Egyptian is8

Caliph.A title of a high dignitary among the Mohammedans. The Arabic form isخليفةKhalīfa, which means "the successor of the Prophet (Mohammed)".80

Cambyses.A king of Persia who conquered Egypt in 527 B. C., overthrowing and putting to death Psametik III. He was a ruthless destroyer of Egyptian monuments and acted like a demoniac. His name is1

Campensis Obelisk.Also called the Monte CitorioObelisk in Rome. It stood formerly on the Campus Martius, whence its name. Erected by Psametik II. in Heliopolis, and removed by the emperor Augustus in 20 B. C. to Rome, it was found broken in five pieces in 1748, and was re-erected by Pius VI. in 1792. Unlike the other obelisks it has two columns of hieroglyphs on each face.9(25)

Carkhemish.A city on the Euphrates and the capital of the vast Hittite empire, now called Jerablûs. It is also mentioned in the Bible (Isa. x:9; Jer. xlvii:2; II Chron. xxxv:20). Many important battles were fought at this place. On the Egyptian monuments it is calledKarukamsha.36

Cartouche[pronounced kartoósh]. An oval ring or seal containing the Pharaoh's name. The Egyptian figure of it isren, which means "a name". Every king had two such cartouches, the first being his royal or divine name which he adopted on his accession to the throne, and the second being the family name which he bore as prince. The first is generally introduced by the phrase "The king of Upper and Lower Egypt", and the second by "The son of Rā". The cartouches may be written in vertical or horizontal lines; thusorThis is the usual form though variants are not of infrequent occurrence. These cartouches would also sometimes contain the names of gods, goddesses, queens, princes, and princesses, when the phrases introducing them were changed accordingly. [Also spelledcartouch.]36373839495771

Catania Obelisk.A small obelisk standing on a stone elephant and set up in front of the Cathedral inCatania, Sicily. It is only a Roman imitation, having eight sides and four columns of hieroglyphs in all.10

Cataracts of the Nile.There are a number of cataracts formed by the Nile, where it passes over rocks and boulders, the largest and longest being the First Cataract. This forms the southern boundary of Egypt, and lies between Syene and Philæ.2486

Chronology, Egyptian.The ancient Egyptian chronology is hopelessly tangled. Some of the dates may be correct, especially those of the later dynasties, but when we turn to the early history of Egypt we are confronted by such a confusion of facts and dates, that makes the fixing of dates for the earlier dynasties an impossibility. There is a difference of more than 3000 years between the dates assigned by various Chronologists to the reign of the first king of Egypt, Menes; Böckh setting it down as B. C. 5702, Unger as 5613, Mariette and Lenormant as 5004, Brugsch as 4455, Lauth as 4157, Lepsius as 3892, Bunsen as 3059, Poole as 2717, and Wilkinson as 2691. No scheme of chronology can be deduced from the monuments, for the ancient Egyptians cared nothing about history, a fact that is proved by the carelessness with which they recorded historical events. The big numbers above result from the supposition that the various dynasties reigned in succession, while some were undoubtedly contemporaneous. An important list of kings together with their dates, written in the third century B. C. by Manetho, an Egyptian priest, has come down to us. We herewith give his list as systematized by Lepsius.

MYTHOLOGICAL PERIOD.

Two Dynasties of Gods. 13 870 years.

One Dynasty of Demi-gods. 3 650 years.

One Dynasty of Prehistoric Kings of Thinis. 350 years.

HISTORICAL PERIOD.

I. OLD EMPIRE. 1.-11. DYNASTIES. B. C. 3892-2380.

1st Dynasty of Thinis, 3892 to 3639.

Kings: Mena (Menes). Teta. Ateth (Athothis). Ata. Hesepti (Usaphaïs). Merbapen (Miëbis). Semenptah (Semempses). Qebeh.

2d Dynasty of Thinis, 3639 to 3338.

Kings: Bazaü (Boëthos). Kakaü (Kaiëkhos). Baënnuter (Binothris). Uaznes. Senda (Sethenes). Perabsen. Neferkarâ (Nepherkheres). Neferkaseker (Sesokhris). Hezef.

3d Dynasty of Memphis, 3338 to 3124.

Kings: Zazaî. Nebka. Zeser (Tosorthros). Teta. Sezes. Zeserteta (Tosertasis). Ahtes (Akhes). Nebkarâ. Neferkarâ (Nekherophes).

4th Dynasty of Memphis, 3124 to 2840.

Kings: Snefru (Soris). Khufu (Suphis or Kheops). Khâfrâ (Sophris or Khephren). Menkaürâ (Menkheres, Mycerinus). Dedefrâ. Shepseskaf. Sebekkarâ (Seberkheres).

5th Dynasty of Memphis, 2840 to 2592.

Kings: Userkaf (Userkheres). Sahurâ (Sephres). Neferarikarâ (Nepherkheres). Shepseskarâ (Sisires). Neferkhârâ (Kheres). Rânuser (Rathures). Menkaüher (Menkheres). Dedkarâ (Tankheres). Unas (Onnos).

6th Dynasty of Elephantine, 2744 to 2546.

Contemporaneous with the fifth dynasty.Kings: Teta. Atî (Othoës). Pepî (Phiops I.). Heremsaf. Pepî (Phiops II.). Netaqerti (Nitokris).

7th Dynasty of Memphis, 2592 to 2522.

8th Dynasty of Memphis, 2522 to 2380.

9th Dynasty of Heracleopolis, 2674 to 2565.

10th Dynasty of Heracleopolis, 2565 to 2380.

The kings of these four dynasties were more or less contemporaneous. The exact position of their names in the lists cannot be given.Kings: Neferka. Neferseh.... Ab. Neferkaürâ. Kharthî (Akhthoës). Neferkarâ. Neferkarânebî. Neferkarâkhendu. Merenher. Seneferka. Kanrâ. Neferkarâtererel. Neferkaher. Neferkarâpepîseneb. Neferkarâânnu. Neferarkarâ.

11th Dynasty of Thebes, 2423 to 2380.

Contemporaneous with the eighth and tenth dynasties.Kings: Antef I. Menthuhotep I. Antef II. Antef III. Antef IV. Antef V. Sarâanâ. Antuf. Antufâ. Antef the Great. Anantef. Seneferkarâ. Userenrâ. Nebnemrâ. Menthuhotep II. Menthuhotep III. Menthuhotep IV.

II. MIDDLE EMPIRE. 12.-17. DYNASTIES. B. C. 2380-1591.

12th Dynasty of Thebes, 2380 to 2167.

Kings: Amenemhât I. (Ammenemes I). Usertesen I. (Sesortasis I.). Amenemhât II. (Ammenemes II.). Usertesen II. (Sesortasis II.). Usertesen III. (Sesortasis III.). Amenemhât III. (Ammenemes III.). Amenemhât IV. (Ammenemes IV.). Sebekneferurâ (Sebeknophris).

13th Dynasty of Thebes, 2136 to 1684.

14th Dynasty of Xois, 2167 to 1684.

The kings of these two dynasties reigned contemporaneously.Kings: Sebekhotep I. Sebekhotep II. Sebekhotep III. Sebekhotep IV. Neferhotep. Sebekhotep V. Sebekhotep VI. Sebekhotep VII. Aï. Sebekhotep VIII.

15th Dynasty, the Hyksos, 2101-1842.

Contemporaneous with the thirteenth and fourteenth dynasties.Kings: Apehutiset. ...banân (Banon). Abehenkhepesh. Apepa (Apophis).

16th Dynasty, the Hyksos, 1842 to 1591.

Contemporaneous with the thirteenth and fourteenth dynasties.Kings: Apepa. Aqenenrâ.

17th Dynasty of Thebes, 1684 to 1591.

Contemporaneous with the sixteenth dynasty.Kings: Seqenenrâ I. Seqenenrâ II. Seqenenrâ III. Kames. Aähhotep. Aähmessapaär.

III. NEW EMPIRE. 18.-30. DYNASTIES. B. C. 1591-340.

18th Dynasty of Thebes, 1591 to 1443.

Kings: Aähmes I. (Amosis). Aähmesnefertari (Nephris). Amenhotep I. (Amenophis I.). Thothmes I. (Tûthmosis I.). Thothmes II. (Tûthmosis II.). Mâkarâ (Mephre). Thothmes III., the Great (Tûthmosis III.). Amenhotep II. (Amenophis II.). Thothmes IV. (Tûthmosis IV.). Amenhotep III. (Amenophis III.). Amenhotep IV. Sâqanekhtkheperurâ. Tutânkhamen. Aî. Heremheb (Horos).

19th Dynasty of Thebes, 1443 to 1269.

Kings: Ramses I. (Ramésses I.). Setî I. (Sethos I.). Ramses II., the Great (Ramésses Miammûn). Merenptah I. (Menephthes). Amenmeses. Setî II. (Sethos II.). Merenptah II. (Menephthes Siphthas). Setnekht (Sethnekhthes).

20th Dynasty of Thebes, 1269 to 1091.

Kings: Ramses III. (Ramésses III.). Ramses IV. (Ramésses IV.). Ramses V. (Ramésses V.). Ramses VI. (Ramésses VI.). Ramses VII. (Ramésses VII.). Ramses VIII. (Ramésses VIII.). Ramses IX. (Ramésses IX.). Ramses X. (Ramésses X.). Ramses XI. (Ramésses XI.). Ramses XII. (Ramésses XII.). Ramses XIII. (Ramésses XIII.). (Ramésses XIV.)

21st Dynasty of Tanis, 1091 to 961.

Kings: Samenthu (Smendes). Pasebkhânu I. (Phusemes). Asehrâ (Osokhor). Amenemapt (Amenophis). Pasebkhânu II. (Psinakhes).Opposition-kings of Thebes: Herher. Païnezem I. Païnezem II. Païnezem III.

22d Dynasty of Bubastis, 961 to 787.

Kings: Sheshenq I. (Sesonkhis I. or Shishak). Osarkon I. (Osorkhon I.). Takelot I. (Takelothis I.). Osarkon II. (Osorkhon II.). Sheshenq II. (Sesonkhis II.). Takelot II. (Takelothis II.). Sheshenq III. (Sesonkhis III.). Pamaî. Sheshenq IV. (Sesonkhis IV.).

23d Dynasty of Tanis, 787 to 729.

Kings: Pedusabast (Petsybastis). Osarkon III. (Osorkhon).

24th Dynasty of Sais, 729 to 685.

King: Bakenrenf (Bokkhoris).Opposition-kings of Ethiopia: Piânkhî I. Piânkhî II.

25th Dynasty of Ethiopia, 716 to 664.

Contemporaneous with the twenty-fourth and twenty-sixth dynasties.Kings: Shabaka (Sebikhos). Shabataka (Sebitikhos). Taharqa (Teärkhos). Amenrud.

26th Dynasty of Sais, 685 to 525.

Partly contemporaneous with the twenty-fifth dynasty.Kings: Psametik I. (Psametikhos I). Nekaü (Nekhao II.). Psametik II. (Psametikhos II.). Uahabrâ or Apries (Uaphris). Aähmes II. (Amosis). Psametik III. (Psametikhos III.).

27th Dynasty, the Persians, 525 to 405.

Contemporaneous with the twenty-eighth dynasty.Kings: Kembathet or Cambyses (Kambyses). Antarîush or Darius I. (Dareios Hystaspes). Khshîarush or Xerxes I. (Xerxes the Great). Artakhshashs (Artaxerxes). Anthrîsh or Darius II. (Dareios Xerxes).

28th Dynasty of Sais, 525 to 399.

Kings: Amenrud or Amyrtæus (Amyrteos I.). Khabbash.

29th Dynasty of Mendes, 399 to 378.

Kings: Niafâurud (Nephorites I.). Hager (Akhoris). Psimut (Psamuthis).

30th Dynasty of Sebennytus, 378 to 340.

Kings: Nekhtherheb or Nectanebo I. (Nekhtharebes). Taher (Teos). Nekhtnebef or Nectanebo II. (Nekhthanebos).

Manetho's list ends with this dynasty, the names of the following dynasty having been added by some other writer. All the names here given in parentheses are from his list.

IV. EGYPT UNDER FOREIGN RULE, B. C. 340-A. D. 395.

31st Dynasty, the Persians, B. C. 340 to 332.

Kings: (Okhos). (Arses). (Dareios). These names do not occur on the Egyptian monuments.

32d Dynasty, the Macedonians, B. C. 332 to 305.

Kings: Aleksandres or Alexander the Great. Phîulîupûs or Philippus Aridæus. Aleksandres or Alexander II.

33d Dynasty, the Ptolemies, B. C. 305 to 30.

Kings: Ptolemy I. Soter I. Ptolemy II. Philadelphus. Ptolemy III. Euergetes I. Ptolemy IV. Philopator I. Ptolemy V. Epiphanes. Ptolemy VI. Eupator. Ptolemy VII. Philometor. Ptolemy VIII. Philopator II. Ptolemy IX. Euergetes II. Cleopatra III. Ptolemy X. Soter II. Ptolemy XI. Alexander I. Berenice III. Ptolemy XII. Alexander II. Ptolemy XIII. Neos Dionysios. Cleopatra VI. Ptolemy XVI. Cæsarion.

34th Dynasty, the Romans, B. C. 30 to A. D. 395.

Emperors: Augustus. Tiberius. Caligula. Claudius. Nero. Galba. Otho. Vespasian. Titus. Domitian. Nerva. Trajan. Hadrian. Antoninus Pius. Aurelius. Verus. Commodus. Severus. Caracalla. Geta. Decius. .......... A. D. 251.

Egyptian history ends here as far as the monuments are concerned, for Decius is the last Roman emperor mentioned by them. Prominent among the succeeding emperors are Gallienus, Aurelian, Probus, Diocletian, Constantine the Great, Constantius, and Theodosius the Great. The emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire, called the Byzantines, rule over Egypt from A. D. 395 to 638. The Mohammedans then conquer the country in 638, and have remained in possession until now. One of the best of these rulers or Khedives was the late Ishmael Pasha.

"City of Obelisks."A designation of Heliopolis.191

"City of the Seven Hills."A designation of Rome which was originally built on seven hills.25

"City of the Sun."The translation of the Greek wordἩλιούπολις[Hêliûpolis], which is An or Heliopolis.3651

Claudius.The fourth Roman emperor (A. D. 41-54). His full name is Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus. In the Egyptian inscriptions he is called8

Cleopatra II.The sister and wife of Ptolemy VII. Philometor, and afterwards wife of her brother Ptolemy IX. Euergetes II. She reigned with them at intervals,but all by herself from B. C. 130 to 127. Her name and that of Ptolemy IX. on the Obelisk of Philæ were the first that were read after the discovery of the Egyptian alphabet by François Champollion. Her Egyptian name is7

Cleopatra VI.The famous and infamous queen after whom the New York Obelisk is named, though incorrectly. She was born B. C. 69, married her brother Ptolemy XIV. in 52, combined with Julius Cæsar in 49, and dethroned her brother who was soon after that drowned. In 47 she married her second brother Ptolemy XV. whom she poisoned in 44. She then made her own son by Julius Cæsar, Ptolemy XVI. Cæsarion, co-regent with herself, but, falling in love with Mark Antony, killed her son and placed her lover on the throne in 37. At the very height of her power she was vanquished by Octavius, who became afterwards the emperor Augustus, and died with Mark Antony in 30 B. C. Her Egyptian name is3940

"Cleopatra's Needle."The usual designation of the New York Obelisk.810414281

Colossus.A Greek wordΚολοσσός, "a gigantic statue".15Colossi of thebes. The two colossal statues of Amenophis III., one of them being the Vocal Memnon. Besides them there are at Thebes several others, notably of Ramses II. (Luxor and Karnak) and of Ramses III.(Medînet-Habu). Other colossal figures of Ramses II. are found at Mitrahîneh [Memphis] and, wrought into the rock, at Abusimbel.1689

Constantine the Great.The first Roman emperor of that name and the introducer of Christianity into the whole empire. He was sole ruler of the Eastern and Western Roman Empires from 323 to 337 A. D.81022

Constantinople.The capital of the Turkish Empire, founded by Constantine the Great 330 A. D. on the site of the ancient Byzantium. It is called in Turkish Istambûlاستانبول.8

Constantius II.A son of Constantine the Great who was sole ruler of the Roman Empire from 351 to 361 A. D.8

Coptic Language.The name given to the Egyptian language [Coptic being an abbreviation for Egyptic] in use at the time of the Romans and spoken until the seventeenth century of our era. There were three dialects, the Sahidic (of Upper Egypt) and the Memphitic and Bashmuric (of Lower Egypt). The language was almost exclusively used by the Christian Copts. The alphabet is the Greek with some changes in the form of the letters and six additions from the Hieroglyphic. This is the alphabet:90

and the syllabic signti.

Coptos.The capital of theVth nome of Upper Egypt,the modern Kuftقفط. Its Egyptian name wasQebti·t.88

Corfe Castle Obelisk.This was one of the two obelisks in front of the temple of Isis at Philæ and was erected by Cleopatra II. and Ptolemy IX. It has one column of inscriptions on each face and the cartouches of these sovereigns. Below is a very long Greek inscription which enabled Champollion to read these cartouches. The obelisk was removed in 1815 by Belzoni to England, and is at present in Corfe Castle, Isle of Purbeck, Dorsetshire.10

Crab.In reality the scorpion, which was the symbol of the goddess Selq, a form of the goddess Isis. Its name in Egyptian isserkorserq. It must have been quite extensively worshiped in Dakkeh, Nubia, which received from it the namePeserk·t, the ancient Pselcis. In Ptolemaic times the crab or scorpion seems to have been identified with the evil genius.21383981

Crocodilopolis.The capital of the western half of theXXIst nome of Upper Egypt, theḤa-Sebekof the Egyptians, now Bejij in the Fayoom (which see).51190

Crowns of Egypt.To correspond with the divisions of Egypt there were two crowns; the one calledḥez"the white one" (), signifying Upper Egypt, and the otherdesher"the red one" (), signifying Lower Egypt. Whenever the king ruled over all Egypt these two crowns were joined into one, which was calledsekhen·tin Hieroglyphic, but in Demotic, with the prefixed articlepe,pskhent, or the Greek wordψχὲντ[pskhent]. This crown was worn by kings and gods.3160

Damascus.The capital of Syria. It is called in the Bibleדַּמֶּשֶׂק[Dammêseq], in Arabicدمشق[Dimashku],and in EgyptianThemesqu, and was the extreme limit of the conquest of Thothmes III. in northern Palestine.36

Damietta.A small town situated between the Damietta branch of the Nile and Lake Menzaleh, and at present called Dumyât. It is perhaps the site of the ancient EgyptianḤa·t-nebes·t.92

Dashûr.A village near the site of the ancient Memphis and only a short distance from a number of small and two large pyramids.91

Deb·t.The Egyptian name of Edfu.87

Deḥuti.The ibis-faced god whose name is written in EgyptianDeḥuti. The usual way of writing this god's name is Thoth (which see).56

Deḥuti-meses.The family name of Thothmes III. in its simplest form.49586061

Deḥuti-meses-nefer-kheperu.One of the variants of the family name of Thothmes III., which means "the child of Thoth, beautiful in his transformations".586061

Delta.The northern part of Egypt or Lower Egypt lying around the seven branches of the Nile. This part of the country forms a vast triangle and, because of its resemblance to their letter D [ΔDelta], was called by the Greeks "the Delta". Its Egyptian name ispa ta merâ·t, "the land of the inundation".8490

Demotic.The third kind of Egyptian writing which was formerly also called "enchorial" or indigenous. It was the simplest form in which the Egyptian picture-characters were written, and was introduced in the reign of Psametik I. [7th century B. C.]. Being read from right to left like the Hieratic, it was employed for the same class of literary work as this. The ease, however,with which it could be written made it most suitable for every-day use, and it supplanted the Hieratic almost completely. It was itself superseded in the time of the Roman emperors by the Coptic (which see). It was called in Hieroglyphics (on the Rosetta Stone)sekhi en shâî"writing of the books".

The Demotic alphabet is here subjoined.

Back to Index Next