Roman Pharaohs

[Ingsoc]

Today I stumble upon this picture which portray Augustus as an Egyptian Pharaoh.

 

I assume this was made for propaganda purposes, which is a bit hard to believe since the Roman look down on the Egyptian culture (and in general on all the civilizations of the east) and as far as I know it's was never imitated in any other province. was this propaganda went any further than just depicting of Roman emperors as Pharaohs?

[Ursus]

Yes, the Romans did not think much of Egyptian animal headed gods and such, but Augustus wasn't about to agitate the population of his wealthiest province. The Princeps let the Egyptian priesthood operate unmolested if they supported the ruler cult - In Egypt the natives understood the ruler cult as a Pharaoh, the divine mediator between humanity and the highest gods.

 

So in Egypt Augustus allowed himself to be portrayed as Pharaoh making offering to Egyptian gods, even as he forbade the cult of Egyptian gods within the sacred boundary of Rome.

[ASCLEPIADES]

Salve, I et gratiam habeo for sharing once again this kind of amazing material with us.

Today I stumble upon this picture which portray Augustus as an Egyptian Pharaoh.

 

I assume this was made for propaganda purposes, which is a bit hard to believe since the Roman look down on the Egyptian culture (and in general on all the civilizations of the east) and as far as I know it's was never imitated in any other province. was this propaganda went any further than just depicting of Roman emperors as Pharaohs?

 

This image from wikimedia commons came from the Hungarian version and it's a pic from the original carved in the walls of the Temple of Mandulis (adjacent to the Temple of Per Ptah, from the earlier New Kingdom period and dedicated to Ramesses II the Great) in the recently conquered Nubia (Ethiopia), built circa 30 BC in Bab al-Kalabsha, an area now under the waters of Lake Nasser (some 30 Km south from the Aswan High Dam), so the whole complex was relocated in 1970. Mandulis was the Greek name for Merul, a Lower Nubian sky and solar deity, eventually identyfied with Horus.

Here comes the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, cp. XXVI, sec. CIX-CX:

 

Meo iuss

Edited September 15, 2008 by ASCLEPIADES