| 1st Dynasty | 2900-2730 BC | The kings of the First Dynasty were, for the most part, very effective rulers. Only Anedjib and Semerkhet are recorded as having troubled reigns. Kings of the 1st dynasty likely founded Memphis as their capital. Tombs of the 1st dynasty were built at Abydos. |
| 2nd Dynasty | 2730-2590 BC | The seat of government was centered at Thinis. The Second Dynasty is best known for its last ruler, Khasekhemwy, who reigned from around 2610–2593 BC. Other rulers include Reneb, whose name means "Lord of the Sun" or "Re is my Lord". |
| 3rd Dynasty | 2590-2544 BC | The Third Dynasty of Egypt (c. 2670-2613 BC) begins with king Djoser, famous for his Step Pyramid at Saqqara. Although there are some sources which claim a king named Sanakht (also known as Nebra) founded the Third Dynasty, these claims are routinely challenged for lack of evidence. The Step Pyramid of Djoser was designed by Imhotep during Djoser’s reign. |
| 4th Dynasty | 2543–2436 BC | Sneferu was the first king of the Fourth Dynasty and built three pyramids: Meidum, the Bent Pyramid, and the Red Pyramid. Sneferu's reign was a period of technical innovation in pyramid construction. It enabled future kings of the 4th dynasty to create the Pyramids of Giza. The Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest ancient Egyptian pyramid, was built during Khufu’s reign. The Great Sphinx of Giza was built during the 4th dynasty. |
| 5th Dynasty | 2435–2306 BC | The Fifth Dynasty of Egypt was a period of about 150 years in the 24th and 25th centuries BC when nine kings ruled Egypt. The dynasty was a time of great prosperity and significant developments in art, architecture, and religious practices. The cult of the sun god Ra became more important, and pharaohs built temples to honor him. The cult of Osiris, the god of the dead, also became more prominent. New styles of art emerged. The painted reliefs on the walls of Sahure's mortuary temple were considered a great artistic achievement and were used as models for later tombs. The layout of Sahure's high temple became the standard for other Old Kingdom pyramid complexes. Egyptians began building ships to trade with Lebanon and other regions for goods like ebony, incense, gold, and copper. |
| 6th Dynasty | 2305–2118 BC | All kings of the 6th dynasty, except for Merenre II and Nitocris, are attested by archaeological sources. Merenre II and Nitocris are only known through the king-lists and Manetho. No known monuments give there names and they are not even mentioned in inscriptions of high officials. Manetho is believed to have been an Egyptian priest from Sebennytos who lived in the Ptolemaic Kingdom in the early third century BC, during the Hellenistic period. He authored the Aegyptiaca (History of Egypt) in Greek, a major chronological source for the reigns of the kings of ancient Egypt. It is unclear whether he wrote his history and king list during the reign of Ptolemy I Soter or Ptolemy II Philadelphos, but it was completed no later than that of Ptolemy III Euergetes. |
| 7th Dynasty | Unknown | Though the 7th dynasty was one of the dynasties listed by Manetho, it may not have actually existed. |
| 8th Dynasty | 2150–2118 BC | The Eighth Dynasty is poorly known, and there is disagreement over the total number of rulers. The dynasty likely began earlier than the known kings' reigns, and included several short-lived kings. Here's some information about the Eighth Dynasty:
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| 9th and 10th Dynasties | 2118–1980 BC | Manetho separated these into two dynasties, but the 10th dynasty was likely a continuation of the 9th, which consisted of a line of kings who ruled from Heracleopolis. |
| 11th Dynasty | 2118–1980 BC | The kings of the 11th dynasty ruled from Thebes. Mentuhotep II united much of Egypt and began the Middle Kingdom. |
| 12th Dynasty | 1939–1760 BC | According to Manetho, the 12th Dynasty comprised seven kings from Thebes, who ruled for a total of 160 years in the version of Africanus, and for 245 years in the version of Eusebius. Oddly enough, this does not include the founder of the dynasty, Amenemhat I, who is added in succession to the kings of the 11th Dynasty. In the Turin King-list, the dynasty started with Amenemhat I and consisted of 8 kings who ruled for a total of 213 years, 1 month and 17 days. All kings listed in the Turin King-list are also attested by contemporary sources and monuments. |
| 13th Dynasty | 1759–1630 BC | The kings of this dynasty followed each other in rapid succession, hinting at a lack of stability of the central government which may have been caused by internal power struggles. Very contrary to tradition that kingship was passed from father onto son, Sebekhotep III and several of his successors publicly proclaimed being of non-royal birth, as if wanting to make a clear distinction between themselves and their predecessors. This too hints at the central government being plagued by power struggles. |
| 14th Dynasty | 1759–1530 BC | The 14th dynasty consisted of lesser kings contemporaneous with the 13th and 15th dynasties. The first kings of the 14th Dynasty appear to have had fairly long and prosperous reigns. Despite their foreign origins, they adopted the traditional royal titulary, and included the name of the Egyptian solar god Re into their own throne names. This dynasty also seems to have had very good relationships with Nubia and at least one of its kings, Sheshi, may have been married to a Nubian princess. (Ancient Nubia was located south of ancient Egypt, along the Nile River.) |
| 15th Dynasty | 1630–1530 BC | The 15th dynasty was a foreign dynasty that consisted of Hyksos kings from Southwest Asia. The dynasty was founded by Salitis, a Hyksos from West Asia. Other rulers include Shamuqenu, Aper-Anati, Sakir-Har, Khiyan, and Ipepi. The Hyksos ruled from the city of Avaris in the Nile Delta, controlling Lower Egypt, Middle Egypt, and up to Cusae. The word "Hyksos" is the Greek version of the Egyptian title Heka Khasut, which means "rulers of foreign lands/hill countries". The Hyksos contributed to progress in culture, language, military affairs, international diplomacy, and imperial expansion. They also introduced the horse and chariot. The traditional narrative of the Hyksos' rise to power is that they invaded Egypt from the northeast. However, a 2020 study suggests that the Hyksos may have risen to power from within. |
| 16th Dynasty | 1630–1540 BC | The 16th dynasty consisted of lesser kings who were vassals to the Hyksos. Although most of this dynasty’s kings are attested mainly in Thebes, its influence seems to have stretched to Hu in the North and to Edfu or beyond in the South. This dynasty groups about 15 kings that ruled for a total of between 60 and 70 years. |
| 17th Dynasty | 1630–1540 BC | The Seventeenth Dynasty is considered to be the last dynasty of the Old Kingdom. According to Manetho, they ruled from Memphis, and since their pyramids were built nearby at Saqqara, this seems very plausible. |
| 18th Dynasty | 1539–1292 BC | The Hyksos were driven out by Ahmose I, the first king of the 18th dynasty. Kings of the 18th dynasty expanded Egypt’s territory into western Asia. The capital of Egypt was briefly moved to Tell el-Amarna under Akhenaten. |
| 19th Dynasty | 1292–1191 BC | Great temples and residences of Per Ramessu were built under Ramses II. The main gallery and subsidiary chambers of the Serapeum near Ṣaqqārah were built under Ramses II. Two temples were built at Abu Simbel under Ramses II. |
| 20th Dynasty | 1190–1077 BC | The Twentieth Dynasty began with Setnakht who ruled for only a few years but restored order after a period of chaos. His son Ramses III gave Egypt a final moment of glory before Egypt fell into a period of decline from which it would never recover. Ramses III’s mortuary temple at Madīnat Habu was built during this dynasty. |
| 21st Dynasty | 1076–944 BC | The 21st dynasty consisted of kings who ruled from Tanis in lower Egypt near the Mediterranean Sea. The High Priests of Amun at Thebes effectively ruled Middle and Upper Egypt in all but name. |
| 22nd Dynasty | 943–746 BC | The 22nd Dynasty of Egypt was a period of rule by the Meshwesh, an ancient Libyan tribe. The first pharaoh of the 22nd Dynasty, Sheshonq I, reunited Egypt and brought stability to the country for over a century. After the reign of Osorkon II, Egypt split into two states:
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| 23rd Dynasty | 845–730 BC | The 23rd dynasty consisted of Libyan kings who ruled Upper and Lower Egypt largely separately. |
| 24th Dynasty | 736–723 BC | The 24th dynasty consisted of Libyan kings. |
| 25th Dynasty | 722–655 BC | The 25th dynasty consisted of kings from Kush (Cush) who took up iconography from the Old and Middle Kingdom periods. |
| 26th Dynasty | 664–525 BC | The 26th dynasty consisted of kings who ruled from Sais. The founder of the 26th dynasty, Psamtik I, was a vassal of the Neo-Assyrian empire, but he eventually gained independence and ruled as king of all of Egypt. |
| 27th dynasty (1st Persian period) | 525–404 BC | The 27th dynasty consisted of Achaemenian Persian emperors, the last of whom was Darius II, who conquered Egypt between 525 and 404 BC. |
| 28th Dynasty | 404–399 BC | The death of Darius II in 404 BC prompted a successful rebellion in the Nile delta, and the Egyptian Amyrtaeus formed a Saite 28th dynasty, of which he was the sole king (404–399 BC). His rule was recognized in Upper Egypt by 401 BC, at a time when Persia’s troubles elsewhere forestalled an attempt to regain Egypt. |
| 29th Dynasty | 399–380 BC | Despite growing prosperity and success in retaining independence, 4th-century Egypt was characterized by continual internal struggle for the throne. After a long period of fighting in the delta, a 29th dynasty (399–380 BC) emerged at Mendes. Achoris (ruled 393–380 BC), its third ruler, was especially vigorous, and the prosperity of his reign is indicated by many monuments in Upper and Lower Egypt. Once again Egypt was active in international politics, forming alliances with the opponents of Persia and building up its army and navy. The Egyptian army included Greeks both as mercenaries and as commanders; the mercenaries were not permanent residents of military camps in Egypt but native Greeks seeking payment for their services in gold. Payment was normally made in non-Egyptian coins, because as yet Egypt had no coinage in general circulation; the foreign coins may have been acquired in exchange for exports of grain, papyrus, and linen. |
| 30th Dynasty | 380–343 BC | In 373 BC, Nectanebo I from Sebennytos was able to drive the Persian army out of the Delta when it reinvaded. He had hardly any problems with other countries, so was able to commence a large number of building projects. He was succeeded by his son Teos (Dje(d)hor), who attacked Syria overland and by sea, an expedition that was so expensive that Egypt revolted. Nectanebo II was proclaimed king and Teos defected to the Persian court. Nectanebo II, the last native ruler of Egypt, was faced with renewed Persian attacks led by Ataxerxes III. Although these were initially not very successful, he succeeded in conquering Egypt in 342 BC, thus heralding the start of the 2nd Persian Period (31st Dynasty). |
| 2nd Persian period | 343–332 BC | The Second Persian Period in Egypt was a time when Egypt was ruled by the Persian Empire from 343–332 BC. This period was marked by the following events:
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| Macedonian period | 332–305 BC | Egypt was annexed into the empire of Alexander the Great. |
| Ptolemaic dynasty | 305–30 BC | Ptolemy, a general under Alexander the Great and satrap of Egypt after Alexander’s death, established the Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt until it became part of the Roman Empire upon the deaths of Cleopatra VII and her son Ptolemy XV Caesar. |