SESOS'TRIS (Lat., from Gk. l'ecrwarpo). The Greek name of a king of Egypt whose exploits are related by Derodotus, Dindorus, and other writers of antiquity. According to them the father of Sesostris, having learned by an oracle that his son was destined to attain universal em pire, had him educated in all warlike accomplish ments along with 1700 Egyptian boys all born on the same day with the prince. On his acces sion to the tin-one Sesostris fitted out a great army, officered by his 1700 comrades, and set forth to conquer the world. .After conquering Ethiopia and marching to the farthest limits of India, he turned westward, subduing all lands in his progress through Asia, traversed Asia invaded Europe, and subjugated Scythia and Thrace. On his return to Egypt his brother, who had been Regent in his absence, plotted his de struction, but Sesostris escaped from the snare and punished its contriver. Now master of the known world, he devoted the rest of his reign to improving the condition of his eoadry, and at the same time sought to perpetuate his fame by erecting magnificent buildings inscribed with his name and deeds. He divided Egypt into 36
110111eS, construeted an extensive system of eanals for irrigating the land, divided the population into castes, and fortified the country against in vasion. He became blind in his old age and took his own life. It has long been recognized that Sesostris was not an historical personage. His name is apparently derived from the Egyptian name Senusert (i.e. Usertesen), and it is probable that one of the kings of the Twelfth Dynasty was the original hero of the legend. In later times, however, the boastful inscriptions of Rameses 11. (q.v.), inscribed upon the walls of numerous temples, seem to have led to the identification of that monarch with the popular hero. Consult: Wiedemann, .4 ("gyp! ischr Grschichte ( Gotha, 1554-88) ; Meyer, Geschiehte des Olen .lerottens (Berlin, 18571; Sethe, Srsostris (Leipzig, 1(00); Bodge, A History of Egypt (New York, 1902).