DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4393#0142
THEBES AND EARNAK. 125
colossi, battered and featureless and buried to the chin,
like two of the proud in the doleful fifth circle. A few
yards in front of these again stands a solitary obelisk, also
half-buried. The colossi are of black granite; the obelisk
is of red, highly polished and covered on all four sides
with superb hieroglyphs in three vertical columns. These
hieroglyphs are engraved with the precision of the finest
gem. They are cut to a depth of about two inches in the
outer columns and five inches in the central column of the
inscription. The true height of this wonderful monolith
is over seventy feet, between thirty and forty of which are
hidden under the accumulated soil of many centuries. Its
companion obelisk, already scaling away by imperceptible
degrees under the skyey influences of an alien climate,
looks down with melancholy indifference ujdou the petty
revolutions and counter-revolutions of the Place de la
Concorde. On a line with the two black colossi, but some
fifty feet or so farther to the west, rises a third and some-
what smaller head of chert or limestone, the fellow to
which is doubtless hidden among the huts that encroach
half-way across the face of the eastern tower. The whole
outer surface of these towers is covered with elaborate
sculptures of gods and men, horses and chariots, the pa-
geantry of triumph and the carnage of war. The king
in his chariot draws his terrible bow, or slays his enemies
on foot, or sits enthroned, receiving the homage of his
court. Whole regiments armed with lance and shield
march across the scene. The foe flies in disorder. The
king, attended by his fan-bearers, returns in state, and the
priests burn incense before him.
This king is Barneses II, called Sesostris and Osymandias
by ancient writers, and best known to history as Barneses
the Great. His actual names and titles as they stand upon
the monuments are Ba-user-ma Sotp-en-Ba Ba-messu Mer-
Amon; that is to say: " Ba strong in truth, approved of
Ba, son of Ba, beloved of Amen."
The battle scenes here represented relate to that memor-
able campaign against the Kheta, which forms the subject of
the famous "Third Sallier Papyrus,"* and iscommemorated
* Translated into French by the late Vicorate de Rouge under tiro
title of "Le Poemede Pentaour," 1856; into English by Mr. Goodwin,
1858; and again by Professor Lushington in 1874. See " Records of
the Past," vol ii.
colossi, battered and featureless and buried to the chin,
like two of the proud in the doleful fifth circle. A few
yards in front of these again stands a solitary obelisk, also
half-buried. The colossi are of black granite; the obelisk
is of red, highly polished and covered on all four sides
with superb hieroglyphs in three vertical columns. These
hieroglyphs are engraved with the precision of the finest
gem. They are cut to a depth of about two inches in the
outer columns and five inches in the central column of the
inscription. The true height of this wonderful monolith
is over seventy feet, between thirty and forty of which are
hidden under the accumulated soil of many centuries. Its
companion obelisk, already scaling away by imperceptible
degrees under the skyey influences of an alien climate,
looks down with melancholy indifference ujdou the petty
revolutions and counter-revolutions of the Place de la
Concorde. On a line with the two black colossi, but some
fifty feet or so farther to the west, rises a third and some-
what smaller head of chert or limestone, the fellow to
which is doubtless hidden among the huts that encroach
half-way across the face of the eastern tower. The whole
outer surface of these towers is covered with elaborate
sculptures of gods and men, horses and chariots, the pa-
geantry of triumph and the carnage of war. The king
in his chariot draws his terrible bow, or slays his enemies
on foot, or sits enthroned, receiving the homage of his
court. Whole regiments armed with lance and shield
march across the scene. The foe flies in disorder. The
king, attended by his fan-bearers, returns in state, and the
priests burn incense before him.
This king is Barneses II, called Sesostris and Osymandias
by ancient writers, and best known to history as Barneses
the Great. His actual names and titles as they stand upon
the monuments are Ba-user-ma Sotp-en-Ba Ba-messu Mer-
Amon; that is to say: " Ba strong in truth, approved of
Ba, son of Ba, beloved of Amen."
The battle scenes here represented relate to that memor-
able campaign against the Kheta, which forms the subject of
the famous "Third Sallier Papyrus,"* and iscommemorated
* Translated into French by the late Vicorate de Rouge under tiro
title of "Le Poemede Pentaour," 1856; into English by Mr. Goodwin,
1858; and again by Professor Lushington in 1874. See " Records of
the Past," vol ii.