The 700-ton Colossi of Memnon 'sang' for ~200 yrs after an earthquake cracked it. It drew 107 graffiti inscriptions — 39 of them poems! Emperor Hadrian visited in 130 AD, commemorated by 6 Greek epigrams. Sound stopped after Severus repaired it ~199 AD 🗿
Colossi of Memnon attracted 107 graffiti inscriptions during 200-year period as tourist attraction
EgyptGeneral
Key facts
- Colossi of Memnon was 700-ton statue guarding funerary temple of Amenhotep III
- Earthquake during reign of Augustus cracked statue, allowing moisture to create singing sound for approximately 200 years
- Sound ceased after Septimius Severus repaired statue around 199 AD
- 107 graffiti inscriptions found on statue legs and feet: 61 Greek, 45 Latin, 1 bilingual
- Right leg covered before left, likely due to better illumination from rising sun
- Hadrian visited November 20-21, 130 AD, commemorated by six Greek epigrams
- Nine Roman prefects (governors of Egypt) left graffiti
- 39 poems carved into statue, almost all in Greek
- Poet Aras composed typical example using lines from Homer's Iliad
Site mentioned
Sources
Colossi of Memnon - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
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 ...
Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Statues Restored After 30 Years of Workmymodernmet.com
The two alabaster statues of Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III—known as the Colossi of Memnon—have been partially restored.
The Colossi of Memnon: The singing Egyptian statue, visited by a ...baffledtimetravel.com
The Colossi of Memnon: The singing Egyptian statue, visited by a Roman Emperor after his boyfriend drowned in the Nile ... History often sounds ...
The Singing Colossi of Memnon - The Not So Innocents Abroadthenotsoinnocentsabroad.com
Ravaged by earthquakes, looters and time itself, the crumbling statues you see today are nothing compared to their past glory. When they were ...
The Colossi of Memnon - The statues singing at dawnegypttimetravel.com
Memnon was a character of Greek mythology, born of the goddess and Titon (a prince of Troy), he was the King of Persia and Ethiopia, he sided ...
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