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Memphis ((アラビア語:منف) ' ; (ギリシア語:Μέμφις)) was the ancient capital of Aneb-Hetch, the first nome of Lower Egypt. Its ruins are located near the town of Mit Rahina, 20 km (12 mi) south of Giza. According to legend related by Manetho, the city was founded by the pharaoh Menes. Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, it remained an important city throughout ancient Mediterranean history.〔Bard, ''Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt'', p. 694.〕〔Meskell, Lynn (2002). ''Private Life in New Kingdom Egypt''. Princeton University Press, p.34〕〔Shaw, Ian (2003). ''The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt''. Oxford University Press, p.279〕 It occupied a strategic position at the mouth of the Nile delta, and was home to feverish activity. Its principal port, ''Peru-nefer'', harboured a high density of workshops, factories, and warehouses that distributed food and merchandise throughout the ancient kingdom. During its golden age, Memphis thrived as a regional centre for commerce, trade, and religion. Memphis was believed to be under the protection of the god Ptah, the patron of craftsmen. Its great temple, ''Hut-ka-Ptah'' (meaning "Enclosure of the ka of Ptah"), was one of the most prominent structures in the city. The name of this temple, rendered in Greek as ''Aί γυ πτoς (Ai-gy-ptos)'' by the historian Manetho, is believed to be the etymological origin of the modern English name ''Egypt''. The history of Memphis is closely linked to that of the country itself. Its eventual downfall is believed to be due to the loss of its economic significance in late antiquity, following the rise of coastal Alexandria. Its religious significance also diminished after the abandonment of the ancient religion following the Edict of Thessalonica. The ruins of the former capital today offer fragmented evidence of its past. They have been preserved, along with the pyramid complex at Giza, as a World Heritage Site since 1979. The site is open to the public as an open-air museum. ==Toponymy== Memphis has had several names during its history of almost four millennia. Its Ancient Egyptian name was Inbu-Hedj (translated as "the white walls"〔(M. T. Dimick ) retrieved 14:19GMT 1.10.11〕〔(''Etymology website''-www.behindthename.com ) retrieved 14:22GMT 1.10.11〕).〔''National Geographic Society: Egypt's Nile Valley Supplement Map'', produced by the Cartographic Division.〕 Because of its size, the city also came to be known by various other names that were actually the names of neighbourhoods or districts that enjoyed considerable prominence at one time or another. For example, according to a text of the First Intermediate Period,〔''Hieratic Papyrus 1116A'', of the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg; cf Scharff, ''Der historische Abschnitt der Lehre für König Merikarê'', p.36〕 it was known as Djed-Sut ("everlasting places"), which is the name of the pyramid of Teti.〔Montet, ''Géographie de l'Égypte ancienne'', (Vol I), p. 28–29.〕 The city was also at one point referred to as Ankh-Tawy (meaning "Life of the Two Lands"), stressing the strategic position of the city between Upper and Lower Egypt. This name appears to date from the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055–1640 BCE), and is frequently found in ancient Egyptian texts.〔Najovits, Simson R. ''Egypt, trunk of the tree: a modern survey of an ancient land'' (Vol. 1–2), Algora Publishing, p171.〕 Some scholars maintain that this name was actually that of the western district of the city that lay between the great Temple of Ptah and the necropolis at Saqqara, an area that contained a sacred tree.〔Montet, ''Géographie de l'Égypte ancienne'', (Vol I), p. 32.〕 At the beginning of the New Kingdom (c. 1550 BCE), the city became known as Men-nefer (meaning "enduring and beautiful"), which became Menfe in Coptic. The name "Memphis" () is the Greek adaptation of this name, which was originally the name of the pyramid of Pepi I, located west of the city.〔McDermott, Bridget (2001). ''Decoding Egyptian Hieroglyphs: How to Read the Secret Language of the Pharaohs''. Chronicle Books , p.130〕 The Egyptian historian Manetho referred to Memphis as Hut-ka-Ptah (meaning "Enclosure of the ka of Ptah"), which he approximated in Greek as ''Aί γυ πτoς (Ai-gy-ptos)'', from which derives the Latin ''AEGYPTVS'' and the modern English name of ''Egypt''. The term Copt is also believed to be etymologically derived from this name. In the Bible, Memphis is called ''Moph'' or ''Noph''. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Memphis, Egypt」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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