With regard to the fourth
and later dynasties it was clear that the king-lists were correct, as
their evidence agreed entirely with that of the contemporary monuments.
But no means existed of checking the lists of the first three dynasties,
as no contemporary monuments other than a IVth Dynasty mention of a IId
Dynasty king, Send, had been found. The lists dated from the time of
the XVIIIth and XIXth Dynasties, so that it was very possible that with
regard to the earliest dynasties they might not be very correct. This
conclusion gained additional weight from the fact that no monuments of
these earliest kings were ever discovered; it therefore seemed probable
that they were purely legendary figures, in whose time (if they ever did
exist) Egypt was still a semi-barbarous nation. The jejune stories told
about them by Manetho seemed to confirm this idea. Mena, the reputed
founder of the monarchy, was generally regarded as a historical figure,
owing to the persistence of his name in all ancient literary accounts
of the beginnings of Egyptian history; for it was but natural to suppose
that the name of the man who unified Egypt and founded Memphis would
endure in the mouths of the people. But with regard to his successors
no such supposition seemed probable, until the time of Sneferu and the
pyramid-builders.
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