I.D. of mounted sculptures (Egyptian Museum, Cairo)

[Anonymous]

I'm only seeing them by roundabout means - they don't display, but if I right-click and get Properties, then get the zippyimages URL shown there and paste it into the browser address field..... even then I have to hit Refresh to get the bl**dy picture to load. <p></p><i></i>

[JRSCline]

The series of 3 sculptures is interesting because they are all thematically similar but quite different in execution. Figure A is graven on a slab, Figure B is very artistic (note the high rack of the horse, elegant!) and in half relief, while Figure C looks almost sub-Roman, with those scary moon eyes and thick limbed bodies.<br>
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Cheers<br>
Jenny <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

All I found so far on the ever helpful Web...<br>
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Apep is the Egyptian snake god. He is the eternal enemy of the sun god Re and the cosmic order. Apep, a.k.a Apophis of Stargate fame is the personification of darkness and evil.<br>
I don't know, however is those very interesting sculptures refer to Apep and I don't understand the symbolism of the rider feeding the flying snake.<br>
The ancient Marsii, an italian tribe, worshipped the snake too and for the ancient Romans it was a protective figure, hence the numerous representations of snakes on helmets.<br>
However I seriously doubt the carvings refer to an italic deity.<br>
So Apep could be an explanation. Another one could be that the snake is a representation of the Uraeus, the sacred cobra of the Egyptians.<br>
In Imperial Rome a snake was kept by the vestal virgins. The Greeks associated it with Apollo and Apollo's temple at Delphi was called the pytho, in reference to the python snake. Hence the "Pythia" of Delphi, the famous seer.<br>
But well, basically, almost every culture in the world worshipped the snake one way or another. It was more often a benevolent and protective deity that an evil one. It was often (the Dyonisos cult) a fertilty symbol.<br>
It was even used as a representation of Christ by the gnostics.<br>
.. And I just found this: "In Christian lore, the good snake is seen in iconography as rising from the chalice of Saint John."<br>
Could it be it? Although in this case the snake doesn't seem to come out of the chalice but drink or eat from it. I'd say these carvings are of late imperial date, something like 5th/6th C.AD. It is anyways an interesting contrast with the generally high --or very high-- quality of egyptian sculpture of any period. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://b30.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=antoninuslucretius@romanarmytalk>Antoninus Lucretius</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://lucretius.homestead.com/files/Cesar_triste.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 4/27/04 3:47 pm<br></i>

[John Maddox Roberts]

Jenny:<br>
When you go to Alexandria, please photo anything you see with gladiatorial motifs: lamps, statuettes, reliefs, stelae, etc. You will have Graham Ashford's and my eternal gratitude. <p></p><i></i>

[JRSCline]

John -- my pleasure!<br>
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Hey, um... anyone want to send me another xD picture card? I think my 64mb one is going to fill fast!<br>
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Cheers<br>
Jenny <p></p><i></i>

[JRSCline]

Have just returned from Alexandria (writing from Internet cafe in Cairo, so this will be brief).<br>
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Jasper and Martin: Got three tombstones in Alexandria's Graeco-Roman Museum, two infantry (Greek inscriptions) and one cavalryman (Latin).<br>
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Aitor: Got a nice photo in the Graeco-Roman Museum of the so-called "throne of Diocletian" you wanted above. Shoot me your email address (mine is [email protected] ) and I'll send it to you. I'm going back to the Egyptian Museum this morning and will try to get into the basement (either I totally overlooked its entrance last time or it isn't open to the public) so I can look for your tetrarch.<br>
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Unfortunately, the Coptic Museum is closed for restoration. I couldn't get in. The Roman gate, what's left of it, is nice, though.<br>
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John and Graham: I looked closely for anything gladiatorial in Alexandria. I found three small objects and took photos. Can you send me your emails also, so I can send you the files?<br>
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Not a lot of explanatory placards so I can't tell you much about these, but I'll look in the brief museum guide I got.<br>
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The National Museum in Alexandria, as well as the "Library of Alexandria" are not really worth their inflated admissions prices. You can see a bust of Xenophon in the Library Antiquities Museum, and there is a stylized helmet depicted on a disembodied statuary head (what's interesting about that piece is the helmet strap shown). Also the staff at the National Museum are not too welcoming -- we got pulled aside to show our ticket three times, including when we wanted to exit the gate!! LOL<br>
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Jenny<br>
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<p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

I have not seen the pics but from your description I am thinking about Sabazius. As far as I know such reliefs are common on southern Balkan (mostly greek spoken part), Asia Minor, although we have them in Moesia Superior. Hope it helped. If you need more precise advice please send me an e-mail to [email protected] . <p></p><i></i>