Senusret III

Also known as: Senusret III, Senwosret III, Sesostris Dynasty XII

Senusret III was perhaps the greatest pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty and was deified during his own lifetime. His name is known as Sesostris from Manetho and other ancient historians, which is a transcription corruption of Senusret into Greek. His throne name is present on the Abydos (63) and Saqqara (19) king lists, and his name was likely found at 6.24 on the Turin Canon, where the name unfortunately is lost, but a reign of 30+x years of reign is preserved.

Reign of Senusret III
AE Chronology1837–1819
von Beckerath1872–1853
Shaw1874–1855
Dodson1881–1840
Malek1878–1859
Arnold1878–1841
Grimal1878–1842
Franke1837–1818
Redford1878–1843
Turin Canon30+x years
Manetho48 years
Highest attestationYear 39

 

The Royal Titulary

From the hieroglyphic records

Horus name
Horus name of Senusret III: Netjer kheperu
Netjer kheperu
nṯr-ḫprw
Horus, divine of form
nTr-xpr-w
Stela of Ikhernofret, (Berlin, ÄM 1204)
, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien (), II, 135h
, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (), 84-85, 5:H
Nebty name
Nebty name of Senusret III: Netjeri mesut
Netjeri mesut
nṯri-mswt
The Two Ladies, divine of birth
nTr-ms-w-t
Stela of Ikhernofret, (Berlin, ÄM 1204)
, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien (), II, 135h
, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (), 84-85, 5:N
Golden Horus name
Golden Horus name of Senusret III: Kheper
Kheper
ḫpr
The golden Horus has been created
xpr*G5:nbw
Stela of Ikhernofret, (Berlin, ÄM 1204)
, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien (), II, 135h
, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (), 84-85, 5:G
Throne name
Throne name of Senusret III: Kha kau Ra
Kha kau Ra
ḫꜤ-kꜢw-rꜤ
The Kas of Ra have appeared
ra-xa-kA*kA:kA
Abydos king list 63
Stela of Ikhernofret, (Berlin, ÄM 1204)
, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien (), II, 135h
, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (), 84-85, 5:T1
Throne name variant
Throne name of Senusret III: Kha kau Ra
Kha kau Ra
ḫꜤ-kꜤw-rꜤ
The Kas of Ra have appeared
ra:xa-kA:Z2
Griffith, Hieratic Papyri from Kahun and Gurob (1898), pl. 21
, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (), 84-85, 5:T3
Throne name variant
Throne name of Senusret III: Kha ka Ra
Kha ka Ra
ḫꜤ-kꜢ-rꜤ
The Ka of Ra has appeared
ra-xa-kA
Saqqara king list 19
, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (), 84-85, 5:T4
Throne name variant
Throne name of Senusret III: Name missing
Name missing
Royal Canon of Turin 6.24
Gardiner, The Royal Canon of Turin (1959), V:24
Birth name
Birth name of Senusret III: Senusret
Senusret
s-n-wsrt
Man of Wosret
wsr-s-r:t:z:n
Stela of Ikhernofret, (Berlin, ÄM 1204)
, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien (), II, 135h
, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (), 84-85, 5:E

The sources of antiquity

From the writings of the historians and scholars of antiquity

AuthorGreekTransliterationTranscriptionReign
Africanus xii, 3 Σεσωστρις Sesostris Sesostris 48 years
Eusebius xii, 3 Σεσωστρις Sesostris Sesostris 48 years
Herodotus 102.1 Σεσωστρις Sesostris Sesostris
Diodorus 1.53.1 Σεσοωσις Sesoösis Sesoosis 33 years
Eratosthenes 34 Σιστοσιχερμης Sistosikhermes Sistosichermes 55 years

Bibliography


Handbuch der Ägyptischen Königsnamen, MÄS 49 (1999): 84–85
The Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs: Volume I – Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300–1069 BC (London, 2008), 397–401
Le livre des rois d'Égypte. MIFAO 17 (1907): 302–316
The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (Atlanta, 2013), 59

 

End of page
The Royal titulary

The full titulary was announced at the coronation, when a pharaoh officially became king.

Horus
Horus name
The oldest form of a pharaoh's name, often enclosed in a serekh, a sort of "heraldic crest" representing a palace facade.

Nebty
Nebty name
The "Two Ladies", the heraldic goddesses Nekhbet and Wadjet, representing Upper and Lower Egypt respectively.

Golden Horus
Golden Horus name
Gold was strongly associated with eternity, but the meaning of this title is disputed.

Prenomen
Throne name
(prenomen) Announced at the coronation, and written in a cartouche.

Nomen
Personal name
(nomen) The name given at birth, also written in a cartouche.

Kinglists
Ancient historians

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