DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5066#0049
20 FOUNDATION OF MEMPHIS OH. li-
the received tradition that it had been the cradle of
the first Egyptian king, and the hereditary seat of his
successors for two dynasties. The name of this first
^-s sovereign of ancient Egypt was Mena, ' the
|wv"i steadfast.'
\K) Our only knowledge of him is confined to a
Mena. few statements of doubtful credit, found in classical
writings. He is said to have been the first lawgiver of
Egypt, but to have corrupted the simple manners of the
olden time, in that he replaced the frugal mode of life
by royal pomp and sumptuous expense. To him also is
ascribed the foundation of Memphis, the splendid capital
of the Old Empire, after he had first diverted the Nile,
in order to gain a wide space for building the new city:
By the construction of an enormous dike, the previous
course of the river, along the Libyan hills, was cut off,
and the bed thus left empty was for ever filled up.
Linant-Bey, one of the most active improvers of
modern Egypt, is convinced that the great dike of
Cocheiche is in all probability the same which Mena
caused to be constructed 6,000 years ago. The
Egyptians, like the other nations of antiquity, began
the work of founding a city by building the temple,
which formed the centre of the future town. New
sanctuaries, erected later, occasioned the building of
new quarters, which surrounded the oldest temple, and
finally formed with it a single great city. The names
given to the several temples embraced likewise the
dwelling-places of the inhabitants which adjoined and
belonged to it, and thus is explained the fact that the
monuments mention the same town under the most
different designations.
The chief name of Mena's city was also that of the
nome, Anbu-hat, or the 'white wall;' in general it
bore the title Men-nefer, the ' good place,' which the
the received tradition that it had been the cradle of
the first Egyptian king, and the hereditary seat of his
successors for two dynasties. The name of this first
^-s sovereign of ancient Egypt was Mena, ' the
|wv"i steadfast.'
\K) Our only knowledge of him is confined to a
Mena. few statements of doubtful credit, found in classical
writings. He is said to have been the first lawgiver of
Egypt, but to have corrupted the simple manners of the
olden time, in that he replaced the frugal mode of life
by royal pomp and sumptuous expense. To him also is
ascribed the foundation of Memphis, the splendid capital
of the Old Empire, after he had first diverted the Nile,
in order to gain a wide space for building the new city:
By the construction of an enormous dike, the previous
course of the river, along the Libyan hills, was cut off,
and the bed thus left empty was for ever filled up.
Linant-Bey, one of the most active improvers of
modern Egypt, is convinced that the great dike of
Cocheiche is in all probability the same which Mena
caused to be constructed 6,000 years ago. The
Egyptians, like the other nations of antiquity, began
the work of founding a city by building the temple,
which formed the centre of the future town. New
sanctuaries, erected later, occasioned the building of
new quarters, which surrounded the oldest temple, and
finally formed with it a single great city. The names
given to the several temples embraced likewise the
dwelling-places of the inhabitants which adjoined and
belonged to it, and thus is explained the fact that the
monuments mention the same town under the most
different designations.
The chief name of Mena's city was also that of the
nome, Anbu-hat, or the 'white wall;' in general it
bore the title Men-nefer, the ' good place,' which the