Salitis

Salitis was a Hyksos ruler of ancient Egypt, believed to have reigned during the Second Intermediate Period (c. 1650-1550 BCE). He is often considered the founder of the Fifteenth Dynasty, which controlled Lower Egypt during this period.

Very little is known definitively about Salitis, and most information regarding him comes from fragments of Manetho's Aegyptiaca, a history of Egypt written in Greek during the Ptolemaic period. Manetho, as quoted by Josephus, portrays Salitis as originating from Arabia and conquering Egypt with ease, establishing his capital at Memphis and fortifying the city of Avaris (modern Tell el-Dab'a) in the eastern Nile Delta.

The historicity of Salitis is debated amongst scholars. While archaeological evidence supports the presence of a significant Hyksos presence in the Delta region during the Second Intermediate Period, the exact details of their rise to power and the identities of their earliest rulers remain unclear. Some scholars believe Salitis may be a distorted or conflated representation of one or more actual Hyksos kings, while others accept him as a legitimate historical figure.

The Hyksos, including possibly Salitis, introduced new technologies and cultural elements to Egypt, such as the horse-drawn chariot and composite bow, which later proved significant in Egyptian military developments. Despite being viewed negatively by later Egyptian dynasties, the Hyksos played an important role in shaping the history of the country.