(Μυκερῖνος, Μεχερῖνος), or MECHERI'NUS, was son of Cheops, king of Egypt, according to Herodotus and Diodorus, and succeeded his uncle Chephren on the throne. His conduct formed a strong contrast to that of his father and uncle, being as mild and just as theirs had been tyrannical. On the death of his daughter, he placed her corpse within the hollow body of a wooden cow, which was covered with gold. Herodotus tells us that it was still to be seen at Sais in his time. We further hear of Mycerinus that, being warned by an oracle that he should die at the end of six years, because he had been a gentle ruler and had not wreaked the vengeance of the gods on Egypt, he gave himself up to
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revelry, and strove to double his allotted time by turning night into day. He built a pyramid also, or rather began to build it, but died before it was finished. It was smaller than those of Cheops and Chephren, and, according to Herodotus, was wrongly ascribed by some to the Greek hetaera Rhodopis. (Hdt. 2.129-134; Diod. 1.64; Ath. x. p. 438b.) [E.E]