DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5538#0058
3S PHARAOHS, FELLAHS, AND EXPLORERS.
Assyrian Empire' was a creation of yesterday as compared
with that of the Pharaohs; the middle point of Egyptian his-
tory was long past when Moses received his education at the
court of Barneses II.; and the Pyramids were already hoary
with antiquity when Abraham journeyed into the land of
Egypt.
"Where, then, it may be asked, are we to place the starting-
point of Egyptian history ? That is a very difficult question
to answer. The dawn is long past when we catch our first
glimpse of that far-distant epoch when Mena, Prince of Thi-
nis, became chief of the chieftains of the primitive clans, and
founded the first monarchy. That earliest landmark—dim-
ly seen down the vista of ages—carries us back to about five
thousand years before the Christian era; and even Mena,
who is undoubtedly an historical personage, has a back-
ground of tradition behind him. That background of tradi-
tion represents prehistoric Egypt; and of prehistoric Egypt
we at all events know that it was subdivided into a number
of principalities which subsequently became the " Nomes,"
or Provinces, of United Egypt.
The rulers of these earliest petty states were remembered
by the Egyptians of after ages as the Ilorshesu, or " Follow-
ers of Horus." They occupied, in fact, much the same place
in Egyptian history and tradition which the demi-gods oc-
cupied in the history and tradition of Hellas; but with this
great difference — the demi-gods were purely mythical he-
roes, whereas the Ilorshesu were human rulers, living in a
land where political boundaries were already sharply defined.
It is possible—we may even go so far as to say it is probable
—that a gigantic work of art belonging to that inconceiva-
bly remote age survives to this day in the great Sphinx of
Ghizeh.('°) Hence it may be seen that even in prehistoric
Egypt we are as far as ever from the beginnings of civiliza-
tion ; and beyond this, all is impenetrable night.
The existence of Egypt as a nation begins with Mena, the
first king of the First Dynasty, and ends with Cleopatra.
These two names are the preface and finis of Egyptian history.
Assyrian Empire' was a creation of yesterday as compared
with that of the Pharaohs; the middle point of Egyptian his-
tory was long past when Moses received his education at the
court of Barneses II.; and the Pyramids were already hoary
with antiquity when Abraham journeyed into the land of
Egypt.
"Where, then, it may be asked, are we to place the starting-
point of Egyptian history ? That is a very difficult question
to answer. The dawn is long past when we catch our first
glimpse of that far-distant epoch when Mena, Prince of Thi-
nis, became chief of the chieftains of the primitive clans, and
founded the first monarchy. That earliest landmark—dim-
ly seen down the vista of ages—carries us back to about five
thousand years before the Christian era; and even Mena,
who is undoubtedly an historical personage, has a back-
ground of tradition behind him. That background of tradi-
tion represents prehistoric Egypt; and of prehistoric Egypt
we at all events know that it was subdivided into a number
of principalities which subsequently became the " Nomes,"
or Provinces, of United Egypt.
The rulers of these earliest petty states were remembered
by the Egyptians of after ages as the Ilorshesu, or " Follow-
ers of Horus." They occupied, in fact, much the same place
in Egyptian history and tradition which the demi-gods oc-
cupied in the history and tradition of Hellas; but with this
great difference — the demi-gods were purely mythical he-
roes, whereas the Ilorshesu were human rulers, living in a
land where political boundaries were already sharply defined.
It is possible—we may even go so far as to say it is probable
—that a gigantic work of art belonging to that inconceiva-
bly remote age survives to this day in the great Sphinx of
Ghizeh.('°) Hence it may be seen that even in prehistoric
Egypt we are as far as ever from the beginnings of civiliza-
tion ; and beyond this, all is impenetrable night.
The existence of Egypt as a nation begins with Mena, the
first king of the First Dynasty, and ends with Cleopatra.
These two names are the preface and finis of Egyptian history.