Rhampsinit

Rhampsinit (also called Rhampsinitos, Rhampsinitus, Rampsinitus, Rampsinit, derived from Herodotus' Greek Ῥαμψίνιτος Rhampsínitos) is the hellenized name of a fictitious king (pharaoh) from Ancient Egypt.

Herodotus starts the story in chapter 121 with a short introduction of the king: “After Proteus, they told me, Rhâmpsinitós received in succession the kingdom, who left as a memorial of himself that gateway to the temple of Hephaistos which is turned towards the West.” Then he tells the two tales of king Rhampsinit: Rhampsinit has hoarded a large amount of gold and silver, and orders a mason to build him a secure treasure room.

After some time has passed, Rhampsinit becomes aware that his treasury is decreasing and gets upset, as the treasure room’s well-guarded door remains untouched.

The thief uses the stolen money to procure several donkeys, which he loads with full wineskins and drives nearby the body of his brother.

Upon arriving, he deliberately loosens the wineskins, causing the wine to leak onto the ground, and begins lamenting and berating his donkeys.

The master thief visits the princess, but, suspecting the ruse, he brings the right arm of his deceased brother and then tells her about his deed.

After defeating her, the king is allowed to return to the realm of the living, and Demeter gives him a golden towel[citation needed] as his prize.

[citation needed] Herodotus closes his stories in chapter 124, where Rhampsinit is followed by a king Kheops, whom the author describes as "cruel" and "evil."

Rhampsinit is also mentioned by the late Roman Egyptian historian John of Nikiû, who evidently took his information from Herodotus.