The king lists of Eratosthenes

According to Syncellus, Apollodoros of Athens recorded a list of 38 Theban kings taken from Eratosthenes of Cyrene.

Apollodoros and Eratosthenes are considered pseudonymous, meaning that this list was written by someone else using their names to lend authority to it. Some of the names listed can be found in Manetho and Herodotus, suggesting there might be a common, but corrupted, source behind the list, as some of the names have no similarity whatsoever with other known lists. As a chronological list it is useless.

This list is included here only as a curiosity. In all likelyhood, Eratosthenes was not the author of this list.

The chronicler Apollodoros recorded another dynasty of 38 Egyptian kings, the Thebans, as they are called, who ruled for 1076 years. This dynasty commenced in AM 2900, and came to an end in AM 3045. The knowledge of these kings, he says, Eratosthenes received from Egyptian records and registers and at royal request he translated them into the Greek language, as follows (Adler & Tuffin: 128)

The reign of the thirty-eight so-called Theban kings in Egypt, whose names Eratosthenes took from the sacred scribes in Diospolis and deciphered from Egyptian into the Greek language, ceased at this point. Commencing in AM 2900, 124 years after the confusion of tongues, it ceased to exist in this year AM 3975. As to the tradition preserved by Apollodoros about the other fifty-three Theban kings who succeeded them, we deem it unnecessary to set forth their names here, since we have nothing to gain in citing them. For the names of their predecessors are also of no value.

Syncellus

The list of king is as follows:

No.GreekTransliterationReignRemarks (translation)
1ΜηνηςMenes62Menes, the Theban of This, whose name means "eternal". He reigned for 62 years.
2AθωθηςAthothes59The second king of the Thebans was Athothes, the son of Menes, 59 years. His name means "born from Hermes".
3AθωθηςAthothes32The third king of the Thebans in Egypt had the same name Athothes, 32 years.
4ΜιαβιηςMiabies19The fourth king of the Thebans was Miabaes, son of Athothes, 19 years. His name means "friend of comrades".
5ΠεμφωςPemphos18The fifth king of the Thebans was Pemphos, son of Athothes. His name is "descendant of Heracles". He reigned for 18 years.
6ΜομχειριMomkheiri79The sixth king of the Thebans in Egypt was Momkheiri the Memphite, reigning for 79 years. His name means "exceedingly large limbs of the man"; he was therefore irresistible.
7ΣτοιχοςStoikhos6The seventh king of the Thebans in Egypt was his son, Stoikhos; his name means "Ares the unfeeling". He reigned 6 years.
8ΓοσορμιηςGosormies30The eight king of the Thebans in Egypt was Gosormies, his name is "all-demanding". He reigned 30 years
9ΜαρηςMares26The ninth king of Thebes in Egypt was his son Mares; his name is "gift of the Sun". He reigned 26 years.
10AνωυφιςAnouphis20The tenth king of the Thebans in Egypt was Anoyphis, his name is "revelling". He reigned 20 years.
11ΣίριοςSirios18The eleventh king of the Thebans in Egypt was Sirios; his name is "son of the pupil of the eye", but according to others, "secure from enchantments". He reigned 18 years.
12Χνουβος η ΓνευροςKhnoubos e Gneuros22The twelfth king of the Thebans in Egypt was Khnoubos Gneuros, his name is "Khryses, son of Khryses". He reigned for 22 years.
13ΡαυωσιςRhauosis13The thirteenth king of the Thebans in Egypt was Rhauosis; his name is "arch-ruler". He reigned for 13 years.
14ΒιυρηςBiures10The fourteenth king of the Thebans in Egypt was Biyres. He reigned for 10 years.
15ΣαωφιςSaophis29The fifteenth king of the Thebans in Egypt was Saophis, "reveller", or, according others, "money-getter". He reigned for 29 years.
16Σαωφις βSaophis II27The sixteenth king of the Thebans was Saophis II. He reigned for 27 years.
17ΜοσχερωςMoskheres31The seventeenth king of the Thebans was Moskheres Heliodotos; (Lit. Gift of Helios). He reigned for 31 years.
18ΜοσθηςMosthes33The eighteenth king of the Thebans was Mosthes. He reigned for 33 years.
19Παμμης AρχουδηςPammes Arkhondes35The nineteenth king of Thebes was Pammes Arkhondes. He reigned for 35 years.
20AπαππουςApappous100The twentieth king of the Thebans was Apappous the Most Great; it is said that he ruled for 100 years but for one hour.
21ΕχεσκοσοκαραςEkheskosokaras1The twenty-first king of the Thebans was Ekheskosokaras, for 1 year.
22ΝιτωκριςNitokris6The twenty-second ruler of the Thebans was Nitokris, a wife i place of her husband; her name is "Athena the Victorious". She reigned for 6 years.
23Μυρταιος AμμωνοδοτοςMyrtaios Ammonodotos22The twenty-third king of the Thebans was Myrtaios Ammonodotos (Lit. Gift of Ammon), for 22 years.
24OυωσιμαρηςOuosimares12The twenty-fourth king of the Thebans was Ouosimares 'the mighty'; his name is "Sun" Ruled for 12 years.
25ΣεθινιλοςSethinilos8The twenty-fifth king of the Thebans was Sethinilos; his name is "having increased his inherited power", for 8 years.
26ΣεμφρουκρατηςSemphroukrates18The twenty-sixth king of the Thebans was Semphroukrates; his name is "Heracles Harpokrates". Reigned 18 years.
27Χουθηρ ΤαυροςKhouther Tauros7The twenty-seventh king of the Thebans was Khouther Tauros, for 7 years.
28Μευρης ΦιλοσκοροςMeures Philoskoros12The twenty-eight king of the Thebans was Meures Philoskoros, for 12 years.
29ΧωμαεφαιστοςKhomaephaestos11The twenty-ninth king of the Thebans was Khomaephtha, "the world", Philephaistos", for 11 years.
30ΣοικουνιοςSoikounios60The thirtieth king of the Thebans was Soikounios, for 60 years.
31ΠετεαθυρηςPeteathyres16The thirty-first king of the Thebans was Peteathyres, for 16 years.
32Σταμμενεμης αStammenemes I26The thirty-second king of the Thebans was Stammenemes, for 26 years.
33Σταμμενεμης βStammenemes II23The thirty-third king of the Thebans was Stammenemes II, for 23 years.
34ΣιστοσιχερμηςSistosikhermes55The thirty-fourth king of the Thebans was Sistosikhermes Herkles 'the mighty', for 55 years.
35ΜαρηςMares43The thirty-fifth king of the Thebans was Mares, for 43 years.
36ΣιφθαςSiphthas5The thirty-sixth king of the Thebans was Siphthas, also known as Hermes, 'son of Hephaistos', for 5 years.
37ΦρουορωPhruoro5The thirty-seventh king of the Thebans was Phrouoro or "the Nile," for 5 years.
38AμουθαρταιοςAmouthartaios63The thirty-eight king of the Thebans was Amourthartaios, for 63 years.

Bibliography

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