_Monuments._--The pyramid Menasu; a victory tablet at Wady Magharah; two statues, etc. 3366 =Tat-ka-Ra= (=Assa=).--He continues to wage war with even greater activity in the peninsula of Sinai. _Monuments._--The oldest papyri of authentic date belong to this reign. They are: “The Papyrus of Accounts” found at Saqqarah and the “Proverbs of Ptah-hotep.” Ptah-hotep was probably the uncle and tutor of the king, under whose patronage the work was given to the world. 3333 Close of dynasty and first period of Egyptian history with King =Unas=. _Monument._--Pyramid Nefer-asu, at Saqqarah. No great monuments in this dynasty. An age of decline. The art of building shows a great falling off from that of the IVth Dynasty. Methods are careless; decoration becomes formal, coarse, and flat. _Monument of Vth Dynasty._--The Palermo stele, containing, among others, names of some of the pre-dynastic kings of Lower Egypt. VITH DYNASTY, 3300-3000 B.C. 3300 A new line of vigorous Memphite kings founded by =Teta=. _Monument._--Pyramid Tat-asu at Saqqarah, one of the first and worst despoiled by plunderers. 3233 =Pepi Ist.=--Most important ruler of this dynasty. He has left more monuments than any other ruler before the XIIth Dynasty. Great and successful wars against the Aamu and Herusha, inhabiting the desert east of the Delta. War against the people of Terebah, a country of doubtful location, probably in western Asia. _Monuments._--The long inscription on the tomb of Una, Pepi’s general, is our source of the history of this reign. Pyramid Men-nefer, at Saqqarah; the red granite sphinx of Tanis; statuettes, etc. 3066 Queen =Men-ka-Ra=.--The Nitocris of Herodotus. The early part of this dynasty is characterised by foreign conquest and exploration, but toward the end internal troubles have brought the kingdom to a state of disorganisation. Architecture rapidly declines. VIITH, VIIITH, IXTH, AND XTH DYNASTIES, 3000-2700 B.C. 3000-2700 A long era of confusion. Rapid decay of the Memphite power in the VIIth and VIIIth Dynasties, while that of Thebes is rising. The Delta invaded and occupied by Syrian tribes, which drive the capital from Memphis south to Heracleopolis. A great wall is built across the Isthmus of Suez to keep the invaders out. Dynasties IX and X at Heracleopolis in constant conflict with the Theban princes, in which the latter gradually attain their independence and establish the XIth (First Theban) Dynasty. For about a century the Xth and XIth Dynasties probably reign contemporaneously. _Monuments._--Mainly scarabs. THE OLD THEBAN (MIDDLE) KINGDOM XITH DYNASTY, 2700-2466 B.C.