Late Antique Historiography

Book of Sothis

Title(s):
  • Book of Sothis
  • Ἡ βίβλος τοῦ Σώθεος
    (Hē biblos tou Sōtheos, The book of Sothis)
  • Ὁ κυνικὸς λεγόμενος κύκλος παρὰ τῷ Μανεθῷ
    (Ho kunikos legomenos kuklos para tōi Manethōi, The so-called cynical cycle by Manetho)
Author:
Period covered:
A.M. 2776-4986 (2718/2717-508/507 B.C.?)
Language:
Greek
State of Preservation:
Fragmentary
Genre:
  • List (rulers)
Remarks:
Although Syncellus believed this to be one of the works of Manetho (third century B.C.), the Book of Sothis as probably composed shortly before the age of Panodorus (beginning of the fifth century: see Adler 1983: 58; Fowden 1986: 29-31). Indeed, the letter opening the list is clearly a forgery: it contains anachronisms (e.g. Ptolemy is called Σεβαστῷ, 'Augustus'), and presents a Hermetic nature, see Adler (1983: 428, n. 42) and Lang (BNJ 609 F 25). In spite of these elements, some scholars consider the letter to be based on good sources: Laqueur (1928: 1061); Waddell (1940: XI); Verbrugge - Wickersham (1996: 96); contra Lang (BNJ 609 T 11a). Panodorus corrected and integrated the Book of Sothis (Kees 1927: 1235). The listed kings cannot be divided into dynasties because of their unchronological disposition (Waddel 1940: 234-235, n. 1). John Malalas, Chronicle 2.3 mentions a Sotates, which could refer to the book of Sothis.
Edition - Translation:
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Sources:
Bibliography:
  • W. Adler (1983) 'Berossus, Manetho and "1 Enoch" in the world chronicle of Panodorus'. The Harvard Theological Review 76: 419-442.
  • W. Adler (1989) Time immemorial: Archaic history and its sources in Christian chronography from Julius Africanus to George Syncellus. Washington DC.
  • G. Fowden (1986) The Egyptian Hermes. Cambridge: 29-31.
  • H. Kees (1927) 'Sothisbuch'. In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft 3A: 1234-1235.
  • R. Laqueur (1928) 'Manethon'. In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft 27: 1060-1101.
  • D.B. Redford (1986) Pharaonic king-lists, annals and day-books: A contribution to the study of the Egyptian sense of history. Mississauga.
  • G.P. Verbrugge, J.M. Wickersham (1996) Berossos and Manetho: Native traditions in Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. Ann Arbor: esp. 174-182 (T 1A-B; F 1-3).