DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3349#0010
THE RECORDED TEMPLES OF MEMPHIS
3. The history of this capital of Egypt extends
from the first king to the last Roman emperor.
Menes founded Memphis ; and the Roman governor,
John Makaukas, signed the capitulation to the Arabs
in its palace. From the beginning to the end of
Egyptian history, Memphis was the great centre of
civilisation, government and trade. For a few cen-
turies Thebes shared its importance, and it was
eclipsed at the last by Alexandria, but those cities
are only episodes in the six thousand years of
national life.
In such a centre it was natural that the gods of
many different cities should have a home, and the
temples of nineteen gods are mentioned in various
sources. The oldest object of worship was probably
the bull Apis, a part of the veneration of animals
which preceded the higher theistic ideas. The temple
of Apis was therefore the primitive settlement of the
place. But it was eclipsed by the great establishment
of Ptah, which occupied as large a space as the
enclosure of the temple of Amen at Karnak.
4. The position of the temple of Ptah is certain,
as his statues have been found in the West Hall
(PI. I), and the boundaries of his temenos have been
traced on all sides during the past winter. In
referring to the sketch map here provided, it should
be stated that it is mainly copied from the map of
Lepsius {Denkmdler, i, 9) as that shews the mounds
when more complete than at present; but the
temenos of Ptah is inserted from recent measure-
ments plotted on to the government survey of the
fields. When more is known, an exact survey of
the whole site will be prepared, but it is useless to
make that until the ancient constructions are dis-
covered.
Several different parts of the temple of Ptah are
mentioned by Herodotos. The first building of the
temple is attributed to Menes (H. ii, 99). Next
Asychis "built the eastern propylaia to the temple
of Ptah, which is far the most beautiful and the
largest: for all the propylaia have sculptured figures,
and other styles of buildings, but this by far the
most" (H. ii, 136). This king succeeded Menkaura
of the IVth, and preceded Nitaqert of the Vlth
dynasty ; he is probably Aseskaf of the IVth dynasty.
The fine reliefs of the IVth dynasty are what would
be appreciated by a Greek of the age of Pheidias ;
and this description shews that such sculpture was
still existing down to the Persian age, and therefore
may yet be found. The eastern front would naturally
be built first as being the usual entrance to a temple
from the river. This may have been the forecourt
added on to the first building of Menes.
Next we read that Moiris (Amenemhat III) built
the propylaia on the north (H. ii, 101). This was
probably where XII is marked on the map (PI. I),
as large blocks of red granite are lying about there,
and an entrance more to the east would only open
on to the lake.
In the XlXth dynasty we read of a statue
of Sety I (Breasted, Records, iii, 260). Sesostris
(Ramessu II) is said to have brought great stones
to the temple (H. ii, 108), and to have built a
forecourt on the north, and a temple in the midst
of the temenos (B. Rec. iii). In front of the temple
he placed two statues of thirty cubits of himself and
his wife, and others of his four sons, each of twenty
cubits (H. ii, 110). One of these is doubtless the
well-known colossus, the place of which is marked
on the map. So the main entrance during the
Persian age must have been that to the south.
Ramessu III built a new temple in the court,
of granite below and limestone above, and its door-
ways of granite. He made a monolith shrine of
granite containing the triad of Ptah, Sekhmet and
Nefertum ; and he made a new image, and new
sacred bark for the processions. Also he rebuilt
the ruined temples (Harris Pap.). Rhampsinitos
built the propylaia facing west, the " West Hall"
of the map, and set two statues before it twenty-five
cubits high (H. ii, 121). The base of one of these
statues is visible now.
Psametek I built the propylaia facing the south
(H. ii, 153). This is probably where XXVI is
marked on the plan, as colossi are known to be
buried there, and it would be probable that the
work of the XXVIth dynasty would stand in
advance of that of the XlXth. Aahmes placed a
colossus in front of the temple, which Herodotos
saw lying face up; it was seventy-five feet long.
Upon the same base stood two colossi each twenty
feet high (H. ii, 176). These we should expect to
have been south of the XXVI propylaia.
Lastly we find that Ptolemy IV built the
propylaia of red granite at the eastern entrance,
the dedication of which we partly recovered.
Thus we have seen that though Herodotos divided
his statements into their historical positions, yet he
has preserved his notes of a circuit round all the
gates of the temenos of Ptah; though he did not—
and probably could not—describe anything that was
inside the sacred enclosure. Incidentally Strabo
3. The history of this capital of Egypt extends
from the first king to the last Roman emperor.
Menes founded Memphis ; and the Roman governor,
John Makaukas, signed the capitulation to the Arabs
in its palace. From the beginning to the end of
Egyptian history, Memphis was the great centre of
civilisation, government and trade. For a few cen-
turies Thebes shared its importance, and it was
eclipsed at the last by Alexandria, but those cities
are only episodes in the six thousand years of
national life.
In such a centre it was natural that the gods of
many different cities should have a home, and the
temples of nineteen gods are mentioned in various
sources. The oldest object of worship was probably
the bull Apis, a part of the veneration of animals
which preceded the higher theistic ideas. The temple
of Apis was therefore the primitive settlement of the
place. But it was eclipsed by the great establishment
of Ptah, which occupied as large a space as the
enclosure of the temple of Amen at Karnak.
4. The position of the temple of Ptah is certain,
as his statues have been found in the West Hall
(PI. I), and the boundaries of his temenos have been
traced on all sides during the past winter. In
referring to the sketch map here provided, it should
be stated that it is mainly copied from the map of
Lepsius {Denkmdler, i, 9) as that shews the mounds
when more complete than at present; but the
temenos of Ptah is inserted from recent measure-
ments plotted on to the government survey of the
fields. When more is known, an exact survey of
the whole site will be prepared, but it is useless to
make that until the ancient constructions are dis-
covered.
Several different parts of the temple of Ptah are
mentioned by Herodotos. The first building of the
temple is attributed to Menes (H. ii, 99). Next
Asychis "built the eastern propylaia to the temple
of Ptah, which is far the most beautiful and the
largest: for all the propylaia have sculptured figures,
and other styles of buildings, but this by far the
most" (H. ii, 136). This king succeeded Menkaura
of the IVth, and preceded Nitaqert of the Vlth
dynasty ; he is probably Aseskaf of the IVth dynasty.
The fine reliefs of the IVth dynasty are what would
be appreciated by a Greek of the age of Pheidias ;
and this description shews that such sculpture was
still existing down to the Persian age, and therefore
may yet be found. The eastern front would naturally
be built first as being the usual entrance to a temple
from the river. This may have been the forecourt
added on to the first building of Menes.
Next we read that Moiris (Amenemhat III) built
the propylaia on the north (H. ii, 101). This was
probably where XII is marked on the map (PI. I),
as large blocks of red granite are lying about there,
and an entrance more to the east would only open
on to the lake.
In the XlXth dynasty we read of a statue
of Sety I (Breasted, Records, iii, 260). Sesostris
(Ramessu II) is said to have brought great stones
to the temple (H. ii, 108), and to have built a
forecourt on the north, and a temple in the midst
of the temenos (B. Rec. iii). In front of the temple
he placed two statues of thirty cubits of himself and
his wife, and others of his four sons, each of twenty
cubits (H. ii, 110). One of these is doubtless the
well-known colossus, the place of which is marked
on the map. So the main entrance during the
Persian age must have been that to the south.
Ramessu III built a new temple in the court,
of granite below and limestone above, and its door-
ways of granite. He made a monolith shrine of
granite containing the triad of Ptah, Sekhmet and
Nefertum ; and he made a new image, and new
sacred bark for the processions. Also he rebuilt
the ruined temples (Harris Pap.). Rhampsinitos
built the propylaia facing west, the " West Hall"
of the map, and set two statues before it twenty-five
cubits high (H. ii, 121). The base of one of these
statues is visible now.
Psametek I built the propylaia facing the south
(H. ii, 153). This is probably where XXVI is
marked on the plan, as colossi are known to be
buried there, and it would be probable that the
work of the XXVIth dynasty would stand in
advance of that of the XlXth. Aahmes placed a
colossus in front of the temple, which Herodotos
saw lying face up; it was seventy-five feet long.
Upon the same base stood two colossi each twenty
feet high (H. ii, 176). These we should expect to
have been south of the XXVI propylaia.
Lastly we find that Ptolemy IV built the
propylaia of red granite at the eastern entrance,
the dedication of which we partly recovered.
Thus we have seen that though Herodotos divided
his statements into their historical positions, yet he
has preserved his notes of a circuit round all the
gates of the temenos of Ptah; though he did not—
and probably could not—describe anything that was
inside the sacred enclosure. Incidentally Strabo