The Organisation of Pharaonic History

The study of Egypt’s history is divided into two major parts with further subdivisions. The basic division separates the Predynastic periods from the Dynastic or Pharaonic Era. The former encompasses the time period prior to and leading up to the establishment of the Egyptian state (c. 5000–3050 bce), and the latter includes the history of Egypt once it became a unified country (3050–30 bce). Some scholars extend the formative period of the Egyptian state from 3050 to 2663 bce, by which time Egypt’s basic bureaucracy, theology, social, economic and political structures and physical boundaries and divisions had been established; they continued on, with some variations and changes, until Egypt was conquered by the Romans (30 bce).

The Egyptians themselves organised their history into dynasties. No complete history of Egypt written by an Ancient Egyptian survives. However, portions of a history, compiled by an Egyptian priest, Manetho, in the 3rd century bce, has come down to us in fragmentary form, as quoted by other authors. Either Ptolemy I or Ptolemy II commissioned this work, possibly as a propagandistic tool to help the Ptolemaic Dynasty establish and maintain its legitimacy and control over Egypt by linking the Ptolemies to earlier kings. Ancient Egyptian dynasties, unlike modern ones, did not consist solely of single families with sons succeeding fathers; in some instances, the same family straddled two dynasties, while in others a distant family member (or someone who had married into the ruling family) became king and was absorbed into the dynasty.