The History of Antiquity, Vol. 1 (of 6)Duncker, Max
History
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 1 (of 6)
Duncker, Max
History, Ancient
should reach to heaven, in honour of the god Ammon and in remembrance of
her father Tuthmosis I., in order that her name might continue in the
temple of Ammon for ever and ever. Each obelisk was to be of a single
stone of red granite. Her holiness had commenced the work in her
fifteenth year, and completed it in her sixteenth, seven months after
the work was commenced in the mountain quarry.[195]
To this court Tuthmosis III. added a gateway towards the south, and
surrounded the ancient sanctuary of Sesurtesen with a circle of huge
buildings. These consisted of two halls, each of twelve pillars, to the
right and left of the entrance, on which abut chambers, great or small
as the walls which surround the old temple allow. On the walls which
close these halls and chambers towards the old building, the king
recorded the events of his reign from the twenty-second to the
forty-second year, from which everything has already been given which up
to this time can be regarded as certain. The two largest obelisks also,
of which the largest is now standing in Rome before the Lateran, and the
other is destroyed, were erected by Tuthmosis III., and placed, as it
would seem, before the entrance into the old temple of Sesurtesen. The
obelisk now at Constantinople is also a work of this prince. The
inscription says that Tuthmosis III. "extended his dominion from Mount
Apta (in the south) to the uttermost habitations of Mesopotamia."[196]
On the east side of the enlarged temple of Sesurtesen, he built a
splendid hall, the roof of which is supported by fifty-six pillars.
Besides this he built additions to the temple of Ra at Heliopolis,
restored the temple at Dendera, apparently after a plan sketched on a
goatskin, which, belonging to the time of Chufu (p. 94) was rediscovered
under king Phiops (p. 101),[197] and finally he erected shrines to the
sun-god Mentu at Hermonthis, near Thebes, the god Sebek at Ombos, Chnum
at Letopolis (Esneh), and on the island of Elephantine. In Nubia he
erected temples at Pselchis, Korte, Amada, and Semne. The temple at
Semne he consecrated to Chnum and Sesurtesen III., who extended the
borders of Egypt to this point (p. 105), in order that "the king might
live again in this memorial."[198]
Before the great sphinx, near the second pyramid, Tuthmosis IV. erected
the memorial stone already mentioned (p. 94); it represents the king
worshipping the sphinx. In the inscription the sphinx addresses the
king, and says, "I, thy father Harmachu, give thee the dominion, the
world in all its length and breadth, rich tribute from all nations, and
a long life of many years."[199]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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