The king list of Syncellus

In the early ninth century, George Syncellus, a monk in Constantinople, composed a chronicle of world history which was a collection of excerpts and citations from numerous sources, including kings lists from the chronicles of Africanus and Eusebius. It also had several extracts from Jewish and Christian sources.

The Ancient Chronicle

Apparently in circulation during the time of Syncellus, it is partially based on Manetho, but a forgery created in the centuries before Syncellus.

Syncellus wrote: Now there circulates among the Egyptians a certain Ancient Chronography, on the basis of which I believe Manetho has also gone astray. It encompasses an enormous period of time consisting of 30 dynasties again in 113 generations, in (and this is not the same duration of time as Manetho) 36,525 years, treating first of the Auritai, then the Mestraioi, and third the Egyptians. It reads just about word for word as follows:

The reigns of the gods according to the Ancient Chronicle

There is no measured time for Hephaistos because of the fact that he shines by night and day.
Helios, the son of Hephaistos, reigned for 30,000 years, followed by Noble spirits for 184 years.
Then Kronos and all the remaining 12 gods who succeeded him reigned for 3,984 years.
Then the eight demigod kings for 217 years, and after them the fifteen generations of the Sothic cycle in 443 years.

After them:

The 16th dynasty of the Tanites, 8 generations — 190 years
The 17th dynasty of the Memphites, 4 generations — 103 years
The 18th dynasty of the Memphites, 14 generations — 348 years
The 19th dynasty of the Diospolitans, 5 generations — 194 years
The 20th dynasty of the Diospolitans, 8 generations — 228 years
The 21st dynasty of the Tanites, 6 generations — 121 years
The 22nd dynasty of the Tanites, 3 generations — 48 years
The 23rd dynasty of the Diospolitans, 2 generations — 19 years
The 24th dynasty of the Saites, 3 generations — 44 years
The 25th dynasty of the Ethiopians, 3 generations — 44 years
The 26th dynasty of the Memphites, 7 generations — 177 years
The 27th dynasty of 5 Persians, 5 generations — 124 years
[ The 28th dynasty of 1 Saite, 1 generation — 6 years ]
The 29th dynasty of the Tanites, 7 generations — 39 years
Finally, the 30th dynasty of a single Tanite18 years
All told, 30 dynasties for a total of 36,525 years.

Note: Actual total: 36,531. Syncellus somehow missed/left out the 28th dynasty.
The sum for the gods and demigods is 34,385 years, and the 29 (30) dynasties of mortal kings total 2,140 (2,146) years.

The Book of Sothis

Believed by Syncellus to be genuine Manetho, it was clearly based upon Eusebius and Josephus, with additions that cannot easily be explained. The sequence of 86 kings is not divided into dynasties, despite Syncellus himself describing that it contained thirty. He only mentions which dynasty the kings belong to in a few cases. It is also impossible to divide the kings into dynasties as their sequence is clearly not chronological, as can be noted in the commentary.

The Book of Sothis is a pseudo-Manetho text, written by an author using Manetho’s name as a pseudonym on his own work. The quoted letter To the great King Ptolemy Philadelphus Augustus from Manetho is clearly a forgery and can not have been written by Manetho, as the title "Augustus", originates with the Roman emperors 200 years after Manetho lived. In a best case scenario, the Book of Sothis might be sourced from a severely corrupted version of an epitome of Aegyptiaca, as there are some portions that do follow Manetho, but not in the correct order. The 86 kings are listed under the heading Kings of the Egyptians throughout his Chronicle.

The list of kings is included here only for the sake of completeness.

No.NameReign
1Menes
Μηνης
35 years
2Kourodes
Κουρωδης
63 years
3Aristarkhos
Aρισταρχος
34 years
4Spanios
Σπανιος
36 years
5
72 years
6
72 years
7Osiropis
Ωσιροπις
23 years
8Sesonkhosis
Σεσονχωσις
49 years
9Amenemes
Aμενεμης
29 years
10Amasis
Aπασις
2 years
11Akesephthres
Aκεσεφθρης
13 years
12Ankhoreus
Aνχορευς
9 years
13Armiuses
Aρμιυσης
4 years
14Khamois
Χαμοις
12 years
15Miamous
Μιαμους
14 years
16Amesesis
Aμεσησις
65 years
17Ouses
Ουσης
50 years
18Rhameses
Ραμεσης
29 years
19Rhamessomenes
Ραμεσσομενης
15 years
20Ousimares
Ουσιμαρης
31 years
21Rhamesseseos
Ραμεσσησεως
23 years
22Rhamessameno
Ραμεσσαμενω
19 years
23Rhamesse Ioubasse
Ραμεσση Ιουβασση
38 years
24Rhamesse Ouaphron
Ραμεσση Ουαφρον
29 years
25Konkharis
Κονχαρις
5 years
26Silites
Σιλιτης
19 years
27Baion
Βαιων
44 years
28Apakhnas
Aπαχνας
36 years
29Aphophis
Aφωφις
61 years
30Sethos
Σεθως
50 years
31Kertos
Κηρτως
29 years
32Aseth
Aσηθ
20 years
33Amosis / Tethmosis
Aμωσις / Τεθμωσις
26 years
34Khebron
Χεβρων
13 years
35Amemphis
Aμεμφις
15 years
36Amenses
Aμενσης
11 years
37Misphragmouthosis
Μισφραγμουθωσις
16 years
38Misphres
Μισφρης
23 years
39Touthmosis
Τουθμωσις
39 years
40Amenophthis
Αμενωφθις
34 years
41Oros
Ωρος
48 years
42Akhenkheres
Αχενχερης
25 years
43Athoris
Αθωρις
29 years
44Khenkheres
Χενχερης
26 years
45Akherres
Αχερρης
8 years
46Armaios / Danaos
Aρμαιος / Δανος
9 years
47Rhamesses / Aigyptos
Ραμεσσης / Αιγυπτος
68 years
48Amenophis
Αμενωφις
8 years
49Thouoris
Θουωρις
17 years
50Nekhepsos
Νεχεψως
19 years
51Psammouthis
Ψαμμουθις
13 years
52
4 years
53Kertos
Κηρτως
16 years
54Rhampsis
Ραμψις
45 years
55Amenses / Ammenemes
Aμενσης / Aμμενεμης
26 years
56Okhuras
Οχυρας
14 years
57Amendes
Aμενδης
27 years
58Thouoris
Θουωρις
50 years
59Athothis / Phousanos
Aθωθις / Φουσανος
28 years
60Kenkenes
Κενκενης
39 years
61Ouennephis
Ουεννεφις
42 years
62Sousakeim
Σουσακειμ
34 years
63Psouenos
Ψουενος
25 years
64Ammenophis
Αμμενωφις
9 years
65Nephekheres
Νεφεχερης
6 years
66Saites
Σαιτης
15 years
67Psinakhes
Ψιναχης
9 years
68Petoubastes
Πετουβαστης
44 years
69Osorthon
Oσωρθων
9 years
70Psammos
Ψαμμος
10 years
71Konkkharis
Κονχαρις
21 years
72Osorthon
Oσορθων
15 years
73Takalophis
Τακαλωθις
13 years
74Bokkhoris
Βοκχωρις
44 years
75Sabakon
Σαβακων
12 years
76Sebekhon
Σεβηχων
12 years
77Tarakes
Ταρακης
20 years
78Amaes
Aμαης
38 years
79Stephinathes
Στεφιναθης
27 years
80Nekhepsos
Νεχεψος
13 years
81Nekhao
Νεχαω
8 years
82Psammetikhos
Ψαμμητιχος
14 years
83Nekhao II
Νεχαω β
9 years
84Psammouthis / Psammetikhos
Ψαμουθης / Ψαμμητιχος
17 years
85Ouaphris
Ουαφρις
34 years
86Amosis
Aμωσις
50 years

Bibliography

  • Adler, W. and Tuffin, P., 2002. The Chronography of George Synkellos. Oxford: 71-73, 135, 143, 146, 156, 178, 211, 218, 224, 231-2, 245, 257-8, 267-8, 277-8, 306-7.
  • Verbrugghe, G. P. and Wickersham. J. M., 1996. Berossos and Manetho. Ann Arbor: 125-127, 177-182
  • Waddell, W. G., 1964. Manetho. Cambridge, Mass.: 234-249.