The History of Antiquity, Vol. 1 (of 6)Duncker, Max
History
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 1 (of 6)
Duncker, Max
History, Ancient
The inscriptions on the second court and in the hall tell us, "that the
gracious god, _i.e._ the king, erected this great structure in honour of
his father Ammon-Ra, the king of the gods: by his own arm he has erected
it, the royal sun, the champion of justice, established by Ra, the child
of the sun, Ramses, beloved of Ammon, beloved of the goddess Mut." On
the walls of the portico between the first and second court is
represented a great procession to the altar of Ammon. Two rows of men
carry the statues of thirteen predecessors of Ramses on their shoulders
(p. 24). Further on the king, with a sickle, is cutting a sheaf of corn
from the field, a priest receives this from the hand of the king, and
offers it to a white bull. Then the priest bids the four geese belonging
to the four spirits of the quarters of the sky to fly south, north,
east, and west, in order to announce to the gods of each quarter, "that
Horus the son of Osiris, that king Ramses, established by Ra, has put on
the double crown."[238] The sculptures of the front side of the gateway
exhibit the king in intercourse with the gods, and symbolise the divine
expressions of favour towards Ramses. Gods lead him to the greater gods.
The god Tum places him before Mentu (p. 51). Mentu takes the hand of the
king, and says, "Come to the heavenly mansions, to behold thy father the
king of the gods, who will bestow upon thee length of days, to rule over
the world and reign upon the throne of Horus." Mentu leads the king to
Ammon, over whose figure we read, "Ammon-Ra, king of the gods, who
dwells in Ramses' house at Thebes, speaks thus: Beloved son of my race,
Ramses, lord of the world, my heart is glad in that I behold thy good
works; thou hast built me this house; I grant thee a pure life to live
upon the throne of Seb" (p. 55). In the hall Ammon is holding the crook
from his throne towards the king, and says, "I certify that thy building
shall continue as the heavens." The goddess Bast (p. 49) lifts her right
hand to the head of the king, and says, "I have prepared for thee the
diadem of the sun, that this helmet should remain upon thy brow, where I
have placed it." On another sketch in this hall Ammon is giving to
Ramses the scythe, the whip, and the crook (the symbols of dominion),
and says, "Take the scythe of battle to subdue the nations without, and
to smite off the head of the unclean; take the whip and the crook to
rule over Chemi (Egypt)." On the exterior of the wings of the gateway
are represented the wars which in the fifth year of his reign Ramses
carried on against the Cheta, and in the eighth year against Maram,
Dapur, and Salam (p. 152). In one of the side chambers of the hall
Ramses and his consort, together with the moon-god, Chunsu, and the
goddess Mut, are carried to Ammon by the priests. The goddess Mut says:
"I come to pay worship to the king of the gods, that he may secure long
years to his son, to king Ramses, who loves him." Chunsu says: "We come
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