The Colossi of Memnon ( ar, el-Colossat, script=Latn, italic=yes or ''es-Salamat'') are two massive stone
statues of the
Pharaoh
Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: '' pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until th ...
Amenhotep III, which stand at the front of the ruined
Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III
The Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III, also known as Kom el-Hettân, was built by the main architect Amenhotep, son of Hapu, for Pharaoh Amenhotep III during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom. The mortuary temple is located on the Western bank o ...
, the largest temple in the
Theban Necropolis. They have stood since 1350 BC, and were well known to ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as early modern travelers and
Egyptologists. The statues contain 107 Roman-era inscriptions in Greek and Latin, dated to between AD 20 and 250; many of these inscriptions on the northernmost statue make reference to the Greek mythological king
Memnon
In Greek mythology, Memnon (; Ancient Greek: Μέμνων means 'resolute') was a king of Aethiopia and son of Tithonus and Eos. As a warrior he was considered to be almost Achilles' equal in skill. During the Trojan War, he brought an army ...
, whom the statue was then – erroneously – thought to represent.
Scholars have debated how the identification of the northern colossus as "Memnon" is connected to the Greek name for the entire
Theban Necropolis as the Memnonium.
Description
The twin statues depict
Amenhotep III (
fl.
''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...
14th century BC) in a seated position, his hands resting on his knees and his gaze facing eastwards (actually ESE in modern bearings) towards the river. Two shorter figures are carved into the front
throne
A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign on state occasions; or the seat occupied by a pope or bishop on ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the mon ...
alongside his legs: these are his wife
Tiye and mother
Mutemwiya. The side panels depict the Nile
god Hapi.
The statues are made from blocks of
quartzite sandstone which was quarried at
el-Gabal el-Ahmar (near modern-day
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...
) and transported overland to
Thebes (Luxor). The stones are believed to be too heavy to have been transported upstream on the Nile. The blocks used by later Roman engineers to reconstruct the northern colossus may have come from
Edfu
Edfu ( egy, bḥdt, ar, إدفو , ; also spelt Idfu, or in modern French as Edfou) is an Egyptian city, located on the west bank of the Nile River between Esna and Aswan, with a population of approximately sixty thousand people. Edfu is the sit ...
(north of
Aswan). Including the stone platforms on which they stand – themselves about – the colossi reach in height and weigh an estimated 720 tons each. The two figures are about apart.
Both statues are quite damaged, with the features above the waist virtually unrecognizable. The southern statue comprises a single piece of stone, but the northern figure has a large extensive crack in the lower half and above the waist consists of 5 tiers of stone. These upper levels consist of a different type of
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...
, and are the result of a later reconstruction attempt, which
William de Wiveleslie Abney attributed to
Septimius Severus
Lucius Septimius Severus (; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary suc ...
.
[''Thebes and its five greater temples '']
by William de Wiveleslie Abney; published 1876 by Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington; archived at the University of Heidelberg
}
Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, ...
It is believed that originally the two statues were identical to each other, although inscriptions and minor art may have varied.
The original function of the Colossi was to stand guard at the entrance to
Amenhotep's memorial temple (or
mortuary temple): a massive construct built during the pharaoh's lifetime, where he was worshipped as a god-on-earth both before and after his departure from this world. In its day, this temple complex was the largest and most opulent in
Ancient Egypt. Covering a total of , even later rivals such as
Ramesses II
Ramesses II ( egy, rꜥ-ms-sw ''Rīʿa-məsī-sū'', , meaning "Ra is the one who bore him"; ), commonly known as Ramesses the Great, was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Along with Thutmose III he is often regarded a ...
's
Ramesseum
The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple) of Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great", also spelled "Ramses" and "Rameses"). It is located in the Theban Necropolis in Upper Egypt, on the west of the River Nile, across from the ...
or
Ramesses III
Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III (also written Ramses and Rameses) was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt. He is thought to have reigned from 26 March 1186 to 15 April 1155 BC and is considered to be the last great mona ...
's
Medinet Habu
Medinet Habu ( ar, مدينة هابو; Egyptian: ''Tjamet'' or ''Djamet''; cop, ''Djeme'' or ''Djemi'') is an archaeological locality situated near the foot of the Theban Hills on the West Bank of the River Nile opposite the modern city of Lu ...
were unable to match it in area; even the
Temple of Karnak, as it stood in Amenhotep's time, was smaller.
With the exception of the Colossi, however, very little remains today of Amenhotep's temple. It stood on the edge of the Nile
floodplain, and successive annual inundations gnawed away at its foundations – a 1840s lithograph by
David Roberts shows the Colossi surrounded by water – and it was not unknown for later rulers to dismantle, purloin, and reuse portions of their predecessors' monuments.
Roman era inscriptions
The statues contain 107 Roman-era inscriptions in Greek and Latin, dated between 20-250CE; these inscriptions allowed modern travellers to connect the statues to the classical Greek and Latin literature.
Many of the inscriptions include the name "Memnon".
They were first studied in detail by
Jean-Antoine Letronne in his 1831 ''La statue vocale de Memnon considérée dans ses rapports avec l'Égypte et la Grèce'' and then catalogued in the second volume (1848) of his ''Recueil des inscriptions grecques et latines de l'Égypte''.
File:Colossi of Memnon 2022 19.jpg
File:Colossi of Memnon 2022 23.jpg
File:Colossi of Memnon 2022 26.jpg
File:Colossi of Memnon 2022 30.jpg
File:Memnon 11.jpg, Base inscriptions
File:Ancient Greek Graffiti ... (36688175375).jpg, Leg inscriptions
File:Memnonis crus dexterum - Pococke Richard - 1743.jpg, 1743 transcription
File:Memnonis crus alterum - Pococke Richard - 1743.jpg, 1743 transcription
Earthquakes
Soon after its construction the temple was destroyed by an earthquake, recently dated by the Armenian Institute of Seismology to around 1200 BC, which left only the two huge colossi at the entrance still standing. These were further destroyed by an earthquake in 27 BC, after which they were partly reconstructed by the Roman authorities.
The 1200 BC earthquake also opened numerous chasms in the ground which meant that many statues were buried, some in pristine condition. These have been the subject of extensive restoration and excavation conducted by the Armenian/German archaeologist Hourig Sourouzian, who has revealed that the complex consisted of three pylons, each fronted by colossal statues, while at the far end a rectangular Temple complex consisted of a peristyle court surrounded by columns. So far four of the statues have been re-erected, with eight waiting to be re-erected, while some 200 statues or pieces of statues are in the Luxor Museum, some on display, others in store awaiting conservation.
Name
The modern Arabic name is Kom el-Hatan, but it is generally known by the Roman name as the Temple of Memnon.
Memnon
In Greek mythology, Memnon (; Ancient Greek: Μέμνων means 'resolute') was a king of Aethiopia and son of Tithonus and Eos. As a warrior he was considered to be almost Achilles' equal in skill. During the Trojan War, he brought an army ...
was a
hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...
of the
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans ( Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and ...
, a
King of Ethiopia
The emperor of Ethiopia ( gez, ንጉሠ ነገሥት, nəgusä nägäst, "King of Kings"), also known as the Atse ( am, ዐፄ, "emperor"), was the hereditary ruler of the Ethiopian Empire, from at least the 13th century until the abolition ...
who led his armies from
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
into
Asia Minor
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
to help defend the beleaguered city but was ultimately slain by
Achilles
In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pe ...
. Memnon (whose name means or ) was said to be the son of
Eos, the goddess of dawn. He was associated with colossi built several centuries earlier, because of the reported cry at dawn of the northern statue (
see below), which became known as the . Eventually, the entire
Theban Necropolis became generally referred to as the Memnonium making him "Ruler of the west" as in the case of the god
Osiris who was called chief of the
west.
in the 19th century, William de Wiveleslie Abney noted that "(t)he Arabs called these statues 'Shama' and 'Tama', and when speaking of them together gave them the appelation of Sanamât, or the idols."
Sounds
In 27 BCE, a large
earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
reportedly shattered the northern colossus, collapsing it from the waist up and cracking the lower half. Following its rupture, the remaining lower half of this statue was then reputed to "sing" on various occasions – always within an hour or two of sunrise, usually right at dawn. The sound was most often reported in February or March, but this is probably more a reflection of the tourist season rather than any actual pattern.
The earliest report in literature is that of the
Greek historian and geographer
Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called " Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could s ...
, who said that he heard the sound during a visit in 20 BCE, by which time it apparently was already well-known. The description varied; Strabo said it sounded "like a blow", Pausanias compared it to "the string of a
lyre" breaking, but it also was described as the striking of
brass
Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wi ...
or whistling. Other ancient sources include
Pliny (not from personal experience, but he collected other reports),
Pausanias,
Tacitus,
Philostratus and
Juvenal
Decimus Junius Juvenalis (), known in English as Juvenal ( ), was a Roman poet active in the late first and early second century CE. He is the author of the collection of satirical poems known as the '' Satires''. The details of Juvenal's life ...
. In addition, the base of the statue is inscribed with about 90 surviving inscriptions of contemporary tourists reporting whether they had heard the sound or not.
The legend of the "Vocal Memnon", the luck that hearing it was reputed to bring, and the reputation of the statue's
oracular powers became known outside of Egypt, and a constant stream of visitors, including several
Roman emperors, came to marvel at the statues. The last recorded reliable mention of the sound dates from 196. Sometime later in the Roman era, the upper tiers of sandstone were added (the original remains of the top half have never been found); the date of this reconstruction is unknown, but local tradition places it circa 199, and attributes it to the Roman Emperor
Septimius Severus
Lucius Septimius Severus (; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary suc ...
in an attempt to curry favour with the oracle (it is known that he visited the statue, but did not hear the sound).
Various explanations have been offered for the phenomenon; these are of two types: natural or man-made. Strabo himself apparently was too far away to be able to determine its nature: he reported that he could not determine if it came from the pedestal, the shattered upper area, or "the people standing around at the base". If natural, the sound was probably caused by rising temperatures and the evaporation of
dew inside the porous rock.
Similar sounds, although much rarer, have been heard from some of the other Egyptian monuments (
Karnak
The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (, which was originally derived from ar, خورنق ''Khurnaq'' "fortified village"), comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Constru ...
is the usual location for more modern reports). Perhaps the most convincing argument against it being the result of human agents is that it did cease, probably due to the added weight of the reconstructed upper tiers
[Colossi of Memnon § The Singing Statue https://www.worldhistory.org/Colossi_of_Memnon/]
A few mentions of the sound in the
early modern era (late 18th and early 19th centuries) seem to be hoaxes, either by the writers or perhaps by locals perpetuating the phenomenon.
The "Vocal Memnon" features prominently in one scene of
Henrik Ibsen's ''
Peer Gynt''.
They also show up in
Oscar Wilde's fairy tale "
The Happy Prince."
Gallery
Modern images
File:Colossi of Memnon.jpg, The colossi of Memnon
File:AmenhotepIII South Colossus.jpg, West (or south) colossus
File:Egypt.ColossiMemnon.01.jpg, East (or north) colossus
File:MEMNON (Ship) (c112-02-03).jpg, Sailing card for the clipper ship
A clipper was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing vessel, designed for speed. Clippers were generally narrow for their length, small by later 19th century standards, could carry limited bulk freight, and had a large total sail area. "Cl ...
''Memnon''
File:Memnon-Edit-3.jpg, Panoramic view
Notable historical images
File:The Statue of Memnon, at Thebes - Pococke Richard - 1743.jpg, 1743 by Richard Pococke
File:Thèbes. Memnonium (Ramesseum). Détails du colosse du sud. (Restoration) (NYPL b14212718-1267951).jpg, c.1800 from '' Description de l'Égypte''
File:Thèbes. Memnonium (Ramesseum). Détails de la statue colossalle de Memnon. (Restoration) (NYPL b14212718-1267952).jpg, c.1800 from '' Description de l'Égypte'', showing the inscriptions
File:Illustration by David Roberts, digitally enhanced by rawpixel-com 9.jpg, 1830s from '' The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia''
File:Illustration by David Roberts, digitally enhanced by rawpixel-com 10.jpg , 1830s from '' The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia''
File:Illustration by David Roberts, digitally enhanced by rawpixel-com 76.jpg , 1830s from '' The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia''
File:Lepsius-Projekt tw 1-2-091.jpg, 1850s in Lepsius' '' Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien''
File:John Beasly Greene (American, born France - (The Colossus of Memnon at Thebes) - Google Art Project.jpg, 1851, first ever photographs, by John Beasley Greene
File:John Beasly Greene (American, born France - (The Colossus of Memnon) - Google Art Project (NgFgaIvzgkFPBw).jpg, 1851, first ever photographs, by John Beasley Greene
File:John Beasly Greene (American, born France - (The Colossus of Memnon) - Google Art Project.jpg, 1851, first ever photographs, by John Beasley Greene
File:Colossi of Memnon 10M.jpg, An Egyptian postage stamp
See also
*
Colossal red granite statue of Amenhotep III
The colossal red granite statue of Amenhotep III is a granite head of the 18th Dynasty ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III. Dating from around 1370 BCE, it was found in the temple enclosure of Mut at Karnak in Upper Egypt. Two parts of the ...
*
List of largest monoliths
This is a list of monoliths organized according to the size of the largest block of stone on the site. A monolith is a large stone which has been used to build a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. In this list at l ...
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
Lord Curzon: "The Voice of Memnon" in ''Tales of Travel'' (1923)
*
Rupert T. Gould
Rupert Thomas Gould (16 November 1890 – 5 October 1948) was a lieutenant-commander in the British Royal Navy noted for his contributions to horology (the science and study of timekeeping devices). He was also an author and radio personality.
...
: "Three Strange Sounds: The Cry of Memnon" in ''Enigmas: Another Book of Unexplained Facts'' (1929)
* Armin Wirsching: "Excursion on transport and erection of the Colossi" in: Armin Wirsching: ''Obelisken transportieren und aufrichten in Aegypten und in Rom'' (3rd ed. 2013)
External links
Colossus of Memnon (Nova/PBS)David Roberts: Statues of Memnon Thebes Decr 4th 1838
{{authority control
Buildings and structures completed in the 14th century BC
Colossal statues in Egypt
Sculptures of ancient Egypt
Theban Necropolis
Amenhotep III
Unidentified sounds
Stone sculptures