Pharaoh

• The Pharaoh was the King and Ruler of Ancient Egypt. The Pharaohs are divided into 31 Dynasties or Periods, dating from c. 3,100 to 30 BCE.
• Under the Pharaohs, the capital of Egypt was either Thebes, Memphis or Tell el-Amarna.

Manetho

• The first 30 Dynasties were listed by Manetho (c.323-246 BCE).
• Manetho was the Chief Priest and Historian at the Temple of Ra-Atum in Heliopolis, Egypt. He was an Egyptian, but he wrote in the Greek language.

The Dynasties

• Dynasties 1-3:
  • Early Dynastic Period (2950-2575 BCE)
• Dynasties 4-8:
  • Old Kingdom (2575-2150 BCE)
• Dynasties 9-11:
  • First Intermediate Period (2150-1975 BCE)
• Dynasties 11-14:
  • Middle Kingdom (1975-1640 BCE)
• Dynasties 15-17:
  • Second Intermediate Period (1640-1620 BCE)
• Dynasties 18-20:
  • New Kingdom (1520-1075 BCE)
• Dynasties 21-24:
  • Third Intermediate Period (1075-653 BCE)
• Dynasties 25-30:
  • Late Period (653-332 BCE)
• Dynasty 31:
  • Ptolemaic Dynasty (305-30 BCE)

The Periods

• Early Dynastic Period. (3,100-2,686 BCE)
• Old Kingdom. (2,686-2,181 BCE)
  • Khufu (Cheops) (c. 2,589-2,566 BCE)
  • Khafre (Cephren) Cheop’s son (c. 2,558-2,532 BCE).
  • Menkaure (Mycerinus) Cheop’s son (c. 2,530 BCE)
  • Djedefre (Ratoises) Cheop’s son (c. 2,528-2,520 BCE).
• First Intermediate Period. (2181-2055 BCE)
• Middle Kingdom. (2055-1650 BCE)
  • Amenemhet III (1817-1772 BCE)
• Second Intermediate Period. (1650-1550 BCE)

• New Kingdom. (1550-1069 BCE)
  • Eighteenth Dynasty:
    • Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BCE)
    • Thutmose III (1479-1425 BCE) Coregent with Hatshepsut. c.1457 BCE Battle of Megiddo
    • Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) (c.1353-1335 BCE) The ‘heretic Pharaoh’ married to Queen Nefertiti.
    • Smenkhkare (c.1335-1334 BCE)
    • Neferneferuaten (c.1334-1332 BCE) (possibly Queen Nefertiti)
    • Tutankhamun (c.1332-1323 BCE) son of Akhenaten.
    • Ay (1323-1319 BCE) Grand Vizier to Tutankhamun.
  • Nineteenth Dynasty:
    • Ramesses I (1292-1290 BCE)
    • Set I (1290-1279 BCE)
    • Ramesses II (Ramesses The Great) (c.1279-1213 BCE)
    • Merneptah (1213-1203 BCE)
    • Seti II (1203-1197 BCE)
    • Amenmesse (1201-1198 BCE)
    • Siptah (1197-1191 BCE)
    • Queen Twosret (1191-1189 BCE)
  • Twentieth Dynasty:
    • Ramesses III (1186-1155 BCE) and the Sea Peoples

• Third Intermediate Period (1069-654 BCE)
• The Late Period (664-332 BCE)
• Ptolemaic Dynasty (305-30 BCE)

The Divisions

• Egypt was divided into Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt:
• Ancient Egypt was originally two different Kingdoms with different dialects and customs, which were eventually united together by the Pharaohs, around 3,100 BCE.
• Egypt consisted of the Nile Delta and two narrow strips of land on either side of the Nile.
  • Lower Egypt
    • Included the Nile Delta and had 20 Nomes or Divisions which were numbered 1 to 20 from south to north in each area. Memphis (near Cairo) was Nome number 1.
  • Fort Babylon
    • Fort Babylon near Cairo was built on 30 N and commanded the Border between Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt.
    • It was the collection point for Tolls paid on the Nile in either direction.
  • Middle Egypt
    • The area between Cairo and the Qena Bend is sometimes known as Middle Egypt, although technically it is a part of Upper Egypt.
  • Upper Egypt
    • Started at Elephantine near the Cataracts of the Nile, and had 22 Nomes numbered 1 to 22, with Elephantine as Nome number 1.
  • Nomes
    • Each Division was then subdivided into Nomes based on City States. This system had remained virtually unchanged for 3,000 years until the Reforms of Diocletian in 307-8 CE, when they were subdivided into smaller units called Pagi.

Ptolemaic Dynasty (332-30 BCE)

• The Greek General Ptolemy took over Egypt after Alexander the Great‘s death in 323 BCE.
• The Ptolemies then ruled Egypt until Queen Cleopatra VII lost the Battle of Actium against the Romans in 31 BCE.

Roman Egypt (30 BCE – 642 CE)

• Battle of Actium (31 BCE)
  • Queen Cleopatra VII was the last Pharaoh of Egypt. She and Mark Anthony went to war with Octavian and lost the naval Battle of Actium in 31 BCE.
• Roman Invasion of Egypt (30 BCE)
  • In 30 BCE having defeated Queen Cleopatra VII amd Mark Anthony, Octavian then occupied Egypt and declared himself Pharaoh.
• Title of Pharaoh
  • Egypt was retained as the personal property of all future Roman Emperors, who were all accorded the title of Pharaoh.

Memphis (Ruins)