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 16^th dynasty of the Tanites, 8 generations — 190 years
The 17^th dynasty of the Memphites, 4 generations — 103 years
The 18^th dynasty of the Memphites, 14 generations — 348 years
The 19^th dynasty of the Diospolitans, 5 generations — 194 years
The 20^th dynasty of the Diospolitans, 8 generations — 228 years
The 21^st dynasty of the Tanites, 6 generations — 121 years
The 22^nd dynasty of the Tanites, 3 generations — 48 years
The 23^rd dynasty of the Diospolitans, 2 generations — 19 years
The 24^th dynasty of the Saites, 3 generations — 44 years
The 25^th dynasty of the Ethiopians, 3 generations — 44 years
The 26^th dynasty of the Memphites, 7 generations — 177 years
The 27^th dynasty of 5 Persians, 5 generations — 124 years
[ The 28^th dynasty of 1 Saite, 1 generation — 6 years ]
The 29^th dynasty of the Tanites, 7 generations — 39 years
Finally, the 30^th dynasty of a single Tanite — 18 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.	Name	Reign
1	Menes Μηνης	35 years
2	Kourodes Κουρωδης	63 years
3	Aristarkhos Aρισταρχος	34 years
4	Spanios Σπανιος	36 years
5	– –	72 years
6	– –	72 years
7	Osiropis Ωσιροπις	23 years
8	Sesonkhosis Σεσονχωσις	49 years
9	Amenemes Aμενεμης	29 years
10	Amasis Aπασις	2 years
11	Akesephthres Aκεσεφθρης	13 years
12	Ankhoreus Aνχορευς	9 years
13	Armiuses Aρμιυσης	4 years
14	Khamois Χαμοις	12 years
15	Miamous Μιαμους	14 years
16	Amesesis Aμεσησις	65 years
17	Ouses Ουσης	50 years
18	Rhameses Ραμεσης	29 years
19	Rhamessomenes Ραμεσσομενης	15 years
20	Ousimares Ουσιμαρης	31 years
21	Rhamesseseos Ραμεσσησεως	23 years
22	Rhamessameno Ραμεσσαμενω	19 years
23	Rhamesse Ioubasse Ραμεσση Ιουβασση	38 years
24	Rhamesse Ouaphron Ραμεσση Ουαφρον	29 years
25	Konkharis Κονχαρις	5 years
26	Silites Σιλιτης	19 years
27	Baion Βαιων	44 years
28	Apakhnas Aπαχνας	36 years
29	Aphophis Aφωφις	61 years
30	Sethos Σεθως	50 years
31	Kertos Κηρτως	29 years
32	Aseth Aσηθ	20 years
33	Amosis / Tethmosis Aμωσις / Τεθμωσις	26 years
34	Khebron Χεβρων	13 years
35	Amemphis Aμεμφις	15 years
36	Amenses Aμενσης	11 years
37	Misphragmouthosis Μισφραγμουθωσις	16 years
38	Misphres Μισφρης	23 years
39	Touthmosis Τουθμωσις	39 years
40	Amenophthis Αμενωφθις	34 years
41	Oros Ωρος	48 years
42	Akhenkheres Αχενχερης	25 years
43	Athoris Αθωρις	29 years
44	Khenkheres Χενχερης	26 years
45	Akherres Αχερρης	8 years
46	Armaios / Danaos Aρμαιος / Δανος	9 years
47	Rhamesses / Aigyptos Ραμεσσης / Αιγυπτος	68 years
48	Amenophis Αμενωφις	8 years
49	Thouoris Θουωρις	17 years
50	Nekhepsos Νεχεψως	19 years
51	Psammouthis Ψαμμουθις	13 years
52	– –	4 years
53	Kertos Κηρτως	16 years
54	Rhampsis Ραμψις	45 years
55	Amenses / Ammenemes Aμενσης / Aμμενεμης	26 years
56	Okhuras Οχυρας	14 years
57	Amendes Aμενδης	27 years
58	Thouoris Θουωρις	50 years
59	Athothis / Phousanos Aθωθις / Φουσανος	28 years
60	Kenkenes Κενκενης	39 years
61	Ouennephis Ουεννεφις	42 years
62	Sousakeim Σουσακειμ	34 years
63	Psouenos Ψουενος	25 years
64	Ammenophis Αμμενωφις	9 years
65	Nephekheres Νεφεχερης	6 years
66	Saites Σαιτης	15 years
67	Psinakhes Ψιναχης	9 years
68	Petoubastes Πετουβαστης	44 years
69	Osorthon Oσωρθων	9 years
70	Psammos Ψαμμος	10 years
71	Konkkharis Κονχαρις	21 years
72	Osorthon Oσορθων	15 years
73	Takalophis Τακαλωθις	13 years
74	Bokkhoris Βοκχωρις	44 years
75	Sabakon Σαβακων	12 years
76	Sebekhon Σεβηχων	12 years
77	Tarakes Ταρακης	20 years
78	Amaes Aμαης	38 years
79	Stephinathes Στεφιναθης	27 years
80	Nekhepsos Νεχεψος	13 years
81	Nekhao Νεχαω	8 years
82	Psammetikhos Ψαμμητιχος	14 years
83	Nekhao II Νεχαω β	9 years
84	Psammouthis / Psammetikhos Ψαμουθης / Ψαμμητιχος	17 years
85	Ouaphris Ουαφρις	34 years
86	Amosis 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.

The king list of Syncellus

The Ancient Chronicle

The Book of Sothis

Bibliography

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