Rhampsinitus
(Ῥαμφίνιτος), called Rhemphis by Diodorus, one of the ancient kings of Egypt, is said to have succeeded Proteus, and to have been himself succeeded by Cheops. This king is said to have possessed immense wealth, and in order to keep it safe he had a treasury built of stone, respecting the robbery of which Herodotus relates a romantic story, which bears a great resemblance to the one told by Pausanias (9.37.4) respecting the treasury built by the two brothers Agamedes and Trophonius of Orchomenus [Agamedes]. Rhampsinitus is said to have built the western propylaea of the temple of Hephaestus, and to have placed in front of it two large statues, each of the size of twenty-five cubits, which the Egyptians called Summer and Winter. It is further stated that this king descended to Hades and played a game at dice with Demeter, and on his return to the earth a festival was instituted in honour of the goddess (Hdt. 2.121, 122; Diod. 1.62). Rhampsinitus belongs to the twentieth dynasty according to Bunsen, and is known on inscriptions by the name of Ramessu Neter-kek-pen (Bunsen, Aegyptens Stelle in der Weltgeschichte, vol. iii. pp. 119, 120).
(Ῥαμψίνιτος). Rameses or Ramses III., one of the ancient kings of Egypt, who succeeded Proteus, and was himself succeeded by Cheops. Rhampsinitus belongs to the Twentieth Dynasty, and is known in inscriptions by the name of Ramessu-pa-neter. He is said to have stored up immense wealth in a stone treasury with a secret entrance, regarding the robbery of which Herodotus tells a very entertaining story (bk. ii. 121 foll.), resembling a similar tale narrated of the treasury built by Agamedes and Trophonius at Orchomenus, for which see Trophonius. Rhampsinitus is said by Herodotus to have descended alive into Hades and to have won at dice from Persephone (or Demeter) a golden napkin.
- story of the theft of his treasure: Hdt. 2.121