Thamphthis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thamphthis in hieroglyphs |
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| Predecessor: Shepseskaf? Successor: Userkaf? |
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Saqqara table |
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Turin canon (Column III, line 16) |
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Thamphthis is the Greek name for an ancient Egyptian ruler. He was a pharaoh (king) of the 4th Dynasty during the Old Kingdom. He might have ruled around 2500 BC. His original Egyptian name is not known for sure, but some experts think it was Djedefptah or Ptahdjedef. This name means "he endures like Ptah" (Ptah was an important Egyptian god). Thamphthis is a very mysterious ruler because no records from his own time mention him. Because of this, historians and Egyptologists (people who study ancient Egypt) have many discussions about whether he truly existed.
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Who Was Thamphthis?
The name Thamphthis comes from an ancient history book called Aegyptiacae, written by a man named Manetho. Egyptologists have tried to connect Thamphthis to other known kings. They want to create a complete timeline of Egyptian pharaohs. However, this has led to many disagreements among experts.
Was Thamphthis a Real Pharaoh?
Some historians believe Thamphthis might not have been a legitimate ruler. As early as 1887, a scholar named Eduard Meyer thought Thamphthis was a "usurper." This means he took the throne unfairly. Because of this, his name might have been left out of royal records. He also might not have had a special place for his burial and worship, called a mortuary cult.
Another expert, Peter Jánosi, thinks Thamphthis is completely made up. He says there is no archaeological proof that Thamphthis ever existed. Jánosi believes Thamphthis should not be on modern lists of Egyptian kings.
Other Ideas About Thamphthis
Other scholars have different ideas about who Thamphthis might have been. Winfried Seipel and Hermann Alexander Schlögl suggest that the person behind Thamphthis could have been Queen Khentkaus I.
Queen Khentkaus I as Thamphthis?
This theory is supported because Queen Khentkaus I was shown in her burial temple like a ruling pharaoh. She wore a special headdress (called a nemes), a king's beard, and a cobra symbol (uraeus) on her forehead. These were all symbols of a pharaoh.
However, this idea has a problem. Khentkaus's name was never written inside a serekh or a royal cartouche. These were special symbols used to write a pharaoh's name. This makes it hard to say for sure that she ruled as a pharaoh.
Thamphthis's Family Connections
Wolfgang Helck, another expert, suggests that Khentkaus I could have been Thamphthis's mother. This would mean Thamphthis was the son of King Shepseskaf. Helck also thought that a princess named Bunefer might have been Thamphthis's wife. Bunefer was known as a priestess who served King Shepseskaf.
See also
In Spanish: Dyedefptah para niños
