Second Dynasty of Egypt
| Periods and dynasties of ancient Egypt |
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All years are BC |
Known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the Second Dynasty.
The First and Second Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title, Early Dynastic Period of Egypt. The capital at that time was Thinis.
The period names of the actual rulers of the Second Dynasty are in dispute. For the first five kings, the sources are fairly close in agreement:
| Name | Years Reigned |
|---|---|
| Hotepsekhemwy | 38 |
| Raneb (also read Nebra) | 39 |
| Nynetjer | 23 |
| Weneg | 8 |
| Senedj | 20 |
However, the identity of the next two or three rulers is unclear: we may have both the Horus-name or Nebty (meaning (female) two) -name and their birth names for these rulers; they may be entirely different individuals; or they may be legendary names. On the left are the rulers most Egyptologists place here; on the right are the names that ultimately come from Manetho's Aegyptica:
| Proposed Ruler | Manetho's List |
|---|---|
| Peribsen | Kaires |
| Nepherkheres | |
| Sekhemib-Perenmaat | Sesokhris |
With the last ruler, we return to an agreement:
| Name | Years Reigned |
|---|---|
| Khasekhemwy | 30 |
Although Manetho states the capital was at Thinis, the same as during the First Dynasty, at least the first three kings were buried at Saqqara, suggesting the center of power had moved to Memphis. Beyond this, little can be said about the events during this period; the annual records on the Palermo stone only survive for the end of the reign of Raneb and for parts of Nynetjer's. One important event possibly happened during the reign of Khasekhemwy: many Egyptologists read his name ("the Two Powers are Crowned") as commemorating the union of Upper and Lower Egypts.