Manetho
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| Manetho translated by W. G. Waddell |
From introduction :
Among the Egyptians who wrote in Greek, Manetho the priest holds a unique place because of his comparatively early date (the third century B.c.) and the interest of his subject-matter—the history and religion of Ancient Egypt.
His works in their original form would possess the highest importance and value for us now, if only we could recover them ; but until the fortunate discovery of a papyrus, which will transmit the authentic Manetho, we can know his writings only from fragmentary and often distorted quotations preserved chiefly by Josephus and by the Christian chronographers, Africanus and Eusebius, with isolated passages in Plutarch, Theophilus, Aelian, Porphyrius, Diogenes Laertius, Theodoretus, Lydus, Malalas, the Scholia to Plato, and the Etymologicum Magnum.
Like Béréssos, who is of slightly earlier date, Manetho testifies to the growth of an internationspirit in the Alexandrine age: each of these ‘barbarians ” wrote in Greek an account of his native country; and it stirs the imagination to think of their endeavour to bridge the gulf and instruct all Greek-speaking people (that is to say the whole civilized world of their time) in the history of Egypt and Chaldaea.
But these two writers stand alone :! the Greeks indeed wrote from time to time of the wonders of Egypt (works no longer extant), but it was long before an Egyptian successor of Manetho appeared—Ptolemy of Mendés, probably under Augustus..
🌍 Main Themes
- Dynastic History → Manetho organized Egyptian rulers into dynasties, a system still used by Egyptologists today.
- Chronology → His king lists attempted to give reign lengths and succession order, though often legendary or exaggerated.
- Myth and History → Early dynasties mix gods, demigods, and human kings, reflecting Egyptian mythological tradition.
- Greek Influence → Written in Greek for a Ptolemaic audience, his work bridges Egyptian tradition with Hellenistic historiography.
- Fragmentary Survival → The original text is lost; we know it through later writers (Josephus, Africanus, Eusebius). Waddell’s edition collects and translates these fragments.
Key Facts
- Author: Manetho of Sebennytos, Egyptian priest under Ptolemy II Philadelphus.
- Translator/Editor: William Gillan Waddell (1884–1945), classical scholar.
- Publication: Loeb Classical Library, 1940.
- Content: Greek text with facing English translation, plus scholarly introduction and notes.