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CHAP. VI
The Egyptian Chronologie, out of Manetho high Priest of the Egyptians, and others.
AFter this so long a Historie of Aegyptian affaires, I haue here added the order of times, wherein those things happened, that this our Re∣lation might bee the more complete, although perhappes it may seeme to some more then taedious already. Varro diuided times into three sorts; the first he called Vncertaine: the second, Fabulous: the third, Historicall: Ioseph Sealiger, a man happily more studious in this Subiect of times, then all Times before haue yeelded vs, reckoneth the two former for one, as not easily to be distinguished. He hath also published to the world not one∣ly his owne learned Obseruations on Eusebius Chronicle, but such fragments a 1.1 as out of Cedrenus, Syncellus, and others, he could finde both of Eusebius Chronicle in Greek, (for before we had onely the Latine translation of Hierome, much whereof also is vtterly lost) as also of Africanus, from whose Store-house Eusebius tooke his Chro∣nicle, both for matter and words, almost by whole sale, And whereas Annius had be∣fore cousened the world with countersets of Berosus, Manetho, Metasthenes, with o∣ther Fabulous tales, falsely fathered on the auncients: Hee hath helped vs likewise to some Reliques of those Histories, which others haue inserted into their workes; the very bones of such carkasses being worthy of admiration, if not of veneration. The true Manetho therefore in three Tomes, wrote the Aegyptian Historie vnto Ptolomaeus Philadelphus: his Greeke Epistle Dedicatorie, being but short, I haue thus translated.
To the Great King Ptolomaeus Philadelphus b 1.2 Augustus, Manetho High Priest and Scribe of the sacred sanctuaries, throughout Egypt, of the Sebennite Family, a Heliopoli∣tan, to my Lord Ptolomaeus, Greeting. It behoneth vs (mighty King) to giue account of all those things which you counsell vs to search out. The sacred Bookes, written by our forefather Trismegistus Hermes, which I haue learned (according as you, enquiring what things shall come to passe in the world, haue commanded me) shall bee declared: Farewell, my Lord King.
Hence appeareth the time of Manetho, and his Pontisicall dignitle, with the Originall of his Antiquities borrowed of Hermes, and the occasion of his vvri∣ting in the Greeke, as to a Grecian King.
* 1.3 He first setteth downe the yeares of the raignes of their Gods. Vulcan, Sol. Agathodoemon, Saturne, Osiris and Isis, Typhon. Then of the demigods: Orus, who raigned fiue and twenty yeares: Mars, three and twenty: Anubis, seuenteene: Her∣cules, fourteene: Apollo, foure and twenty: Ammon, thirtie: Tithoes, seuen and twenty: Sosus, two and thirtie: Iupiter, twenty. Things both false in themselues and in the copie imperfect. After these he reckoneth in order two and thirtie c 1.4 Dynastiae, Lordships, or gouernments in Egypt.
- 1. The first of the Thinites; of eight Kings, whose names and yeares of raigne are, Menes, threescore and two: he was slaine of an Hyppopotamus, or Riuer-horse. A∣thothis his sonne, seuen and fiftie. Hee built a Palace in Memphis, and wrote of Ana∣tomie. Cen••cenes, his sonne, one and thirtie. Enephes, his sonne, three and twenty. In his time was a great Famine. He built the Pyramides in Cochon. Saphoedus, his sonne, twenty: Semen••psis, his sonne, eighteene: Bieneches, his sonne, six and twenty. Sum. tot. two hundred threescore and three.
- 2. The second Dynastie of the Thinites; vnder nine Kings. Whose names and yeares of their raigne are in order as followeth, Boethus, eight and thirtie yeares.