The king lists of Herodotus

Herodotus traveled Asia and northern Africa, his second volume of Histories describes Egypt’s geography, people and relates stories about a number of pharaohs.

Herodotus was born about 490 BC in Halicarnassos and visited Egypt during the first period of Persian domination around 450 BC. While many of his stories might only be myths or legends, it is the earliest known book that contains the actual names of pharaohs, not just the title pharaoh. As a chronology it is almost worthless, for instance, he placed the pyramid builders of the Old Kingdom after the New Kingdom. Some of the named pharaohs are clearly compounded from more than one pharaoh. The end result is, in most cases, unreliable and hold very little historic credibility, but on the other hand, he merely recounted what he was told. Many of the known names of the pharaohs trace their origin to Herodotus. The kings mentioned are listed below.

After Mina came three hundred and thirty kings, whose names the priests recited from a papyrus roll. In all these many generations there were eighteen Ethiopian kings, and one queen, native to the country; the rest were all Egyptian men.

Herodotus, book II, chapter 100.1
ChapterGreekTransliterationPharaoh
2.99.2ΜιναMinaNarmer
2.100.2ΝιτωκριςNitokrisNetjerikara
2.101.1ΜοιριοςMoeriusAmenemhat III
2.102.1ΣεσωστριςSesostrisSenusret III
2.111.1ΦερωνPheron?
2.112.1ΠρωτεαProteus?
2.121.1PαμψινιτονRhampsinitosRamesses III
2.124ΧεοπαKheopsKhufu
2.127ΧεφρηναKhephrenKhafra
2.129ΜυκερινονMycerinusMenkaura
2.136.1AσυχινAsukhis?
2.137ΣαβακωνSabakonShabaka
2.137AνυσινAnusis?
2.140.2AμυρταιουAmurtaiouAmyrtaeus
2.141.1ΣεθωνSethosShebitko
2.151.2ΨαμμητιχοςPsammetikhosPsamtik I
2.152.1ΝεκωνNeconNecho I
2.158.1ΝεκωςNecosNecho II
2.159.3ΨαμμιPsammiPsamtik II
2.161AπριηςApriesApries
2.172AμασιςAmasisAmasis

Bibliography