View source for Colossi of Memnon

{{short description|Two Ancient Egyptian statues near Luxor}}
{{Infobox monument
| name          = Colossi of Memnon
| native_name   = {{langx|ar-Latn|el-Colossat}}
| image         = Colossi of Memnon May 2015 2.JPG
| caption       = The Colossi of Memnon in 2015
| location      = West of [[Luxor]]
| designer      =
| type          = statue
| material      = [[quartzite]] stone
| length        =
| width         =
| height        = {{convert|18|m|abbr=on|-1}}
| begin         =
| complete      = 1350 BC
| open          =
| restore       =
| dismantled    =
| dedicated_to  = [[Amenhotep III]]
| map_name      =
| map_text      =
| map_width     =
| map_relief    =
| coordinates   = {{coord|25|43|14|N|32|36|38|E|type:landmark_scale:1000|display=inline,title}}
| website       =
| extra         =
}}
The '''Colossi of Memnon''' ({{langx|ar-Latn|el-Colossat}} or ''es-Salamat'') are two massive stone [[statues]] of the [[Pharaoh]] [[Amenhotep III]], which stand at the front of the ruined [[Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III]], 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 [[Egyptology|Egyptologists]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Luxor, Egypt|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-lancashire/plain/A2082845|work=BBC News|access-date=2012-06-06|archive-date=2013-04-19|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130419153726/http://news.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-lancashire/plain/A2082845|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://pleiades.stoa.org/places/786066 |title=Places: 786066 (Memnon Colossi) |author=Wilfong, T.|author2= S. Sidebotham|author3= J. Keenan|author4= DARMC|author5= R. Talbert|author6= S. Gillies|author7= T. Elliott|author8= J. Becker |accessdate=March 22, 2013|publisher=Pleiades}}</ref> 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]], whom the statue was then – erroneously – thought to represent.<ref name="Rosenmeyer 2018 p. "/>

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.<ref>Adam Łukaszewicz, [https://bazhum.muzhp.pl/media/files/The_Journal_of_Juristic_Papyrology/The_Journal_of_Juristic_Papyrology-r1995-t25/The_Journal_of_Juristic_Papyrology-r1995-t25-s131-146/The_Journal_of_Juristic_Papyrology-r1995-t25-s131-146.pdf MEMNON, KING OF EGYPT], The Journal of Juristic Papyrology, Vol. XXV, 1995, pp. 131-146: "Are two different etymologies of Memnonia and Memnon possible in the same area? We are approaching again the very essence of the problem. Is the name of Memnonia a derivative of the appellation of the vocal colossus or is that name independent from the name of Memnon applied to the statue of Amenhotep III? Consequently, the question is whether there was an Egyptian Memnon different from Amenhotep III or was the name of Nebmaatre the unique source of the Memnonian place-names in western Thebes?"</ref>

{{anchor|Etymology|Names}}

== Description ==
The twin statues depict [[Amenhotep III]] ([[floruit|fl.]] 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. Three shorter figures are carved into the front [[throne]] alongside his legs: these are his wife [[Tiye]] and mother [[Mutemwiya]]. The middle between Amenhotep III's ankles would have been an unidentified daughter, although it has been destroyed.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=O'Connor |first1=David Bourke |title=Amenhotep III: perspectives on his reign |last2=Cline |first2=Eric H. |date=1998 |publisher=the University of Michigan press |isbn=978-0-472-10742-1 |location=Ann Arbor (Mich.)}}</ref> The side panels depict the Nile [[ancient Egyptian deities|god]] [[Hapi (Nile god)|Hapi]].
[[File:Antonio Beato, Colosses de Memnon, 19th century.jpg|thumbnail|left|[[Antonio Beato]], ''Colosses de Memnon'', 19th century. [[Brooklyn Museum]]]]
The statues are made from blocks of [[quartzite|quartzite sandstone]] which was quarried at [[el-Gabal el-Ahmar]] (near modern-day [[Cairo]]) and transported {{convert|675|km|abbr=on|-1}} overland to [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]] (Luxor). The stones are believed to be too heavy to have been transported upstream on the Nile.{{Page needed|date=March 2025}} The blocks used by later Roman engineers to reconstruct the northern colossus may have come from [[Edfu]] (north of [[Aswan]]). Including the stone platforms on which they stand – themselves about {{convert|4|m|abbr=on}} – the colossi reach {{convert|18|m|abbr=on|-1}} in height and weigh an estimated 720 tons each.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The Colossi of Memnon Revisited |journal= Science |publisher=[[Science (journal)|Science magazine]] |date=1973-12-21 |author=R. F. Heizer |author2=F. Stross |author3=T. R. Hester |author4=A. Albee |author5=I. Perlman |author6=F. Asaro |author7=H. Bowman |doi= 10.1126/science.182.4118.1219 |volume=182 |issue= 4118 |pages=1219–1225 |pmid=17811309|bibcode= 1973Sci...182.1219H |s2cid= 39052980 }}</ref><ref>"The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World", edited by Chris Scarre (1999) Thames & Hudson, London</ref><ref>Time Life Lost Civilizations series: Ramses II: Magnificence on the Nile (1993)</ref> The two figures are about {{convert|15|m|abbr=on|-1}} apart. The size of the statues makes them visible up to over 10 miles away.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Denon |first=Vivant |title=Voyage Dans La Basse Et La Haute Egypte |year=1802 |location=France |publication-date=1802 |pages=13 |language=French |trans-title=Travel to Lower and Upper Egypt}}</ref> Regarding their size; they stood as the guardians of Amenhotep III's mortuary temple. Amenhotep III's process of immortalizing himself in statuary was prevalent, His approach to statuary representation and inscriptions had supported his ideology as being much more than the king of kings. His titles repeatedly called him the "good god".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kozloff |first=Arielle P. |title=Amenhotep III: Egypt's radiant pharaoh |date=2012 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-01196-0 |location=Cambridge; New York}}</ref> Suzanne Bickel describes the height of both colossi were accessible to the surrounding public as a method of allowing all to worship Amenhotep III himself and the gods at his temple.<ref>{{Citation |title=The Birthplace of Amenhotep III |date=2012-02-20 |work=Amenhotep III |pages=16–20 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511997679.002 |access-date=2024-10-17 |publisher=Cambridge University Press|doi=10.1017/cbo9780511997679.002 |isbn=978-1-107-01196-0 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

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]], and are the result of a later reconstruction attempt, which [[William de Wiveleslie Abney]] attributed to [[Septimius Severus]].<ref name=WdWA>[https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/abney1876/0020/image ''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]]</ref> 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 [[Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III|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 {{convert|35|ha}}, even later rivals such as [[Ramesses II]]'s [[Ramesseum]] or [[Ramesses III]]'s [[Medinet Habu]] were unable to match it in area; even the [[Temple of Karnak]], as it stood in Amenhotep's time, was smaller.
[[File:Colossi of the Plain at Thebes, and Luxor beyond. (1847) - TIMEA.jpg|thumb|Colossi of Memnon, flooded plain]]
[[File:Side panel of Colossi of Memnon 2015 2.JPG|thumb|Side panel detail showing two flanked relief images of the deity [[Hapi (Nile god)|Hapi]] and, to the right, a sculpture of the royal wife [[Tiye]]|alt=]]

== Floods ==
Amenhotep III had positioned the mortuary temple in front of the floodplain of the Nile in an effort to fill a lake in front of the Colossi. Furthermore, this lake acted as a water retention reservoir and prevented the temple from flooding completely during high inundations. Hourig Sourouzian felt that Amenhotep III did not plan for the site to flood altogether as the surrounding wall for the mortuary temple behind the Colossi was constructed primarily of mud brick.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kozloff |first=Arielle P. |title=Amenhotep III: Egypt's radiant pharaoh |date=2012 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-01196-0 |location=New York}}</ref>

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 (painter)|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.<ref name="Rosenmeyer 2018 p.">{{cite book | last=Rosenmeyer | first=P.A. | title=The Language of Ruins: Greek and Latin Inscriptions on the Memnon Colossus | publisher=Oxford University Press | year=2018 | isbn=978-0-19-062632-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-qVTDwAAQBAJ | access-date=2022-02-13 | page=}}</ref> Many of the inscriptions include the name "Memnon". Several of the inscriptions refer to sounds emitted by the statues,<ref name=":02"/> the most famous being poetry by [[Julia Balbilla]] recording multiple visits during November 130 CE in a party that included the [[Emperor Hadrian]] and his wife [[Vibia Sabina]]. Of the 107 Roman-era inscriptions: 61 of them are written in Greek, 45 are written in Latin, and one bilingual text is written.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rosenmeyer |first=Patricia A. |title=The language of ruins: Greek and Latin inscriptions on the Memnon colossus |date=2017 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-062632-7 |location=New York}}</ref>

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''<ref>{{cite book | last=Letronne | first=A.J. | title=La statue vocale de Memnon considérée dans ses rapports avec l'Égypte et la Grèce: étude historique faisant suite aux recherches pour servir à l'histoire de l'Égypte pendant la domination des grecs et des romains | publisher=Imprimerie royale | year=1833 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MkwGAAAAQAAJ | language=fr}} Also plates available [https://numelyo.bm-lyon.fr/f_view/BML:BML_00GOO0100137001102566580/ here]</ref> and then catalogued in the second volume (1848) of his ''Recueil des inscriptions grecques et latines de l'Égypte''.<ref>[https://numelyo.bm-lyon.fr/f_view/BML:BML_00GOO0100137001102566580/IMG00000031# Recueil des inscriptions grecques et latines de l'Égypte], volume 2, planches</ref>
<gallery>
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
</gallery>

== 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.<ref>Archaeoseismological studies at the temple of Amenhotep III, Luxor, Egypt, Arkadi Karakhanyan et al, The Geological Society of America Special Paper 471, 2010</ref>

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.<ref>Sourouzian, H. and Lawler, A.; Unearthing Egypt's Greatest Temple, Smithsonian Magazine 38, 46–53.</ref>

== Name ==
The modern Arabic name is Kom el-Hatan, but it is generally known by the Roman name as the Temple of Memnon. [[Memnon (mythology)|Memnon]] was a [[hero]] of the [[Trojan War]] and [[King of Ethiopia]], who led his armies from [[Africa]] into [[Asia Minor]] to help defend the beleaguered city of Troy but was ultimately slain by [[Achilles]]. Memnon (whose name means {{em|the Steadfast}} or {{em|Resolute}}<ref>Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon</ref>) was said to be the son of [[Eos]], the goddess of dawn.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/livesnecromance04godwgoog|title=Lives of the Necromancers|first=William |last=Godwin|year=1876|page=[https://archive.org/details/livesnecromance04godwgoog/page/n55 32]|publisher=London, F. J. Mason}}</ref> He was associated with colossi built several centuries earlier, because of the reported cry at dawn of the northern statue ([[#Sounds|see below]]), which became known as the {{nowrap|'''Colossus of Memnon'''}}. Eventually, the entire [[Theban Necropolis]] became generally referred to as the Memnonium<ref>Strabo, Rerum Geographicarum. XVII 42-46</ref> making him "Ruler of the west" as in the case of the god [[Osiris]] who was called chief of the [[Amenti|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."<ref name=WdWA />

== Sounds ==
In 27 BCE, a large [[earthquake]] 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.{{sfn|Godwin|1876|p=32}}

The earliest report in literature is that of the [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] historian and geographer [[Strabo]], who said that he heard the sound during a visit in 20 BCE, by which time it apparently was already well-known.{{refn|I too, when I was present at the places with Aelius Gallus and his crowd of associates, both friends and soldiers, heard the noise at about the first hour, but whether it came from the base or from the colossus, or whether the noise was made on purpose by one of the men who were standing all round and near to the base, I am unable positively to assert; for on account of the uncertainty of the cause I am induced to believe anything rather than that the sound issued from stones thus fixed.
Strabo, Rerum Geographicarum. XVII 1.46}} The description varied; Strabo said it sounded "like a blow",<ref>Strabo, Rerum Geographicarum. XVII, 561</ref> [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] compared it to "the string of a [[lyre]]" breaking,<ref>Pausania, Attica. I, XLII, 3.</ref> but it also was described as the striking of [[brass]]<ref>Tacito, Annales. II, 61</ref> or whistling.<ref>Plinio, Naturalis Historiae. XXXVI, VII, 10-12.</ref> Other ancient sources include [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]] (not from personal experience, but he collected other reports), [[Tacitus]], [[Philostratus]] and [[Juvenal]].{{sfn|Godwin|1876|p=32}} 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 [[Oracle|oracular]] powers became known outside of Egypt, and a constant stream of visitors, including several [[Roman emperor]]s, 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,<ref>Septimius Severus https://www.worldhistory.org/Septimius_Severus/</ref> and attributes it to the Roman Emperor [[Septimius Severus]] in an attempt to curry favour with the oracle (it is known that he visited the statue, but did not hear the sound).<ref>
Colossi of Memnon https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/colossi-of-memnon</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=Article does not state how it is known that Severus did not hear the sound.|date=June 2021}}

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.<ref>Colossi of Memnon: View of the northern colossi https://curate.nd.edu/show/b8515m63c0t/</ref>

Similar sounds, although much rarer, have been heard from some of the other Egyptian monuments ([[Karnak]] 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.<ref>Colossi of Memnon § The Singing Statue https://www.worldhistory.org/Colossi_of_Memnon/</ref>

Since the northernmost statue is commonly associated with the renowned acoustic phenomenon, much of the literature and cultural discourse tends to overlook the southern counterpart. Despite its significance as a key structure commissioned by Amenhotep III, this oversight persisted. As a result, many Greco-Roman travelers, drawn by the mystique of the site, would etch their names upon the colossi during their visits, leaving behind inscriptions that reflect their fascination and desire for posterity.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rosenmeyer |first=Patricia A. |title=The language of ruins: Greek and Latin inscriptions on the Memnon colossus |date=2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-062631-0 |location=New York, NY}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
===Modern images===
<gallery mode="packed">
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|clipper ship]] ''Memnon''
File:Memnon-Edit-3.jpg|Panoramic view
</gallery>

===Notable historical images===
<gallery>
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
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Colossal red granite statue of Amenhotep III]]
* [[List of largest monoliths]]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
* [[Lord Curzon]]: "The Voice of Memnon" in ''Tales of Travel'' (1923)
* [[Rupert T. Gould]]: "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) {{ISBN|978-3-8334-8513-8}}
* Denon, V. Voyage Dans La Basse Et La Haute Egypte. Paris: s.n., 1802.
* Kozloff, Arielle P. Amenhotep III: Egypt’s Radiant Pharaoh. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012.
* O’Connor, David B., and Eric H. Cline. Amenhotep III: Perspectives on his reign. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press, 1998.
* Rosenmeyer, Patricia A. The language of Ruins: Greek and Latin Inscriptions on the Memnon Colossus. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2018.
* Weeks, Kent R., and Araldo De Luca. Valley of the Kings. New York, NY: Friedman/Fairfax, 2001.

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Colossi of Memnon}}
* [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/interactive/explore-ancient-egypt/ Colossus of Memnon (Nova/PBS)]
* [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Strabo/17A3*.html Book XVII, Strabo's Geography]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060806220805/http://www.travellersinegypt.org/archives/2004/08/names_on_the_colossus.html Description by Count de Forbin]
* [https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002717578/resource/cph.3g03963/?sid=14eb48cef6c101732976c3d02e606561 David Roberts: Statues of Memnon Thebes Decr 4th 1838]

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