Parker, John Henry: The archaeology of Rome (4): The Egyptian obelisks to which is added a supplement to the first three parts, which form the fist volume (Oxford, 1876)

The Egyptian Obelisks.

[BOOK II.

of the Circus of Maxentius and Romulus) was set up by Bernini
in a.d. 1651, under Innocent X. (Pamphili), who built the church
of S. Agnes and the adjoining Palazzo Pamphili (and who is buried
himself in the church). Inscriptions on the base record the history f.
That in the Piazza della Minerva g was also set up, as has been
already said, by the same Bernini, in a.d. 1667, for Alexander VII.
That before the Pantheon had been removed from the site of the
Circus Maximus, and set up earlier in the Piazza di S. Martino by
Paul V., but it was set up in its present place in a.d. 1711, by
Clement XI., and the three remaining obelisks, of the eleven, were
set up by Pius VI. before the Quirinal, at the Trinita de’ Monte,
and on the Monte Citorio, in the years 1786, 1789, and 1792,
respectively. A twelfth obelisk, erected in honour of their favourite
Antinous by Hadrian and Sabina, and so of less public interest, was
set up in 1822, by Pius VII. on the Pincian.

to let it fall to its place, and as it was
impossible to move the obelisk again, the
hand was obliged to be cut off; the bones
are pointed out as remaining there.
f Bernini had rebuilt the fronts of the
other principal buildings round the
Piazza Navona, or Forum Agonale, and
erected the very fine fountain there, and
the placing of this obelisk was consi-
dered the completion of the work.
These works are recorded in the in-
inscriptions on the four sides of the
pediment or base.
On the south side :—-
INNOCENTIVS . X. PONT. MAX.
NILOTICIS . AENIGMATIBVS . EXARA-
TVM . LAPIDEM
AMNIBVS . SVBTERLABENTIBVS . IM-
POSVIT
VI. SALVBREM
SPATIANTIBVS . AMOENITATEM
SITIENTIBVS . POTVM
MEDITANTIBVS . ESCAM
MAGN1FICE . I.ARGIRETVR.
On the east side :—
NOXIA . AEGYPTIORVM . MONSTRA
INNOCENS . PREMIT . COLVMBA
QUZE . PACIS . OLEAM . GESTANS
ET . VIRTVTVM . LILIIS . REDIMITA
OBELISCVM . PRO . TROPHEO . SIBI .
STATVENS
ROMJE . TRIVMPHAT.
On the west side :—
INNOCENTIVS . DECIMVS . PONT. MAX.
NATALI . DOMO . PAMPHILIA
OPERE CVLTVQ. AMPLIFICATA
LIBERATAQ. INOPPORTVNIS . AEDI-
FICIIS
AGONALI . AREA
FORVM . VRBIS . CELEBERRIMVM

MVLTIPLICI. MAIESTATIS. INCREMENTO
NOBILITAVIT.
On the north side :—
OBELISCVM
AB. IMP. ANT. CARACALLA . ROMAM .
ADVECTVM
CVM . INTER . CIRCI . CASTRENSIS .
RVDERA
CONFRACTUS . DIV. IACVISSET
INNOCENTIVS . DECIMVS . PONT. OPT.
MAX.
AD . FONTIS . FORIQ. ORNATVM
TRANSTVLIT . INSTAVRAVIT . EREXIT
ANNO . SAL. MDCLI. PONTIF. VII.
On this occasion a medal was struck,
with the obelisk in the middle of a circle,
and the inscription,—
ABLVTO AQVA VIRGINE AGONALIVM
CRVORE.
This obelisk stands in front of the
church of S. Maria Super Minervam,
and on the side of the base which faces
the church is this inscription :—
VETEREM OBELISCVM
PALLADIS ZEGYPTIZE MONVMENTVM
E TELLVRE ERVTVM
ET IN MINERVZE OLIM
NVNC DEIPARZE GENITRICIS
FORO ERECTVM
DIVINZE SAPIENTIZE ALEXANDER VII.
DEDICAVIT ANNO SALVTIS
M.DC. LXVII.
On the opposite side of the base :—
SAPIENTIS ZEGYPTI
INSCVLPTAS OBELISCO FIGVRAS
AB ELEPHANTO BELLVARVM FOR-
TISSIMA
GESTAS QVISQVIS HIC VIDES
DOCVMENTVM INTELLIGE
ROBVSTjE MENTIS ESSE
SOLIDAM SAPIENTIAM SVSTINERE.