AMENHOTEP I (r. 1525–1504 B.C.E.) was an early
patron of the region. A temple erected on the site by
AMENHOTEP III(r. 1359–1353 B.C.E.) was refurbished by
PTOLEMY IV PHILOPATOR(r. 186–164, 163–145 B.C.E.). SETI
I (1306–1290 B.C.E.) erected temples to HATHOR and
AMUNon the site. TAHARQA(r. 690–664 B.C.E.) also built
an Osirian chapel there.
Suggested Readings:Bomann, Ann H. The Private Chapel
in Ancient Egypt: A Study of the Chapels in the Workmen’s
Village at El Amarna with Special Reference to Deir El Med-
ina. New York: Routledge, 1991; Lesko, Leonard, ed.
Pharaoh’s Workers: The Village of Deir El Medina.Ithaca,
N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1994.
Deliverance of Mankind from Destruction See
BOOK OF THE DEAD.
Delta The area of Lower Egypt formed by the Nile
River tributaries located north of MEMPHIS, the region
is now intersected by the Damietta and Rosetta branches
of the Nile River. At one time there were five such tribu-
taries. The Canopic, Sebennytic, and Pelusiac branches
have dried up over the centuries. The Delta played a
major role in many eras of Egypt’s history. It is actually a
triangle of some 8,500 square miles. The coastal areas
of the Delta have lakes, wetlands, lagoons, and sand
dunes.
Demetrius of Phalerum(fl. fourth century B.C.E.) Greek
orator and philosopher trained by Aristotle
Born c. 350 B.C.E., Demetrius served as the governor of
Athens in 318–317 B.C.E. but was exiled from GREECEby
DEMETRIUS I POLIORCETES. Going to ALEXANDRIA,he
received a welcome from PTOLEMY I SOTER (304–284
B.C.E.). Demetrius also received a mandate from Ptolemy:
to collect all the books available in the world. A large
amount of financial backing was also provided, and the
LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIAtook shape. A tale from this era
states that a visitor to Alexandria arrived with a book not
in the library, and the volume was immediately confis-
cated and added to the collection. Demetrius was also a
prolific writer, providing Alexandria with a philosophical
history and moral treatises.Demetrius I Poliorcetes(d. 283 B.C.E.) King of Mace-
donia
Born c. 336 B.C.E., he was the son of ANTIGONUS I
MONOPHTHALMUSand a sworn enemy of PTOLEMY I SOTER
(304–284 B.C.E.). Demetrius fought Ptolemy I at Gaza in
312 B.C.E., losing the battle, but he defeated the Egyptian
naval forces at Cypriot SALAMISin 306 B.C.E. He became
ruler of Macedonia in 294 B.C.E. Nine years later he was
captured by SELEUCUS INicator and died from drinking
in captivity in the city of Rhodes. Called “the City
Sacker” or “the Beseiger,” Demetrius attacked the Naba-
taean city of Petra in 312 B.C.E. He was trying to obtain a
monopoly on bitumen, a substance vital to the embalm-
ing rituals of the Egyptians. Demetrius was not success-
ful in this venture.Demetrius II Nicator(fl. second century B.C.E.) Seleu-
cid king who aided Ptolemy VI Philometor (r. 180–164,
163–145 B.C.E.)
He married a daughter of PTOLEMY VI PHILOMETORbut
faced his own political problems. In 144 B.C.E., Demetrius
had to share his throne with a rival, Diodotus Tryphon,
and he was deposed by a pretender, who was backed
decades later by PTOLEMY VIII EUERGETES II(r. 170–163,
140–116 B.C.E.).Democritus(b. 460 B.C.E.) “Laughing Philosopher” of
Greece
He traveled extensively in Egypt and was a noted ency-
clopedist. Democritus was honored for his humor as
well as his abilities. Some 60 titles are attributed to him.
Democritus supported the atomic theories popular in
his age.Demotic Chronicle Apapyrus dating to the reign of
PTOLEMY I SOTER(304–284 B.C.E.) and concerning the
Late Period (712–332 B.C.E.). The historical records of
the last dynasties before the arrival of ALEXANDER III THE
GREAT(r. 332–323 B.C.E.) are obscure, and the Demotic
Chronicle provides political information as well as
pseudo-prophetic dates. The Demotic Chronicle is
Papyrus 215 in the Bibliothèque National, Paris.
See also PAPYRUS.98 Deliverance of Mankind from DestructionThe ruins of the settlement of the “Servants of the Place ofThe ruins of Deir el-Medina, the Valley of the Kings
Thierry Ailleret.)