George Syncellus

In the early ninth century, George Syncellus, a monk of 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 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 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. Syncellus interspersed the list of 86 kings under the heading Kings of the Egyptians throughout his Chronicle.

The list of kings is included here only for the sake of completeness.
Key for commentary: E = Eusebius, S = Syncellus, J = Jospehus, A = Africanus.

No.	Ancient Greek	Transliteration	Reign	Commentary
1	Μηνης	Menes	35	Dynasty 1: Menes
2	Κουρωδης	Kourodes	63
3	Aρισταρχος	Aristarkhos	34
4	Σπανιος	Spanios	36
5–6			72	Two unrecorded kings
7	Ωσιροπις	Osiropis	23
8	Σεσονχωσις	Sesonkhosis	49	Dynasty 12: E = Sesonkhosis (Senusret I)
9	Aμενεμης	Amenemes	29	Dynasty 12: E = Ammanemes (Amenemhat II)
10	Aπασις	Amasis	2
11	Aκεσεφθρης	Akesephthres	13
12	Aνχορευς	Ankhoreus	9
13	Aρμιυσης	Armiuses	4
14	Χαμσις	Khamois	12
15	Μιαμους	Miamous	14
16	Aμεσησις	Amesesis	65
17	Ουσης	Ouses	50
18	Ραμεσης	Rhameses	29
19	Ραμεσσομενης	Rhamessomenes	15
20	Ουσιμαρης	Ousimares	31	Dynasty 20: perhaps Ramesses III
21	Ραμεσσησεως	Rhamesseseos	23	Dynasty 20: perhaps Ramesses VIII
22	Ραμεσσαμενω	Rhamessameno	19	Dynasty 20: perhaps Ramesses IX
23	Ραμεσση Ιουβασση	Rhamesse Ioubasse	38	Dynasty 20: perhaps Ramesses X
24	Ραμεσση Ουαφρον	Rhamesse Ouaphron	29	Dynasty 20: S: Ramesses, son of Ouaphres. (A dynasty 26 king. No.)
25	Κονχαρις	Konkharis	5	Belongs to Dynasty 16 according to Syncellus.
26	Σιλιτης	Silites	19	Dynasty 15: J = Salitis
27	Βαιων	Baion	44	Dynasty 15: J = Beon
28	Aπαχνας	Apakhnas	36	Dynasty 15: J = Apakhnas
29	Aφωφις	Aphophis	61	Dynasty 15: J = Apophis
30	Σεθως	Sethos	50
31	Κηρτως	Kertos	29
32	Aσηθ	Aseth	20
33	Aμωσις / Τεθμωσις	Amosis / Tethmosis	26	Dynasty 18: J = Tethmosis. E = Amosis
34	Χεβρων	Khebron	13	Dynasty 18: J and E = Khebron
35	Aμεμφις	Amemphis	15	Dynasty 18: J = Amenophis. E = Ammenophis
36	Aμενσης	Amenses	11	Dynasty 18: J = Amesses. A = Amensis
37	Μισφραγμουθωσις	Misphragmouthosis	16	Dynasty 18: J = Mephramouthosis. E = Misphragmouthosis
38	Μισφρης	Misphres	23	Dynasty 18: J = Mephres. E = Miphres
39	Τουθμωσις	Touthmosis	39	Dynasty 18: J = Thmosis
40	Αμενωφθις	Amenophthis	34	Dynasty 18: J = Amenothis
41	Ωρος	Oros	48	Dynasty 18: J = Oros
42	Αχενχερης	Akhenkheres	25	Dynasty 18: J = Akenkheres, female
43	Αθωρις	Athoris	29	Dynasty 18: J = Rhatortis
44	Χενχερης	Khenkheres	26	Dynasty 18: J = Akenkheres
45	Αχερρης	Akherres	8	Dynasty 18: J = another Akenkheres
46	Aρμαιος / Δανος	Armaios / Danaos	9	Dynasty 18: J = Armais (Horemheb)
47	Ραμεσσης / Αιγυπτος	Rhamesses / Aigyptos	68	Dynasty 19: J = Ramesses (II)
48	Αμενωφις	Amenophis	8	Dynasty 19: E = Ammenephthis (Merenptah)
49	Θουωρις	Thouoris	17	Dynasty 19: E = Thouris (Tausret)
50	Νεχεψως	Nekhepsos	19	Dynasty 26
51	Ψαμμουθις	Psammouthis	13	Dynasty 26
52	–		4	Name missing in original (lacuna)
53	Κηρτως	Kertos	16	Dynasty 19: might be variant name of Sethos
54	Ραμψις	Rhampsis	45	Dynasty 19: might be Ramesses II repeated (see 47)
55	Aμενσης / Aμμενεμης	Amenses / Ammenemes	26	Dynasty 19: E = Ammenemes (Amenmesse)
56	Οχυρας	Okhuras	14
57	Aμενδης	Amendes	27
58	Θουωρις	Thouoris	50
59	Aθωθις / Φουσανος	Athothis / Phousanos	28	Dynasty 1: Athothis also known as Phousanos
60	Κενκενης	Kenkenes	39	Dynasty 1
61	Ουεννεφις	Ouennephis	42	Dynasty 1
62	Σουσακειμ	Sousakeim	34
63	Ψουενος	Psouenos	25
64	Αμμενωφις	Ammenophis	9
65	Νεφεχερης	Nephekheres	6	Dynasty 21
66	Σαιτης	Saites	15	Dynasty 15
67	Ψιναχης	Psinakhes	9	Dynasty 21
68	Πετουβαστης	Petoubastes	44	Dynasty 23
69	Oσωρθων	Osorthon	9	Dynasty 23
70	Ψαμμος	Psammos	10	Dynasty 23
71	Κονχαρις	Konkkharis	21	Dynasty 22: E = Sesonkhosis
72	Oσορθων	Osorthon	15	Dynasty 22
73	Τακαλωθις	Takalophis	13	Dynasty 22
74	Βοκχωρις	Bokkhoris	44	Dynasty 24
75	Σαβακων	Sabakon	12	Dynasty 25
76	Σεβηχων	Sebekhon	12	Dynasty 25
77	Ταρακης	Tarakes	20	Dynasty 25
78	Aμαης	Amaes	38	Dynasty 26: E = Ammeris
79	Στεφιναθης	Stephinathes	27	Dynasty 26
80	Νεχεψος	Nekhepsos	13	Dynasty 26
81	Νεχαω	Nekhao	8	Dynasty 26
82	Ψαμμητιχος	Psammetikhos	14	Dynasty 26
83	Νεχαω β	Nekhao II	9	Dynasty 26
84	Ψαμουθης / Ψαμμητιχος	Psammouthis / Psammetikhos	17	Dynasty 26
85	Ουαφρις	Ouaphris	34	Dynasty 26
86	Aμωσις	Amosis	50	Dynasty 26

The Ancient Chronicle

Apparently in circulation during the time of Syncellus, it is otherwise unknown.

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 were ascribed the fifteen generations of the Sothic cycle in 443 years.

After them:

The 16th dynasty of the Tanites, 8 generations — 190 years
The 17th dynasty of the Memphites, 4 generations — 103 years
The 18th dynasty of the Memphites, 14 generations — 348 years
The 19th dynasty of the Diospolitans, 5 generations — 194 years
The 20th dynasty of the Diospolitans, 8 generations — 228 years
The 21st dynasty of the Tanites, 6 generations — 121 years
The 22nd dynasty of the Tanites, 3 generations — 48 years
The 23rd dynasty of the Diospolitans, 2 generations — 19 years
The 24th dynasty of the Saites, 3 generations — 44 years
The 25th dynasty of the Ethiopians, 3 generations — 44 years
The 26th dynasty of the Memphites, 7 generations — 177 years
The 27th dynasty of 5 Persians, 5 generations — 124 years
[ The 28th dynasty of 1 Saite, 1 generation — 6 years ]
The 29th dynasty of the Tanites, 7 generations — 39 years
Finally, the 30th dynasty of a single Tanite — 18 years
All told, 30 dynasties for a total of 36,525 years.

Note: The actual total should be 36,531. Syncellus somehow left out 6 years of the 28th dynasty.
The sum for the gods and demigods is 34,385 years, and the 30 (29) dynasties of mortal kings total 2,140 years.

Bibliography

Waddell, W. G. 1940. Manetho. 234–249 (Cambridge, Mass.)
Verbrugghe, G. P. and Wickersham. J. M. 1996. Berossos and Manetho. 125-127, 177-182 (Ann Arbor)
Adler, William, and Tuffin, Paul. 2002. The Chronography of George Synkellos. 71-73, 135, 143, 146, 156, 178, 211, 218, 224, 231-2, 245, 257-8, 267-8, 277-8, 306-7 (Oxford: Oxford University Press).

Ancient historians

Herodotus
450 BC – Histories
Manetho
250 BC – Aegyptiaca
Diodorus
50 BC – Bibliotheca Historica
Josephus
100 CE – Against Apion
Africanus
220 CE – Chronographai
Eusebius
325 CE – Chronicon
Jerome
380 CE – Chronicon
Syncellus
800 CE – Egloga Chronographai
Eratosthenes
Probably a forgery (date unknown)
Comparing the sources
Transmission of Manetho
by Africanus et. al.

Terms & information

Epitome – Manetho’s original Aegyptiaca was lost in antiquity, and in the following centuries, it was replaced by Epitomes (summaries) by rivalling advocates of Jewish, Egyptian, and Greek history that saw each side trying to establish the truth according to their point of view.

Vorlage – German for prototype or template, a prior version of a manuscript, in this case an earlier version of the canon.

Recto and verso – Recto is the front side and verso is the back side of a written or printed text.

Cartouche – oval band enclosing a pharaohs name

Hieratic – cursive form of hieroglyphic script

Dynasty – a sequence of rulers from the same family, from Greek dynasteia (δυναστεια)

OK – Old Kingdom

MK – Middle Kingdom

NK – New Kingdom

SIP – Second Intermediate Period

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