Psammetikos II, the third king of the 26th Dynasty (666-524 A.D.), erected this obelisk at Heliopolis near Cairo. Many of the inscriptions have eroded away, though a list of the king's many names remains: "The Golden Horus, 'beautifying the Two Lands,' beloved of Atum, lord of Heliopolis; the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Neferibre, beloved of Re-Harakhti; the son of his own body, who seizes the White Crown and who unites the Double Crown, Psammetikos, beloved of the Souls of Heliopolis."Like the obelisk at the Piazza del Popolo, this obelisk was re-erected in Rome in 10 B.C. to commemorate the emperor Augustus' victories in Egypt. It remained there, in the Campus Martius, for many centuries before falling over in the 10th or 11th century. It wasn't until the 18th century that it was finally restored and re-erected at Monte Citorio.
Stats:
Location: Monte Citorio, Rome, Italy
Pharaoh: Psammetikos II (reigned 595-589 B.C.)
Height: 72 feet
Weight: 230 tons
1 comment:
Your translation of this obelisk was much appreciated. I searched the internet but could not find one. So I attempted one myself. Only the day after I had completed mine did I find this one. I would be glad to know where you got it from.
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