SECOND PERIOD.

From the Sesostridæ until the sole dominion of Psammetichus. B. C. 1500—650.

The sources for this period are the same as for the foregoing; and the history still preserves the character of records handed down by hieroglyphics. To this period belongs the line of kings subsequent to Sesostris, given both by Herodotus and Diodorus. Those two historians nearly agree, if we regard Herodotus's line of kings, not as uninterrupted, but as the fragments of a series deduced solely from public monuments: this will be demonstrated by the following table, in which the predecessors of Sesostris have likewise been indicated.

Herodotus.Diodorus.
Menes.Menes.
He was followed by three hundred and thirty kings belongingto the previous period, concerning which our information is very incomplete: amongthose sovereigns were eighteen Ethiopians, and one queennamed Nitocris.Followed by fifty-two successors, ranging over a period of more than 1400 years.
Busiris I. and eight successors; the last of whom was
Busiris II. the founder of Thebes.
Osymandyas and eight successors;the last of whom was
Uchoreus, founder of Memphis.
Ægyptus, grandson of the foregoing. After the lapse of twelve generations,
Mœris.Mœris.
Seven generations.
Sesostris.Sesostris or Sesoosis.
Pheron, son of Sesostris.Sesostris II. son of the foregoing:he assumed his father's name.
Interval comprising several generations.
Amasis, and the Ethiopian,
Actisanus.
Mendes or Manes, builder of the labyrinth.
Anarchy which lasted five generations.
Proteus, in the time of the Trojan war.Proteus or Cetes, in the time of the Trojan war.
Rhampsinitus.Remphis, son of the foregoing.
Seven generations, in the course of which flourished Nileus, from whom the Nile derives its name.
Cheops, builder of the great pyramid.Chemmis or Chembes, from Memphis, builder of the great pyramid.
Chephres, brother to the foregoing, builder of a pyramid.Cephren, brother to the foregoing, builder of a pyramid.
Mycerinus, son of Cheops, builder of a pyramid.Mycerinus, son of Chemmis, builder of a pyramid.
Asychis the legislator.Bochoris the legislator.
Anysis, who was blind.Interval of several generations.
Sabaco, the Ethiopian.Sabaco, the Ethiopian
Anysis, king for the second time.
Sethos, a priest of Vulcan.
Dodecarchy.Dodecarchy.
Psammetichus of Sais, sole ruler.Psammetichus of Sais, sole ruler.

This comparative table demonstrates evidently, not only that Herodotus's line is often interrupted, but likewise that it is impossible to establish any continuous chronology, since Diodorus, more than once leaves the number of generations undetermined. Great importance, nevertheless, attaches to the date fixed by Herodotus, ii, 13, where he declares that king Mœris flourished 900 years before his own visit to Egypt: consequently between B. C. 1500 and 1450. And if, as seems highly probable, the age of Sesostris was the 15th century B. C. (see Zoega, de Obeliscis), it cannot be denied but that we have some general epochs; and with these we must remain content until more satisfactory information can be discovered on the monuments. It should likewise be observed, that the discrepancy between the names of the kings mentioned by Herodotus and Diodorus, and those furnished by Manetho, may be accounted for by the fact, that the sovereigns were distinguished by different names on the monuments and in common life.

Of the dynasties of Manetho, the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 22nd, belong to this period; more especially the two first, which contain the most important of the Pharaohs.

Brilliant period of the Pharaohs.

1. The following period, nearly to its termination, was the brilliant age of Egypt, during which it formed but one empire; the kings being represented as sovereign lords of the whole country. And, indeed, it was natural that the expulsion of the invaders should be followed by a period in which the military force and ardour of the nation would be developed, and directed to external conquest. The capital of the empire was, no doubt, Thebes, the great monuments of which were erected in this period; that honour, however, seems to have alternately belonged to Memphis, Herodotus's line of kings being deduced from the monuments of that city, and more especially from the temple of Phtha.

The more powerful of the Pharaohs of this period, and the founders of the most important monuments of Upper Egypt, on which their names are found, are the following: belonging to the 18th dynasty, somewhere about 1600—1500.

Amenophis I. His name is likewise found beyond Egypt on the temple of Amada, in Nubia.