As is often the case with ancient history, the identity of Menes is uncertain. Manetho, a third-century historian in Egypt called him by that name, but Min was the name the Greek historian, Herodotus, used in the fifth century. Additionally, two XIX Dynasty king lists refer to him as Meni. Modern scholars have also linked the antiquated names of Aha, Narmer and Scorpion with Menes. The earliest tomb uncovered at [M 002 /Saqqara], the cemetery of [M 002 /Memphis], has been traced to the reign of Aha. However, monuments unearthed at the royal cemetery of [M 003 /Abydos] in Thinite province belong to the kings, Narmer and Aha. Narmer also appears on a decorative stone palette (Narmer Palette) wearing the Red and White Crown of unified Egypt showing him subduing his enemies. Nevertheless, unification may have progressed over the reign of several kings. Menes could have been a name given to a symbolic unifier who Manetho attributes a reign of 62 years that ended with a violent hippopotamus attack.
