Manetho's system of dynasties is what we use today to date ancient Egypt. Althought the dates are often only approximate, the system remains the most useful way of dividing more than 3,000 years of history. Manetho's Aegyptiaca is an important secondary source on ancient Egypt (it is only preserved through other writers' work). Manetho was a priest in ancient Egypt during the time of the Ptolemies (later period than we examine in this course).

An Egyptian priest who wrote a history of his country in c3 BC. Though the work is lost, quotations from it in later writers are extremely important for reconstructing dynastic lists of pharaohs. Upon Manetho's studies hangs most of the modern interpretation of Ancient Egyptian chronology.

Manetho, also known as Manethon of Sebennytos, was an Egyptian historian and priest from Sebennytos (ancient Egyptian: Tjebnutjer) who lived during the Ptolemaic era, circa 3rd century BC. Manetho recorded Aegyptiaca (History of Egypt). His work is of great interest to Egyptologists, and is often used as evidence for the chronology of the reigns of pharaohs.