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Menes is traditionally considered the first king/pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, and is identified by the majority of Egyptologists as the same person as Narmer – although a vigorous debate also proposes identification with Hor-Aha, Narmer's successor, as a primary alternative.
Menes (fl. c. 3200–3000 BC; [1] / ˈ m eɪ n eɪ z /; Ancient Egyptian: mnj, probably pronounced * /maˈnij/; [6] Ancient Greek: Μήνης [5] and Μήν [7]) was a pharaoh of the Early Dynastic Period of ancient Egypt, credited by classical tradition with having united Upper and Lower Egypt, and as the founder of the First Dynasty.
The First Dynasty of ancient Egypt (Dynasty I) [1] covers the first series of Egyptian kings to rule over a unified Egypt. It immediately follows the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, by Menes, or Narmer, [2] and marks the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period, when power was centered at Thinis.
Consequently, the current consensus is that "Menes" and "Narmer" refer to the same person. [4] Alternative theories hold that Narmer was the final king of the Naqada III period [ 6 ] and Hor-Aha is to be identified with "Menes".
Narmer or Menes (as King of Upper and Lower Egypt) Akhenaten or Thutmose III (first to be called Pharaoh) ... May also be Menes although Narmer is more likely. [33]
Ancient Egyptian tradition credited Menes, now believed to be the same as Narmer, as the king who united Upper and Lower Egypt. On the Narmer Palette, the king is depicted wearing the Red Crown on one scene and the White crown in another, and thereby showing his rule over both Lands. [4]
The transition to a unified state happened more gradually than ancient Egyptian writers represented, and there is no contemporary record of Menes. Some scholars now believe, however, that the mythical Menes may have been the king Narmer, who is depicted wearing royal regalia on the ceremonial Narmer Palette, in a symbolic act of unification. [23]
Some Egyptologists had identified the legendary Menes with the historical Narmer, who is represented on the Palette of Narmer conquering the territory of the Nile Delta in Lower Egypt and establishing himself as king. This palette has been dated to ca. 31st century BC and thus, would correlate with the legend of Egypt's unification by Menes.