In ancient Egyptian history, dynasties are a series of rulers sharing a common origin. They are usually, but not always, traditionally divided into 33 pharaonic dynasties; these dynasties are commonly grouped by modern scholars into "kingdoms" and "intermediate periods".

The 31 dynastic divisions come from the 3rd century BC Egyptian priest Manetho, whose history Aegyptiaca was probably written for a Greek-speaking Ptolemaic ruler but survives only in fragments and summaries. While widely used and useful, the system does have its shortcomings. Some dynasties only ruled part of Egypt and existed concurrently with other dynasties based in other cities. Some dynasties like the Abydos Dynasty weren't counted; the 7th might not have existed at all, the 10th seems to be a continuation of the 9th, and there might have been one or several Egyptian dynasties before what is termed the 1st Dynasty.

List of dynasties in ancient Egyptian history

Dates follow the timeline given by the University of Memphis, which is itself based on the work of Rolf Krauss. Figures have been deliberately rounded in order to avoid a misleading appearance of precision. See also the chronologies in , , , and .

DynastySeatPeriod of ruleTermFirst to ruleLast to ruleNumber of rulersList / Family treeEarly Dynastic Period (3000–2700 BC)Dynasty IThinis 3000–2800 BC 170–300 yearsNarmerQa'a8 (list) (tree)Dynasty IIThinis 2800–2675 BC 100–200 yearsHotepsekhemwyKhasekhemwy9 (?)(list)Old Kingdom (2700–2200 BC)Dynasty IIIMemphis 2675–2625 BC 60 yearsDjoserHuni5 (list)Dynasty IVMemphis 2625–2500 BC 110 yearsSneferuShepseskaf6 (list) (tree)Dynasty VMemphis 2500–2350 BC 120–160 yearsUserkafUnas9 (list) (tree)Dynasty VIMemphis 2350–2170 BC 160 yearsTetiNemtyemsaf II6 (list) (tree)First Intermediate Period (2200–2000 BC)Dynasty VII / VIIIMemphis 2170–2130 BC 30 yearsNetjerkare SiptahNeferirkare II17(list)Dynasty IX / XHeracleopolis 2130–1970 BC 100 yearsMeryibre Khety IUnknown18 (list)Middle Kingdom (2000–1800 BC)Dynasty XIThebes 2080–1940 BC 143 yearsMentuhotep IMentuhotep IV7(list) (tree)Dynasty XIIItjtawy 1940–1760 BC 180 yearsAmenemhat ISobekneferu8 (list) (tree)Second Intermediate Period (1800–1550 BC)Dynasty XIIIItjtawy 1760–1600 BC 150 yearsSobekhotep IUnknown57 (?)(list)Dynasty XIVAvarisuncertain 150 yearsYakbimUnknown56 (?)(list)Dynasty XV Avaris 1630–1520 BC 140 yearsSalitisKhamudi6 (list)Dynasty XVIThebesuncertain 70 yearsUnknownUnknown15(list)Abydos DynastyAbydosuncertainuncertainUnknownUnknown16 (?)(list)Dynasty XVIIThebes 1630–1540 BC 90/30 yearsRahotepKamose9 (?)(list) (tree)New Kingdom (1550–1075 BC)Dynasty XVIIIThebes 1540–1292 BC 250 yearsAhmose IHoremheb15(list) (tree)Dynasty XIXThebes 1292–1190 BC 102 yearsRamesses ITausret8 (list) (tree)Dynasty XXPi-Ramesses 1190–1075 BC 115 yearsSetnakhteRamesses XI10 (list) (tree)Third Intermediate Period (1075–664 BC)Dynasty XXITanis 1075–945 BC 130 yearsSmendesPsusennes II7 (list) (tree)Priests of AmunThebes 1060–990 BC 85 yearsHerihor (de jure)Menkheperre (de jure)3(list) Dynasty XXIITanis/Bubastis 945–712 BC 230 yearsShoshenq IOsorkon IV11(list) (tree)Dynasty XXIIIVarious 838–712 BC 120 yearsHarsiese/Takelot IIRudamun20 (?)(list) (tree)Dynasty XXIVSais 727–712 BC 10 yearsTefnakhtBakenranef2(list) (tree)Dynasty XXV Memphis/Napata 760–656 100 yearsPiyeTantamani5(list) (tree)Late Period (664–342 BC)Dynasty XXVISais 664–525 BC 139 yearsPsamtik IPsamtik III6(list) (tree)Dynasty XXVII Babylon 525–404 BC 121 yearsCambyses IIDarius II8 (list) (tree)Dynasty XXVIIISais 404–399 BC 6 yearsAmyrtaeusAmyrtaeus1 (list)Dynasty XXIXMendes 399–380 BC 19 yearsNepherites INepherites II4 (list)Dynasty XXXSebennytos 380–342 BC 38 yearsNectanebo INectanebo II3(list) (tree)Dynasty XXXI Babylon 342–332 BC 10 yearsArtaxerxes IIIDarius III3 (list) (tree)Hellenistic period (342–30 BC)Dynasty XXXII/Argead Pella 332–305 BC 27 yearsAlexander IIIAlexander IV3(list) (tree)Dynasty XXXIII/Ptolemaic Alexandria 305–30 BC 275 yearsPtolemy ICleopatra VII (de facto)Caesarion (de jure)22(list) (tree)Egypt was incorporated into the Roman Republic on 31 August 30 BC.

See also

List of pharaohs Egyptian chronology

Notes

References

Works cited