Menes

Menes was a ruler, known as a pharaoh, who lived long ago around 3200–3000 BC in ancient Egypt. He is remembered for bringing together the two parts of Egypt, called Upper and Lower Egypt, and starting what is known as the First Dynasty of kings.

Today, historians are not completely sure if Menes was the same person as another early ruler named Narmer or perhaps a ruler who came right after him named Hor-Aha. This mystery makes Menes an important figure when people study the very beginning of ancient Egyptian history.

Name and identity

The name Menes was first recorded by the Egyptian historian and priest Manetho during the Ptolemaic period. He wrote it in Greek as Μήνης, which is transliterated as Mênês. Another Greek historian, Herodotus, mentioned a name Min, but this seems to be a different name, possibly mixed up with the god Min.

The Egyptian form of the name, mnj, comes from the Turin and Abydos King Lists. Scholars believe it was pronounced */maˈnij/. Later, in the New Kingdom, it may have sounded like */maˈneʔ/. The name mnj means "He who endures". Some think this was just a title for a legendary hero whose real name was lost. Others believe it might have referred to a group of rulers from Naqada III, such as Ka, Scorpion II, or Narmer.

Narmer, Hor-Aha, and Menes

Main article: Narmer

Because there are very few mentions of Menes in ancient records, many believe Menes might be the same person as Narmer, who is strongly linked to uniting Upper and Lower Egypt. One important clue is an ivory label from Naqada showing the name of the pharaoh Hor-Aha next to a symbol thought to represent Menes.

Some scholars think Menes was Narmer, while others believe Menes was Hor-Aha, Narmer's possible successor. Two key pieces of evidence have been used to support both ideas. One is a label from Queen Neithhotep’s tomb showing Hor-Aha’s name beside symbols linked to Menes. The other is a seal from Abydos that shows Narmer’s name next to a symbol for "mn", which could mean Menes. However, opinions differ, and there is no clear answer yet.

Ivory tablet of Menes

The ivory label mentioning Hor-Aha along with the mn sign.

Reconstructed tablet.

Dates

Many smart people who study old times have guessed different years for when Menes lived or when the first dynasty began. Some thought it was around 2320 BC, others said 5867 BC, and some even said 3623 BC.

Today, most experts agree that Menes lived between about 3200 BC and 3030 BC. Some books just say around 3000 BC.

History

Ancient stories tell us that Menes helped bring together the lands of Upper and Lower Egypt, becoming the first pharaoh of the First Dynasty. Even though his name isn't on some very old lists, later writers always counted him as the first human ruler of Egypt. Some tales say he may have taken the throne after the god Horus.

People thought Menes was very important for starting many traditions in Egypt. One writer said he brought ways to worship gods and to make sacrifices, as well as new styles of comfortable living. Another writer even said Menes was the one who first taught people in Egypt how to write.

There are fun stories about Menes too. One tells how he escaped from his own dogs by riding across a big lake on the back of a crocodile, and then he built a city in thanks for the help.

In popular culture

Alexander Dow, a Scottish writer and playwright, wrote a play called Sethona set in ancient Egypt. In the play, the character Menes is described as the next in line to become king, and the role was performed by an actor named Samuel Reddish in a show from 1774.

In the Queen's Blade series from Hobby Japan, there is a character named Menace. Her name is inspired by the ancient Egyptian ruler Menes, and her outfit looks like clothing from ancient Egypt.