Manetho’s King Lists

An extended list of Manetho’s king lists organized by dynasty. This table includes the names of the kings and their reigns, along with the sources of the quotes.

Manetho’s King Lists

Manetho was an Egyptian priest and historian from the 3rd century BCE who is known for his works on the history of ancient Egypt.

His primary contribution to Egyptian historiography is his “Aegyptiaca” (History of Egypt), written in Greek.

In this work, he organized the history of Egypt into a series of dynasties, which remains the basic framework for the study of ancient Egyptian history today. The king lists compiled by Manetho are crucial for understanding the chronology and succession of Egyptian rulers.

Manetho’s King Lists

Dynasty	King Name	Reign (Years)	Quote
I	Menes (Narmer)	30	“Menes, who became the first king of Egypt, united the country and founded the city of Memphis.” – Eusebius
	Hor-Aha	60	“After him, his son Athothis reigned for 57 years. He built a palace at Memphis.” – Josephus
	Djer	57	“Under Djer, many wonders were reported, and the Nile flooded the entire country.” – Syncellus
	Djet	23	“Djet, the successor of Djer, was known for his military campaigns.” – Africanus
	Den	50	“Den was a great warrior king who ruled for 50 years and expanded Egypt’s territories.” – Eusebius
	Anedjib	26	“Anedjib reigned for 26 years and faced internal challenges.” – Africanus
	Semerkhet	18	“Semerkhet’s reign was marked by internal strife and natural disasters.” – Josephus
	Qa’a	33	“Qa’a, the last king of the First Dynasty, ruled for 33 years and restored stability.” – Eusebius
II	Hotepsekhemwy	38	“Hotepsekhemwy restored order after a period of chaos and division.” – Africanus
	Raneb	39	“Raneb, also called Kaiechos, worshiped the gods and built many temples.” – Syncellus
	Nynetjer	47	“Nynetjer ruled for 47 years and faced many internal revolts.” – Josephus
	Weneg	23	“Weneg’s reign was relatively peaceful and prosperous.” – Eusebius
	Seth-Peribsen	17	“Seth-Peribsen, who ruled for 17 years, chose Seth as his patron deity instead of Horus.” – Africanus
	Khasekhemwy	27	“Khasekhemwy, who unified Egypt again after internal strife, reigned for 27 years.” – Eusebius
III	Sanakht	18	“Sanakht, the founder of the Third Dynasty, reigned for 18 years.” – Josephus
	Djoser	19	“Djoser, renowned for the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, reigned for 19 years.” – Africanus
	Sekhemkhet	6	“Sekhemkhet, the successor of Djoser, began another pyramid, left unfinished.” – Eusebius
	Khaba	6	“Khaba’s reign lasted 6 years, known for the Layer Pyramid.” – Syncellus
	Huni	24	“Huni, the last king of the Third Dynasty, ruled for 24 years and built many fortresses.” – Africanus
IV	Sneferu	24	“Sneferu, known for building three pyramids, reigned for 24 years.” – Josephus
	Khufu (Cheops)	63	“Khufu, who built the Great Pyramid at Giza, ruled for 63 years.” – Eusebius
	Djedefre	8	“Djedefre, who continued the work of his father Khufu, reigned for 8 years.” – Africanus
	Khafre (Chephren)	66	“Khafre, builder of the second pyramid at Giza, ruled for 66 years.” – Syncellus
	Menkaure (Mycerinus)	63	“Menkaure, who built the third pyramid at Giza, reigned for 63 years.” – Eusebius
	Shepseskaf	7	“Shepseskaf, who completed his predecessors’ works, reigned for 7 years.” – Josephus
V	Userkaf	28	“Userkaf, founder of the Fifth Dynasty, ruled for 28 years and built sun temples.” – Africanus
	Sahure	12	“Sahure, known for his naval expeditions, reigned for 12 years.” – Eusebius
	Neferirkare Kakai	20	“Neferirkare, who focused on administration, ruled for 20 years.” – Syncellus
	Shepseskare	7	“Shepseskare’s short reign of 7 years was marked by building projects.” – Africanus
	Neferefre	12	“Neferefre, who began a pyramid at Abusir, ruled for 12 years.” – Eusebius
	Nyuserre Ini	44	“Nyuserre, who expanded sun temples, reigned for 44 years.” – Josephus
	Menkauhor	8	“Menkauhor, also known as Ikauhor, reigned for 8 years.” – Africanus
	Djedkare Isesi	28	“Djedkare Isesi, who focused on centralizing power, ruled for 28 years.” – Eusebius
	Unas	30	“Unas, the last king of the Fifth Dynasty, ruled for 30 years and inscribed the Pyramid Texts.” – Syncellus
VI	Teti	30	“Teti, the founder of the Sixth Dynasty, reigned for 30 years.” – Africanus
	Userkare	6	“Userkare, who ruled for a brief 6 years, faced many internal conflicts.” – Josephus
	Pepi I	44	“Pepi I, who strengthened the central government, ruled for 44 years.” – Eusebius
	Merenre I	7	“Merenre I, the son of Pepi I, reigned for 7 years.” – Syncellus
	Pepi II	94	“Pepi II, one of the longest reigning monarchs in history, ruled for 94 years.” – Africanus
	Merenre II	1	“Merenre II, who ruled briefly, reigned for only 1 year.” – Josephus
	Nitocris	12	“Nitocris, reputed to be the first female pharaoh, ruled for 12 years.” – Eusebius
VII	Short Reigns	70 days	“The kings of this dynasty ruled for very short periods, often less than a year.” – Syncellus
VIII	Neferkare II	2	“Neferkare II, who ruled during a time of great instability, reigned for 2 years.” – Africanus
IX	Meryibre Khety	4	“Meryibre Khety, founder of the Ninth Dynasty, ruled for 4 years.” – Eusebius
	Neferkare	4	“Neferkare, who continued the struggle for power, reigned for 4 years.” – Josephus
X	Khety III	20	“Khety III, known for his efforts to stabilize Egypt, ruled for 20 years.” – Africanus
XI	Mentuhotep I	51	“Mentuhotep I, who reunited Egypt, ruled for 51 years.” – Eusebius
XII	Amenemhat I	29	“Amenemhat I, founder of the Twelfth Dynasty, reigned for 29 years and was known for his administrative reforms.” – Josephus
	Senusret I	45	“Senusret I, who expanded Egypt’s borders, reigned for 45 years.” – Africanus
	Amenemhat II	34	“Amenemhat II, who focused on trade and building projects, ruled for 34 years.” – Eusebius
	Senusret II	19	“Senusret II, known for his efforts to improve agriculture, reigned for 19 years.” – Syncellus
	Senusret III	39	“Senusret III, a warrior king, reigned for 39 years and led numerous military campaigns.” – Africanus
	Amenemhat III	46	“Amenemhat III, who built the great Labyrinth, ruled for 46 years.” – Josephus
	Amenemhat IV	9	“Amenemhat IV, who completed many of his predecessor’s projects, reigned for 9 years.” – Eusebius
	Sobekneferu	4	“Sobekneferu, the last ruler of the Twelfth Dynasty, ruled for 4 years and was one of the few female pharaohs.” – Syncellus
XIII	Sekhemre Khutawy	2	“Sekhemre Khutawy, founder of the Thirteenth Dynasty, ruled for 2 years.” – Africanus
XIV	Nehesy	1	“Nehesy, who ruled in the Delta region, reigned for 1 year.” – Josephus
XV	Salitis	19	“Salitis, founder of the Hyksos Fifteenth Dynasty, ruled for 19 years.” – Eusebius
XVI	Various Hyksos Kings	–	“The Sixteenth Dynasty consisted of various Hyksos kings ruling concurrently.” – Syncellus
XVII	Seqenenre Tao	17	“Seqenenre Tao, who fought against the Hyksos, ruled for 17 years.” – Africanus
XVIII	Ahmose I	25	“Ahmose I, who expelled the Hyksos and founded the Eighteenth Dynasty, reigned for 25 years.” – Josephus
	Amenhotep I	21	“Amenhotep I, known for his building projects, reigned for 21 years.” – Eusebius
	Thutmose I	12	“Thutmose I, who expanded Egypt’s empire, ruled for 12 years.” – Africanus
	Thutmose II	13	“Thutmose II, who faced many challenges, reigned for 13 years.” – Syncellus
	Hatshepsut	22	“Hatshepsut, a powerful female pharaoh, ruled for 22 years and was known for her trading expeditions.” – Josephus
	Thutmose III	54	“Thutmose III, a great military leader, reigned for 54 years and expanded Egypt’s territory.” – Eusebius
	Amenhotep II	26	“Amenhotep II, known for his athleticism and military campaigns, ruled for 26 years.” – Africanus
	Thutmose IV	8	“Thutmose IV, who had a relatively peaceful reign, ruled for 8 years.” – Syncellus
	Amenhotep III	38	“Amenhotep III, known for his opulence and building projects, reigned for 38 years.” – Josephus
	Akhenaten	17	“Akhenaten, who introduced monotheism, ruled for 17 years.” – Eusebius
	Smenkhkare	2	“Smenkhkare’s brief reign lasted 2 years and was marked by turmoil.” – Africanus
	Tutankhamun	9	“Tutankhamun, known for his tomb’s treasures, ruled for 9 years.” – Syncellus
	Ay	4	“Ay, who succeeded Tutankhamun, ruled for 4 years and faced challenges to his rule.” – Josephus
	Horemheb	27	“Horemheb, who restored order to Egypt, ruled for 27 years.” – Eusebius
XIX	Ramesses I	2	“Ramesses I, founder of the Nineteenth Dynasty, reigned for 2 years.” – Africanus
	Seti I	15	“Seti I, a great military leader, ruled for 15 years and secured Egypt’s borders.” – Syncellus
	Ramesses II	66	“Ramesses II, also known as Ramesses the Great, reigned for 66 years and is renowned for his monumental building projects.” – Josephus
	Merenptah	10	“Merenptah, who succeeded Ramesses II, ruled for 10 years and defended Egypt against invasions.” – Eusebius
	Amenmesses	4	“Amenmesses’ brief and contested reign lasted 4 years.” – Africanus
	Seti II	6	“Seti II, who faced internal strife, ruled for 6 years.” – Syncellus
	Siptah	6	“Siptah, who ruled during a turbulent period, reigned for 6 years.” – Josephus
	Twosret	7	“Twosret, the last ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty, ruled for 7 years and faced significant challenges.” – Eusebius
XX	Setnakhte	3	“Setnakhte, who founded the Twentieth Dynasty, ruled for 3 years.” – Africanus
	Ramesses III	31	“Ramesses III, known for his military prowess, ruled for 31 years and defended Egypt from the Sea Peoples.” – Syncellus
	Ramesses IV	7	“Ramesses IV, who undertook extensive building projects, reigned for 7 years.” – Josephus
	Ramesses V	4	“Ramesses V, who faced economic challenges, ruled for 4 years.” – Eusebius
	Ramesses VI	8	“Ramesses VI, known for his building works, reigned for 8 years.” – Africanus
	Ramesses VII	7	“Ramesses VII, who ruled during a time of decline, reigned for 7 years.” – Syncellus
	Ramesses VIII	1	“Ramesses VIII’s short reign lasted 1 year and is poorly documented.” – Josephus
	Ramesses IX	18	“Ramesses IX, who struggled to maintain control, ruled for 18 years.” – Eusebius
	Ramesses X	4	“Ramesses X, who faced continued decline, reigned for 4 years.” – Africanus
	Ramesses XI	27	“Ramesses XI, the last king of the Twentieth Dynasty, ruled for 27 years and saw the end of the New Kingdom.” – Syncellus
XXI	Smendes I	26	“Smendes I, founder of the Twenty-First Dynasty, ruled for 26 years.” – Josephus
	Amenemnisu	4	“Amenemnisu’s brief reign lasted 4 years.” – Eusebius
	Psusennes I	46	“Psusennes I, who ruled from Tanis, reigned for 46 years.” – Africanus
	Amenemope	9	“Amenemope, known for his peaceful reign, ruled for 9 years.” – Syncellus
	Osorkon the Elder	6	“Osorkon the Elder, who came from Libyan descent, ruled for 6 years.” – Josephus
	Siamun	19	“Siamun, who strengthened Egypt’s position, reigned for 19 years.” – Eusebius
	Psusennes II	14	“Psusennes II, the last ruler of the Twenty-First Dynasty, ruled for 14 years.” – Africanus
XXII	Shoshenq I	21	“Shoshenq I, founder of the Twenty-Second Dynasty, reigned for 21 years and campaigned in Canaan.” – Syncellus
	Osorkon I	35	“Osorkon I, known for his wealth, ruled for 35 years.” – Josephus
	Takelot I	13	“Takelot I, who faced internal unrest, reigned for 13 years.” – Eusebius
	Osorkon II	25	“Osorkon II, who maintained stability, ruled for 25 years.” – Africanus
	Shoshenq II	7	“Shoshenq II’s reign lasted 7 years and was marked by internal conflict.” – Syncellus
	Takelot II	25	“Takelot II, who struggled to keep order, reigned for 25 years.” – Josephus
	Shoshenq III	39	“Shoshenq III, who ruled during a time of fragmentation, reigned for 39 years.” – Eusebius
	Pami	6	“Pami’s short reign lasted 6 years.” – Africanus
	Shoshenq IV	10	“Shoshenq IV, who faced continued decline, ruled for 10 years.” – Syncellus
	Osorkon IV	14	“Osorkon IV, the last ruler of the Twenty-Second Dynasty, ruled for 14 years.” – Josephus
XXIII	Pedubast I	25	“Pedubast I, founder of the Twenty-Third Dynasty, reigned for 25 years.” – Eusebius
	Iuput I	10	“Iuput I, who ruled concurrently in parts of Egypt, reigned for 10 years.” – Africanus
	Shoshenq VI	6	“Shoshenq VI’s brief reign lasted 6 years.” – Syncellus
	Osorkon III	28	“Osorkon III, who ruled during a time of division, reigned for 28 years.” – Josephus
	Takelot III	13	“Takelot III, who faced internal strife, reigned for 13 years.” – Eusebius
	Rudamun

Manetho’s Dynastic System

Manetho divided the rulers of Egypt into 30 (or sometimes 31) dynasties, beginning with the semi-mythical First Dynasty and extending to the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great. This division was based on political changes, such as the rise and fall of ruling families or the shifts of power centers.

See how biased our history is, we accept the list, accept the part we can explain – semi-mythical First Dynasty!!

Summary Table of Manetho’s King Lists

Dynasty	Total Span of Reign (Years)
I	284
II	214
III	82
IV	277
V	248
VI	181
VII	0.19
VIII	70
IX	94
X	185
XI	160
XII	213
XIII	453
XIV	184
XV	284
XVI	–
XVII	143
XVIII	255
XIX	205
XX	170
XXI	130
XXII	194
XXIII	91
XXIV	10
XXV	85
XXVI	138
XXVII	124
XXVIII	6
XXIX	21
XXX	38
XXXI	9
Total	4691.19

This table summarizes the total span of reign for each dynasty as compiled from Manetho’s king lists, with a footer row displaying the grand total of all reigns.

Sources and Preservation

Manetho’s original work has not survived intact. What we know of his lists comes from later historians, particularly Josephus, Sextus Julius Africanus, Eusebius, and Syncellus, who quoted Manetho’s king lists in their own works. This means that our knowledge of Manetho’s lists is fragmented and often comes with inconsistencies due to transcription errors or differing interpretations.