“The king, _sun creator of the world_
(Ra-men-kheper), lord of Upper and Lower Egypt, the
son of the sun, Thothmes, offers libations of wine to
him who gives eternal life.”
Next follows the standard of the king, and below that, the columns
of hieroglyphs; in this instance the middle column representing the
address of Thothmes, on the three sides of the obelisk exposed to view:—
1. “He is Horus (Apollo), the powerful bull, friend
of truth, the king, _sun creator of the world_
(Ra-men-kheper, prenomen), who hath made monuments
for his father, the _sun of the two zones_, and who
hath erected two great obelisks with pyramidions
of gold, which shine with brilliancy at the
panegyries....
2. “He is Horus, the powerful bull, son of truth,
the king, _sun creator of the world_, who hath been
established on the throne of Seb by his father, the
god Toum, who hath given him the dignity of Thoré,
in magnifying his name among the inhabitants of On
and of the whole world, the son of the sun, Thothmes,
giving life like the sun for ever.
3. “He is Horus, the powerful bull, friend of truth,
the king, _sun creator of the world_, the protector
of the temples of the gods, who hath given at every
epoch gifts to the divinities of the city of On, and
to their servants (the priests), that they may live
as saints; moreover, like his grandfather, he hath
established numerous festivals; the son of the sun,
Thothmes, beloved of the god Toum, _sun of the two
zones_, giving life like the sun for ever.”
Of the texts of Rameses II., occupying the side columns, the
translations of five are given:—
1. “He is Horus, the powerful bull, friend of truth,
the king, _sun_, _guardian of justice_, _preferred
of Ra_ (Ra-ouser-ma-sotep-en-Ra, prenomen), the lord
of Upper and Lower Egypt; he who governeth Egypt and
chastiseth foreign countries, the son of the sun,
_Rameses Maïamon_, the ruler and benefactor of the
temple of his father, than whom none has done so much
as he in this temple, the lord of the two worlds,
_sun_, _guardian of justice_, _the preferred of Ra_,
the son of the sun, _Rameses Maïamon_, who giveth
life like the sun for ever.
2. “He is Horus, the powerful bull, son of truth, the
king, _sun_, _guardian of justice_, _the preferred
of Ra_, the lord of the panegyries, like unto his
father the god Toum, the son of the sun, _Rameses
Maïamon_, the germ of his father whom he loveth, whom
the goddess Athor hath nourished, he is the glory
and the lord of the two worlds, the _sun_, _guardian
of justice_, _preferred of Ra_, the son of the sun,
_Rameses Maïamon_, who, like the sun, giveth life for
ever.
3. “He is Horus, the powerful bull in Egypt, the
king, _the sun_, _guardian of justice_, _preferred
of Ra_, the golden hawk, the guardian of flourishing
years, the son of the sun, _Rameses Maïamon_, whose
name eternal the puissant of Assyria have graven
on their rocks, and in the temple of his father,
the lord of the two worlds, _the sun_, _guardian of
justice_, _preferred of Ra_, the son of the sun,
_Rameses Maïamon_, the truthful, the beloved of the
great god Ammon, who giveth life like the sun for
ever.
4. “He is Horus, the powerful bull, friend of truth,
the king, _sun_, _guardian of justice_, _preferred
of Ra_, the sublime, the offspring of the gods, the
son of the sun, _Rameses Maïamon_, the victorious,
the puissant, the watchful, the bull of princes, the
king of kings, the lord of the two worlds, the son of
the sun, _Rameses Maïamon_, _the sun_, _guardian of
justice_, _preferred of Ra_, the beloved of the god
Toum, the lord of On, who, like the sun, giveth life
for ever.
5. “He is Horus, the powerful bull, son of truth,
the king, _sun_, _guardian of justice_, _preferred
of Ra_, the lord of Upper and Lower Egypt, he who
governeth Egypt and scourgeth foreign countries, the
son of the sun, _Rameses Maïamon_; numerous victories
hath he achieved over foreigners, and he hath carried
his conquering arms to the four columns of heaven,
the lord of the two worlds, _sun_, _guardian of
justice_, _preferred of Ra_, the son of the sun,
_Rameses Maïamon_, giving life like the sun for ever.”
M. Mosconas likewise favours us with part of an heroic poem, translated
by Mariette Bey, from a tablet[57] (stèle) preserved in the Boulaq
Museum. This poem is written in honour of the author of the British
obelisk, Thothmes III., and is said to be several centuries older
than Homer, or even than the Bible. It is regarded by Egyptologists
as a precious relic, and as a treasured example of the poetry of that
ancient period. The Pharaoh presents libations and offerings to the
sun-god Amon-Ra, who then recites a long list of the achievements of
the king, assuring him of the divine assent, and informing him, that it
was to the forethought and participation of the deity that he owed his
successes. He speaks thus:—
[57] La Stèle de Phtamosis le Memphite.
“Come to me and rejoice in the contemplation of my
grace, my son, my avenger. Sun, Creator of the World,
living for ever, I am resplendent through thy vows;
my heart expands with thy welcome presence in my
temple; I embrace thy members in mine arms, that I
may infuse into them health and life. Loveable are
thy blessings, through the presentment which thou
settest up in my sanctuary. It is I who give thee
recompense; it is I who give thee power and victory
over all nations; it is through me that thy genius
and the fear of thy power have taken possession of
every land, and its dread hath expanded to the four
columns of heaven. I magnify the alarm which thy
name inspireth throughout the world. It is with my
accord that thy war-cries pierce the very midst of
thy barbarian foes, and the kings of every nation
fall in under thy hand; I myself stretch forth my
arms; I draw together and congregate for thee the
Nubians in tens of thousands and thousands, and the
northern peoples in millions. It is with my accord
that thou hurlest thine enemies beneath thy sandals,
that thou smitest the chiefs of the unclean as I
have ordered thee; the world, in all its length and
breadth, from west to east, is at thy command. Thou
spreadest gladness into the heart of all the peoples;
none amongst them dare trample on the territory of
thy majesty; but I am thy guide to lead thee to them.
Thou hast crossed the great river of Mesopotamia,
conqueror and mighty, as I had pre-ordered; the cries
of war resounded in their caves; I withheld from
their nostrils the breath of life....
“I am come, and with my accord thou smitest the
princes of Tahi (Syria). I hurl them beneath thy
feet when thou marchest through their countries. I
have shown them thy majesty as a lord of light; thou
beamest upon them like unto mine own image.
“I am come, and I allow thee to smite the dwellers
in Asia, to lead into captivity the chiefs of the
Rotennu (Assyria). I have revealed to them thy
majesty compassed with thy girdle, grasping thy
weapon, and wielding it from thy chariot of war.
“I am come, that I might sanction thee to smite the
countries of the East, to force thy way to the very
cities of the Holy Land. I have revealed to them thy
majesty as like unto the star Seschet (Canopus),
which darts forth in flame, and gives birth to the
morning dew.
“I am come, and I permit thee to smite the countries
of the West: Kefa (Cyprus) and Asia tremble with
terror in thy presence: I have shown them thy majesty
like unto a bull young and courageous; he that,
embellished with horns, nothing is able to resist.
“I am come, and I permit thee to smite the peoples
of every region; the countries of Maten (Amatuses)
shake with the terror of thy name. I have revealed
to them thy majesty as like unto the crocodile; he,
the formidable master of the waters, whom none dare
approach.
“I come, to grant thee permission to smite the
inhabitants of islands; the dwellers on the
sea-coasts tremble at the sound of thy war-cry; I
have shown them thy majesty like unto an avenger who
springs upon the shoulders of his victim.
“I come, to permit thee to smite Tahennu (Libyans).
The islands of Tanaou (Danaë) are possessed of thy
genius. I have shown them thy majesty as like unto
a terrible lion, who maketh his couch of their
carcasses, and stretcheth himself across their
valleys.
“I come, to permit thee to smite the regions of the
floods, that those who abide nigh unto the great sea
may be held in subjection. I have made them view thy
majesty as of the king of birds, that hovers o’er its
prey, and seizes what it lists.
“I come, to permit thee to smite the denizens of
the desert, that the Herusha may be brought into
captivity. I have made them look upon thy majesty,
as like unto the jackal of the day—he that maketh
his way in concealment, and travelleth the country
through.
“I am come, and I accord to thee the right to smite
the Anu of Nubia, that the Remenem (nomad tribes)
thou may’st hold in thine hand. I have made them
regard thy majesty as like unto those who are thy
two brothers, their arms stretched over thee for thy
protection.”...
M. Mosconas’ work is illustrated with two pictorial sheets,
representing, admirably, every hieroglyph depicted on three of the
sides of the British obelisk, with its phonetic equivalent in Egyptian,
and its signification in French; the figure and its explanation
standing side by side. It is a work which will be found of great value
by the Egyptological student, and highly satisfactory to the more
learned explorer of hieroglyphography.[58]
[58] “Deux mots sur les Obelisques d’Egypte et Traduction de
l’Obelisque dit de Cleopatre qui doit être transporté en Angleterre
et de la Stèle du Phtamosis le Memphite:” par Demetrius Mosconas.
Alexandrie, 1877. Quarto, 16 pages, with three Plates.
M. Mosconas alleges that the Alexandrian obelisks were brought from
Heliopolis by Cleopatra, and were left neglected for eleven years
on the beach of the eastern port of Alexandria; and that they were
afterwards erected by Barbarus, Prefect of Egypt, under Augustus Cæsar.