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 (an ancient Greek city in Anatolia, in modern Turkey) 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.

Many of the known names of the pharaohs can be traced back to Herodotus. In most cases the information is unreliable and of very little historical credibility, but then again he was simply reporting what he was told. Herodotus' main value is as a record of historical traditions in Egypt during the 5th century BC. 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
2.99.2ΜιναMinNarmer
2.100.2ΝιτωκριςNitocrisNetjerikara
2.101.1ΜοιριοςMoeriusAmenemhat III
2.102.1ΣεσωστριςSesostrisSenusret III
2.111.1ΦερωνPheron?
2.112.1ΠρωτεαProteus?
2.121.1PαμψινιτονRhampsinitosRamesses III
2.124ΧεοπαKheopsKhufu
2.127ΧεφρηναChephrenKhafra
2.129ΜυκερινονMycerinusMenkaura
2.136.1AσυχινAsychisShoshenq I
2.137ΣαβακωνSabaconShabaka
2.137AνυσινAnysis?
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