#A ROMAN BRONZE SPHINX

[blueiscoool]

A ROMAN BRONZE SPHINX CIRCA 1ST CENTURY B.C. - 1ST CENTURY A.D.

Representations of sphinxes are known in Egyptian, Greek and Roman art, from the Great Sphinx in Giza dating the 4th Dynasty to diminutive 3rd Century Roman intaglios: it was a popular subject matter. Originally the sphinx was an Egyptian invention - the term comes from the Egyptian shepesankh or 'living statue', combining a human head with the body of a lion. In Egyptian times they were seen as protectors of temples and sanctuaries or as an image of royalty with the face of the Pharaoh. This Roman bronze however, is a more sensuous winged representation, seated and pushing back on her front legs with her body raised and head thrown back, her breasts are visible and her ribcage beneath. The details of her hair and wings are finely incised.

The dating of this bronze sphinx suggests that she would have been made during the rule of Augustus, whose seal ring, that he had inherited from his adoptive father, Julius Ceasar, depicted a sphinx. Augustus also employed the device of a seated sphinx on some of his coins minted circa 20 B.C.

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (French, 1780 - 1867) Oedipus and the Sphinx, 1808 National Gallery, London Oedipus, a figure from Greek mythology, stands nude and in profile before the Sphinx, who guards the entrance to the ancient city of Thebes. The Sphinx – a monster with the face, head and shoulders of a woman, a lion’s body, and bird’s wings – asks Oedipus to solve the riddle she poses to all travellers seeking to enter the city: ‘What has a voice and walks on all fours in the morning, on two at noon, and on three in the evening?’ Oedipus correctly answers that it is man who crawls on all fours as a child, walks on two legs as an adult, and uses a walking stick as a third leg in old age. The bones of a previous traveller, killed by the Sphinx for having failed to solve the riddle, lie at the bottom of the picture. Thebes is visible in the distance on the right.

The theme of a monster defeated by human intelligence clearly appealed to Ingres. The picture also complements another of his paintings, Angelica saved by Ruggierro, which shows a chivalrous knight attacking a sea monster to save a princess. But this is also a painting of a man facing his destiny, as Oedipus’s actions will lead him to become King of Thebes, as the oracle predicted at his birth, and to unknowingly marry his own mother, Jocasta. This unwitting tragedy and its consequences is the drama of Oedipus Rex, the middle play of Sophocles' Theban Plays.

This painting is a later, and smaller, version of one painted in 1808 and subsequently reworked in 1827 (Louvre, Paris). The first version of Oedipus and the Sphinx was essentially a figure study that Ingres painted while studying at the French Academy in Rome. It was sent to Paris to be judged by members of the Institut de France. As required by the Institut’s rules, the figure of Oedipus was based upon a live model, although the pose was derived from the classical statue, Hermes Fastening his Sandal (Louvre), a Roman marble copy of a lost Greek bronze. Oedipus’s body is presented as an arrangement of geometrical shapes; for example, the triangle formed by his left arm, thigh and chest is mirrored and inverted by his left upper arm and forearm. The use of profile for both Oedipus and the Sphinx, together with the shallow space in much of the picture, recalls classical friezes and ancient Greek vases, which Ingres used as the sources for his deliberately classical artistic style.

[corporialus]

Egyptian Gods on Christian Era Roman Coins

Constantius II, festival of Isis issue, struck 352-355 Obverse depicts diademed bust of Constantius facing right. Reverse depicts Anubis, standing left, holding caduceus and sistrum.

The festival of Isis coins are some of the most fascinating pieces struck by Rome in my opinion, especially when taking into consideration that these coins depicting Egyptian deities were still struck under notoriously Christian emperors.

Festival of Isis bronze, 4th century Obverse depicts bust of Isis facing right, wearing hem-hem crown. Reverse depicts Harpocrates standing left and holding a cornucopia

The festival itself was held to commemorate the arrival of the ship of Isis that departed from Alexandria and arrived in Rome on March 5th. The last known emperor depicted on a festival of Isis issue is Valentinian II, and the festival would stop being held in the city of Rome around 416.

Festival of Isis medallion, Valentinian I, 364-375 Obverse depicts diademed bust of Valentinian I facing right. Reverse depicts Isis, holding sistrum and scepter, riding on Sothis.

Crispus, Festival of Isis issue, 316-326 Obverse depicts bust of Crispus facing right. Reverse depicts Isis Pharia on galley, standing to left, head facing right, holding sistrum.

Festival of Isis bronze, 4th century. Obverse depicts bust of Sol-Serapis facing right. Reverse depicts winged sphinx advancing right.

[citrineandrosmarin]

30 Days of Deity Devotion - Athena

Day 3: Symbols and Icons

The Aegis — Made for Zeus but most often in use by Athena and Apollon, the aegis was originally a goat skin with a gorgoneion and the power to cause panic. It has also been presented as a shield or breastplate. Learn more

The Gorgoneion — A common apotropaic (protective) symbol of a gorgon (think Medusa) head.

Helmet (Corinthian Style) — This style of helmet is the one most frequently depicted in art.

Spear, Shield, Sword, Armor — All relate to Athena's war and protection aspect.

Distaff and spindle — Used in weaving.

Owls — The Little Owl was considered Athena's sacred bird, representing or accompanying her. It was depicted on Athenian coins, and often with her in art.

Snakes — Snakes are another sacred animal to her depicted with her in art works. Snakes symbolized wisdom and were also linked to Athena's adopted son and mystical king of Athens, Erectheus.

Horses, the Chariot — Poseidon was the father of horses, but Athena was the one who invented the bridle and chariot, and was often associated with the skill of charioteering.

Olive Tree, Olives — Just as Athena took the wild horse and tamed it, she also taught humans to cultivate the olive tree to make olive oil. In one myth, she gifted an olive tree to the city of Athens in a contest against Poseidon, after which the city adopted her name.

The Sphinx — Often appears on her helmet, possibly relating to her aspect of cunning.

Ivy — There is a regional epithet of hers which means "of the ivy", Athena Kissaia

Colors — Blue, Grey, Gold, Red, Ivory, Bronze (Some include emerald green too)

UPG Section

Books and Scrolls — I mean fairly obvious, right?

Knitting/Crochet Needles and Loom — Weaving aspects.

Spiders — Not because of the Roman myth (I'm more hard polytheist), just from experience and also because it makes sense. Most spiders are weavers, and patiently trap and ambush their prey. They even lure prey to them by plucking threads of their webs in some cases. They are more intelligent than we think, capable of foresight, planning and other complex mental processes!

Computers/Technology — To go with my UPG about her being patron of technology which I will cover later on.

[covenawhite66]

The bronze sphinx statue, dating to the third century, was discovered in Dacia, a Roman province corresponding to modern-day Romania. The bronze sphinx statue bears several striking similarities to the famous Naxians’ Sphinx from 560 BCE.

Dacia is the ancient name for Romania and has seen the rule of various groups and empires throughout history. During ancient times, Dacia was part of the Dacian Kingdom before it was conquered by Rome.

It was determined that the inscription around the base of a bronze sphinx statue was written using the archaic Greek alphabet. However, the Greek alphabet phonetic values render a text that is non-sensical in the Greek language.

The words were written from left to right. The scribe was most likely attempting to express something in a language other than Greek by employing an archaic Greek alphabet. The phonetic values of the archaic Greek alphabet record a short rhythmic poem in Proto-Hungarian.

[memedealer64128]

Ancient Egyptian History in a nutshell

Pre-Dynastic Period (4,400-3,000 B.C): Egypt was united by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson circa 2002 Early Dynastic Period (3,000-2,686 B.C): nothing important Old Kingdom (2,686-2,160 B.C): Pyramids, Mastabas and Sphinxes, oh my 1st Intermediate Period (2,160-2,055 B.C): Civil Wars and Droughts Middle Kingdom (2,055-1,650 B.C): more pyramids and more writing 2nd Intermediate Period (1,650-1,550 B.C): see Joseph: King of Dreams New Kingdom (1,550-1,069 B.C): Hatshepsut, Aten, Deliver Us and the Bronze Age Collapse 3rd Intermediate Period (1,069-664 B.C): Nubia takes over, and the Ark of the Covenant is in Tanis Late Period (664-332 B.C): Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians, oh my Ptolemaic Period (332-30 B.C): nothing but Ptolemies and Cleopatras Roman Period (30 B.C-395 A.D): grain and Christianity

[y0ur-maj3sty]

Many ancient writers supported Herodotus’ record of underground passages connecting major pyramids, and their evidence casts doubt on the reliability of traditionally presented Egyptian history. Crantor (300 BC) stated that there were certain underground pillars in Egypt that contained a written stone record of pre-history, and they lined accessways connecting the pyramids. In his celebrated study, On the Mysteries, particularly those of the Egyptians, Chaldeans and the Assyrians; Iamblichus, a fourth-century Syrian representative of the Alexandrian School of mystical and philosophical studies, recorded this information about an entranceway through the body of the Sphinx into the Great Pyramid.

“This entrance, obstructed in our day by sands and rubbish, may still be traced between the forelegs of the crouched colossus. It was formerly closed by a bronze gate whose secret spring could be operated only by the Magi. It was guarded by public respect, and a sort of religious fear maintained its inviolability better than armed protection would have done. In the belly of the Sphinx were cut out galleries leading to the subterranean part of the Great Pyramid. These galleries were so artfully crisscrossed along their course to the Pyramid that, in setting forth into the passage without a guide throughout this network, one ceasingly and inevitably returned to the starting point.”

Local 19th-century Arab lore maintained that existing under the Sphinx are secret chambers holding treasures or magical objects. That belief was bolstered by the writings of the first-century Roman historian Pliny, who wrote that deep below the Sphinx is concealed the “tomb of a ruler named Harmakhis” that contains great treasure”, and, strangely enough, the Sphinx itself was once called "The Great Sphinx Harmakhis" who mounted guard since the time of the Followers of Horus”. The 4th-century Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus made additional disclosures about the existence of subterranean vaults that appeared to lead to the interior of the Great Pyramid.

[greek-museums]

Archaeological Museum of Patra

Marble sarcophagus of attic type. On the long side is depicted a hunting scene. Two riders attack a lion and a lioness. The other long side is decorated with griffins and the short ones with Sphinxes. The scenes are related with eschatological beliefs. It was displayed in the area of the Roman Odeon.

Patras, Roman Period (150-175 A.D)

Entombment in this type of sarcophagi is rare, but well-preserved through time. A more common type of burial in the Roman period was within cinerary urns after the deceased had been cremated. Of particular interest are these cinerary urns imported from Italy:

The cinerary urns from the ancient cemeteries of Patras mostly date from Roman times. Clay and subsequent glass vessels were commonly usued for collecting ashes, while rectangular marble containers (cists) were used for the wealthy. These bear the quadrangular panel and relief decoration with symbols related to death and the afterlife. These objects were imported from Italy and since they date from the 1st cent. A.D. , they are believed to belong to the generation of Roman veterans who had not yet been Hellenized and kept the customs of their land of origin.

Cremation was an expensive custom, not seen frequently in the region before the Classical period, with the exception of some cases during the Bronze Age, but it became quite common during the Roman period. 

Cremation demanded the opening of a deep, spacious trench in the ground, where the pyre was prepared with wood and branches. The deceased was laid on top of the pyre often in their coffin. On the pyre or around it were placed offerings. After the cremation process the remains were either left inside the trench and buried, or they were collected and stored in cinerary urns.

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Recognize my worth, before I end up in one of these*, and donate a little something for this blogger / photographer: 

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If I were a burial what would I be? Would I be in a cist grave? Would I be in an elaborate sarcophagus? Would I be just dumped under a mound of rocks? Would they inter me in pot, or simply cover me with a couple of roof tiles? Or would end up in the tight confines of a cinerary urn?

[histoireettralala]

"Retour d'Egypte"

In this last year of the eighteenth century, the Parisian public rushed to grant Egypt the favors of fashion, when cabinetmakers, goldsmiths, painters and sculptors invented the "Retour d'Egypte" style (admittedly already in use in Rome by Piranesi in 1769 and in Paris by Séné in 1780), which was all the rage at the time: bronze figures wearing klaft supporting tables, consoles or pedestal tables, precious armchairs adorned with armrests in the shape of a sphinx, palm-shaped marquees, clocks influenced by Coptic art entered in force in the salons of the Faubourg Saint-Germain [..]

Bonaparte's own stepson, the future Prince Eugene, former member of the expedition, had his Parisian hotel in the rue de Lille overhauled [..] where the architect Bataille fits out an Egyptian-style portico and furnishes the apartments with an oriental boudoir decorated with a frieze representing a slave market and a harem. The rue de Sèvres is equipped with the famous Fellah fountain to distribute the waters of Gros-Caillou to the district. The English are not left out with the prestigious neo-Egyptian decorations created by Thomas Hoper in his London hotel on Duchess-Street or by Walsh Porter in his cottage in Craven. As for the pyramids, one now sees them in all the gardens (such as in Parc Monceau), but even more in the cemeteries, in Père-Lachaise mainly, under which several members of the expedition will be buried, the surgeon Dominique Larrey in particular. [..]

[Léon Cogniet (1794-1880)- L'expédition d'Egypte sous les ordres de Bonaparte.]

Even today, several streets in Paris evoke the expedition, such as the streets of Aboukir, Cairo or Heliopolis. And throughout the 19th century, the memory of the expedition made it possible to establish between France and Egypt privileged relations which reached their peak under the reign of Charles X [..] The expedition, again, provided painters the revelation of azure skies and golden light which, with Gros, Lancret, Chabrol, Lejeune, and later Delacroix, gave birth to the orientalist current expressed throughout the 19th century until the Third Republic. Egypt, of course, also inspired writers and travelers of the romantic era, such as Alexandre Dumas with his Voyage au Sinaï, Théophile Gautier with the Roman de la momie, Alfred de Vigny with the Plainte du Capitaine, but also Chateaubriand, Balzac, Flaubert, Nerval and Hugo, all fascinated by this real or imagined country.

Gonzague Saint-Bris- Desaix, le sultan de Bonaparte

[carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory]

Archaeological Adventures in Egypt

Hello! I am Dr. Lisa Saladino Haney, Assistant Curator at Carnegie Museum of Natural History and resident Egyptologist. An Egyptologist is someone who studies the history, material culture, architecture, religion, and writing of the ancient Egyptians – one of the ancient cultural groups living in Africa’s Nile Valley. Learning about ancient cultures helps us to better understand the world today and to appreciate the creativity and ingenuity of people who lived thousands of years ago. Archaeology is one technique that allows us to interact with and study the past and there are hundreds of archaeological sites and projects throughout the Nile Valley that constantly add to our understanding of what life was like.

Trying to determine some of my favorite archaeological sites from my travels in Egypt turned out to be an impossible task! Please join me on this photo exploration of a few of the many interesting archaeological sites in Egypt and learn where you can find more information about active archaeological excavations and other projects going on in those areas.

Saqqara

Saqqara is an important cemetery site associated with the ancient Egyptian capital city of Memphis, near modern Cairo. The cemeteries at Saqqara contain a number of tombs, both royal and private, including the famous Step Pyramid of the Third Dynasty Egyptian king, Djoser (ca. 2630-2611 BCE). The earliest burials at the site date to the creation of the ancient Egyptian state and it remained an important site through the Graeco-Roman Period.

Royal Tombs: The Step Pyramid of Djoser

The Step Pyramid of Djoser marks an important step in the development of the pyramid-shaped royal tomb. The complex was designed by the famous royal architect Imhotep, who would later become deified in ancient Egypt. You can see a bronze statue of Imhotep in Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt. A 14-year long restoration project at the site was just completed in 2020 which included strengthening the overall integrity of the structure by filling in gaps in its six rectangular mastabas as well work on the interior burial chamber and passages of the pyramid.

Check out some pictures from my visit to the Step Pyramid in 2011, early on in the restoration process, or, for a gallery of photos and more on the newly completed restoration, click here.

Views of the Step Pyramid at Saqqara showing the scaffolding used for the restoration project (photos by author).

Old Kingdom Mastabas: Tombs of Kagemni and Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep

The Old Kingdom (ca. 2649-2150 BCE) mastabas at Saqqara are some of the most beautifully preserved and decorated tombs. Here are two of my favorites from my last visit. The tomb of Kagemni is the largest mastaba in the cemetery associated with the reign of the Sixth Dynasty king Teti (ca. 2323-2150 BCE). Kagemni was a Vizier, the highest position in the royal administration.

The tomb of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhoptep, also known as the tomb of the two brothers, dates to the late Fifth Dynasty and contains a number of exceptional scenes that underscore the closeness of the two men, both of whom served as overseers of the royal manicurists. Archaeologists uncovered a number of blocks from the tomb’s entrance repurposed in the nearby causeway of the pyramid complex of the late Fifth Dynasty king Unas (ca. 2353-2323 BCE). Thanks to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, you can now go on a virtual tour of the tomb!

Here you see the names of the two tomb owners, Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep on a stone doorway inside their tomb as well the exterior of the mastaba (photos by author).

Scenes depicting Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep inside their tomb (photos by author).

Images from the Tomb of Kagemni at Saqqara depicting the tomb owner himself, a parade of offering bearers bringing animals, plants, food, and other supplies to the deceased, and a scene taking place on the Nile where we get an underwater view of a crocodile eating a fish (photos by author).

Beni Hasan

Beni Hasan is a cemetery site located in Middle Egypt, near the modern city of Minya, that was important during Egypt’s Middle Kingdom (ca. 2030-1640 BCE). During that time some of the most elite Egyptians were buried on the escarpment (desert cliff) with one of the most beautiful views of Nile Valley around! For more on excavations at Beni Hasan in the early 1900s visit the Griffith Institute and for a virtual tour of the tomb of Kheti at Beni Hasan visit the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Top: A row of tomb entrances in the cliff face at Beni Hasan (photo by author). Middle: Image of the Nomarch Khnumhotep II fishing and fowling in his tomb (photo by author). Bottom: View of the Nile Valley from the tombs at Beni Hasan (photo by author).

Karnak

Karnak temple complex is one of the largest religious sites in the world. The first temple at the site was built during the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2030-1640 BCE) and the complex grew in size and complexity over time. The main temple at Karnak is dedicated to the Egyptian god Amun-Re, but there are smaller temples dedicated to Mut, Khonsu, and others. See if you can spot the snoozing pups in the pics below!

There are a number of ongoing excavations at Karnak that you can explore to learn more about the site. Check out this amazing minicourse on the Karnak Mut Precinct available on YouTube with Dr. Betsy Bryan, Alexander Badawy Chair of Egyptian Art and Archaeology and Director of Johns Hopkins’ excavations at the Mut Precinct.

Approach to Karnak Temple and processional way lined with Ram-headed sphinxes for the god Amun-Re (photos by author).

Sleepy Karnak pups (photos by author).

Inside Karnak Temple: Festival Hall of Thutmose III, Obelisks, exit towards the Sacred Lake, columns in the Hypostyle Hall (photos by author).

Lisa Saladino Haney is Postdoctoral Assistant Curator of Egypt on the Nile at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

[blueiscoool]

Discoveries in Pompeii Reveal Lives of Lower and Middle Classes

The latest discoveries in the excavation of Pompeii’s Regio V neighborhood are fully furnished utility spaces, of great archaeological significance for the details they preserve of a common domestic context in the 1st century Roman town.

The room was found in the House of the Enchanted Garden, a beautifully frescoed home with a lararium (a shrine to the household gods) that is one of the largest ever discovered in Pompeii. In 2021, archaeologists undertook an excavation and restoration of rooms on the ground floor in front of the lararium and the stories above it. They uncovered four rooms, two on the ground floor and two above, that were furnished. One was unfinished, with unplastered walls and an earthen floor, a jarring contrast in a house so decorated with such fine frescoes. The unfinished room was used for storage.

Archaeologists were able to make casts of the furnishings in the room which left a cavity in the hardened ash that could be filled with plaster. One room contained a bed frame and a pillow. The texture of the fabric was imprinted in the ash and is visible on the plaster cast. It is a very simple cot with ropes strung across the sides. There isn’t even a mattress, let along any decoration. Next to the bed was a wooden trunk divided into two compartments. The lid was open, but broken when the beams and floorboards of the story above collapsed in the eruption. Inside the trunk, archaeologists found a terra sigillata saucer and a double-spouted oil lamp depicting Zeus in the act of transforming into an eagle. Next to the trunk was a circular three-legged table with a shallow ceramic bowl containing two small glass bottles, a blue glass saucer and a terra sigillata bowl.

In the storage room, archaeologists were able to make two casts: a shelf and a group of wooden planks in different sizes, cuts and finishes, tied together. This was probably a collection of raw materials for assorted home maintenance projects from furniture patching to roof repair. Outside the room in a small hallway another utilitarian treasure was found: a tall wooden cabinet with at least four doors and five internal shelves. The top of the wardrobe and the front doors were damaged when the floor above the room collapsed. The remains of jugs, amphorae, bowls and plates were found on the damaged top shelf.

The excavation of the upper rooms revealed materials that were in the process of collapsing onto the rooms below. Of enormous archaeological value is a unique group of wax writing tablets. The group consists of seven triptychs tied both vertically and horizontally by a cord. A large cupboard, collapsed in the eruption, was also excavated. It contained different types of common use ceramics for kitchen and dining, as well as fine terra sigillata ceramics and glass. There was also a set of small bronze vessels, including a basin with palm leaf-shaped handles and a small jug decorated with a sphinx and lion’s head. Another special treasure is an incense burner shaped like a cradle with a male figure at one end. The polychrome paint coloring the figure and decorating the cradle with geometric designs is perfectly preserved.

The excavation overlapped onto a residential property behind the House of the Enchanted Garden, and there the plaster cast technique revealed the imprint of cane lathing in the mortar of a collapsed false ceiling. The cast shows the guts of Pompeiian construction: bundles of caning tied together by a thin cord and covered by a gauze-like fabric to separate the lathing from the wet mortar. Casts were also obtained of what appears to be wood paneling on the north, east and south walls of the room. Some are carved with coffered decoration; others are inlaid with delicate bone elements.

[kamadaeva]

Don’t care. Didn’t ask. Plus you’re fat.

The earliest known form of Greek chair dates back to six or seven centuries BCE. On the frieze of the Parthenon, Zeus occupies a square seat with a bar-back and thick turned legs; it is ornamented with winged sphinxes and the feet of beasts. The characteristic Roman chairs were of marble, also adorned with sphinxes. The curule chair was originally very similar in form to the modern folding chair, but eventually received a good deal of ornament. The most famous of the very few chairs which have come down from a remote antiquity is the reputed Chair of Saint Peter in St Peter's Basilica at Rome. The wooden portions are much decayed, but it would appear to be Byzantine work of the 6th century, and to be really an ancient sedia gestatoria. It has ivory carvings representing the labours of Hercules. A few pieces of an earlier oaken chair have been let in; the existing one, Gregorovius says, is of acacia wood. The legend that this was the curile chair of the senator Pudens is necessarily apocryphal. It is not, as is popularly supposed, enclosed in Gian Lorenzo Bernini's bronze chair, but is kept under triple lock and exhibited only once in a century. Byzantium, like Greece and Rome, affected the curule form of chair, and in addition to lions’ heads and winged figures of Victory (or Nike) and dolphin-shaped arms used also the lyre-back which has been made familiar by the pseudo-classical revival of the end of the 18th century.

[oasissafariegy]

What to visit in Egypt Tours

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TRIP OVERVIEW AT  TEMPLES AND MONASTERIES IN WESTERN DESERT:-

The desert national park the magical place starts with mushroom rook information chicken and camel and rabbit.

a mudbrick structure measuring about 30m by 20m In the western desert.

In Roman at the western desert, a small protector of troops would have guarded the fortress.

What is a palace Qasr Dush

Surrounding the hill of Qasr Dush is the site of the ancient town of lysis, one of the oldest Roman ruins in Kharga Oasis.

Safari White desert

by French archaeologists of the IFAO who have found evidence of temporary occupation possibly dating back as early as the Old Kingdom (possibly Dynasty IV).

Abutting the Roman fortress on the eastern side is the residue of a sandstone temple, enlarged by Trajan.

Desert Egypt Safari Trip

A monumental stone gateway fronts the temple in the western desert and contains a dedicatory inscription.

In the way, by Trajan dated AD 116, graffiti by Caillaud and other nineteenth-century travelers.

To the north is a large forecourt containing five columns with its northern end.

The main part of the temple measures approximately 7.5m by 15.5m and contains a pillared hall with four slender columns.

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[reaper-royalty]

Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani)

The entrance is in Viale Vaticano near Piazza Risorgimento. There is also a regular free bus service from Piazza S.Pietro (on the left of Bernini's Colonnades as you face the Basilica). 

The Vatican houses one of the world's great art collections. Its 7km of exhibits will daunt even the most energetic tourist. So if you only have limited time plan to take in what interests you most - and hurry past the rest. 

A oneway system operates for security reasons, so work out in advance what you wish to miss - you cannot go back for example to the Stanze di Rafaello after visiting the Capella Sistina (Sistine Chapel). Remember also that the Sistine chapel is a long walk - about 400m from the entrance along many corridors and staircases.

Popes have been collecting antique art for at least 500 years and today the Vatican contains the largest number of Greek and Roman statues, reliefs, mosaics and inscriptions of any museum in the world. 

The Museo Pio Clementino takes its name from two 18th-century Popes who tried to put some order among the large number of pieces of classical statuary littering the Vatican gardens and palaces.

Note the splendid 4th-century porphyry sarcophagi in the Sala a Croce Greca (hall in the shape of a Greek cross), also a sculpted head (no. 567) that is most likely a portrait of Cleopatra.

In the octagonal courtyard of the Belvedere Palace, which was the creation of one of the main founders of the Vatican collection, Pope Julius II, you can see one of the most famous sculptures of ancient Greece, the Laocoon, a marble group of the 2nd century bc dug up on the Esquiline hill in 1506 (from Domus Aurea). Laocoon, a priest of Apollo, and his sons were suffocated by serpents as a punishment by the gods. Opposite is the Apollo del Belvedere a fine Roman copy of a famous 4th-century bc Greek bronze.

Nearby in the Atrio del Torso is the famous Torso del Belvedere a fragment of a naked figure seated on the skin of a wild animal. The hidden power in this much damaged piece of marble is reputed to have impressed even Michelangelo.

The Braccio Nuovo (New Wing) a 19th-century addition, contains a telling portrait of Augustus (No. 14) at about the age of 40, and a colossal statue of the Nile river god surrounded by sphinxes and crocodiles.

You now penetrate into part of the Vatican Library. In the Sala Sistina is a strange wooden device which was used to fix the Papal seal or 'bollo' on important Papal documents or 'Bulls' as they were called in English. The central reading room is laid out with various valuable codices, or handwritten versions of the Bible, some written on papyrus. 

The Library contains over 70,000 codices, manuscripts and early printed books. On display are a set of love letters from King Henry VIII to Ann Boleyn (evidence used against the sovereign in excommunication proceedings), an illustrated book on falconry by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, and autograph letters of Michelangelo and Raphael.

The Capella Sistina (now undergoing its first major cleaning and restoration) is perhaps the most famous and overwhelming of all Rome's art treasures. The chapel, built by Pope Sixtus IV at the end of the 15th century, was decorated by some of the greatest artists of the day, including Botticelli, Signorelli, and Pinturicchio. But it was Michelangelo's painting of the huge ceiling between 1508 and 1512 and his masterpiece, the LastJudgement painted on the main altar wall 23 years later that set the seal of greatness on the building. 

Michelangelo was at first reluctant to carry out Pope Julius I’s commission to paint the events of the Creation, and had great difficulty in getting paid for his tour deforce. Refusing all assistance, he locked himself away for years, lying on his back suspended from scaffolding in order to paint over 3000sq m 10,000sq ft of ceiling. It is a feat that still takes away the breath of the visitors who pass through the chapel every day.

If the Creation breathes the very spirit of the Renaissance at its height, the Last Judgement is in very different mood. Terribilitd (terribleness) was the quality in Michelangelo's art that most impressed his contemporaries, and here with Christ standing in final judgement over humanity (including many actual portrait's of the artist's friends and enemies), you feel Michelangelo is making his final statement on life and death, honour and ambition, love and hate. 

The Last Judgement did not meet with universal approval. Prudish Popes ordered trousers or loin cloths to be painted on some of the nudes. (They were later removed.) The Sistine Chapel is today used for the election of a new Pope on the death of the Roman Pontiff, and for solemn assemblies of the College of Cardinals.

While Michelangelo was labouring alone on his great ceiling, his rival and fellow artist Raphael was working (with plenty of assistants) on the decoration of the nearby Stanze di Rafaello. (Raphael Rooms). This was the private apartment of Pope Julius II who did not want to live in the Borgia Apartment below, because of its unpleasant historical associations. Two of the rooms, the Stanza della Segnatura, the Pope's study and library, and the Stanza di Eliodoro, his bedroom, are mostly by Raphael's own hand. 

Truth, beauty and goodness are the subjects of the frescoes in the first room. The Disputation of the Sacrament and the School of Athens represent respectively religious and philosophical truth, while Apollo and the Muses on Mount Parnassus represent beauty. Goodness is portrayed by the cardinal virtues, prudence, temperance and strength. The second room contains three superb frescoes; the Expulsion of Heliodorusfrom the Temple in Jerusalem, Pope Leo Stopping the Invasion of Attila the Hun, and the Miracle of Bolsena.

The Museo Gregoriano Etrusco should not be missed as it -contains the Etruscan treasure discovered in 1837 in a tomb at Cerveteri (then part of the Pope's earthly domain).

 The three occupants of the tomb were buried with gold, silver, jewels, and richly decorated table ware. The Museo Profano and the Museo Cristiano (Profane and Christian Museums) used to be housed in the Lateran Palace and were transferred here into a new building in 1970. 

They contain Roman sculpture, inscriptions and sarcophagi dating from the lst-4th centuries ad. The 4th-century statue of the Good Shepherd is an excellent example of the continuity of Mediterranean art forms - the inspiration is clearly pagan and ancient Greek.

If you are not too exhausted, the Pinacoteca or Vatican Picture Gallery contains further riches. It is particularly well endowed with Primitives and 15th century Italian artists.

 The Giotto polyptych in Room II and the Melozzo da Forli Angels in Room IV are worth more than a passing glance. In Room VIII there is a Raphael feast. The Transfiguration, Raphael's last work (it was hung above his bier as he lay in state) has been cleaned recently, revealing unexpected new details. Also on view is a set of tapestries woven from Raphael's cartoons for the Capella Sistina, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The Coronation of the Virgin was the first work of Raphael's maturity - he was 20 years old when he painted it.

[jo-shaneparis18]

The Louvre and Eiffel Tower

28/04/2018: An early rise today for at least one person while the rest took it easy. The purpose was to take a walk through Jardin des Tuileries while the crowds weren't around. It was well worth the effort to be able to move around with plenty of room. After the walk, it was briefly back to the room and out again along Rue Saint-Honoré for croissants and pastries. Returning for breakfast we were then all on the move to Paris City Vision, also known as Get Your Guide to collect the Skip the Line tickets to the Louvre.

Allée Centrale,  Jardin des Tuileries

We were in the queue at around nine fifteen, waiting to go through the Pyramid entrance security and down to Napoléon Hall, directly beneath the large glass pyramid. Today Shane made the choice of sticking with the girls and Tom and Beau heading off on a brother adventure. This was a wise move as the girls were always left behind as Cecilia wasn’t use to keeping up with the pace set by Shane and therefore the girls walked slower than the boys and were always left far behind.  Sadly, we were to discover the reason for Cecilia’s struggle to keep up a few months after returning to Australia. Anyway, this separation between the men and women folk were making the girls feel like it was an “us and them” holiday when out exploring. So good boy Shane for keeping with the women today. We immediately grabbed a few maps and headed to the Sully Wing, via the ticket box and more security, where the some of the original fortress still stands. Last time it was closed for a reno. Also, the last time we were here, we were guided by Violetta, a masters student in French art and since that was what she was familiar with, that’s what we looked at. By the time we were finished the tour and were able to wander around at will, we were knackered. This time we were on a mission to see whatever else was around, but in particular, the Egyptian stuff.

The Foyer under the Glass Pyramid. Leading to all wings

First impressions were great. As we entered the basement of the Sully Wing, we were drawn to the start of the Pavillon de d'Horloge devoted to the history of the museum and its collections including the original fortress of which plenty still remains today.

Relationship of the original fortress within the Louvre

The path led around the base of what remained of the fortress and included a walkway so that we could walk within the original moat.

Prior to his departure on crusade in 1190, Philip II (King Philippe Auguste), son of Louis VII, erected a fortified enclosure to protect Paris against the threat of invaders while he was away. Ordering the construction of a great wall around the city, he reinforced it at the junction with the Seine by building a defensive fortress. Square in plan with corner towers and an imposing central keep. The Seine fed a moat that encompassed the entire structure with another moat surrounding the keep. Two gates, flanked by towers, were built within the wall, one facing south towards the Seine and the other facing east, leading to the city. As Paris spread west, the castle lost its defensive effectiveness and was later transformed into a luxurious royal residence by King Charles V.

The outer wall of the fortress (and probably the outer moat)

The inner moat and the keep

The path skirted the outer moat and to the far side of the ruins, past the Crypt of the Sphinx and to a long staircase that climbed to the floor above. Halfway up we had a choice, left or right. We chose the right and ended up in the Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities Rooms, which were shared by the Sully and Denon Wings and were welcomed by Athena, a three metre high antique replica of the original bronze from around 430BC.

Great Sphinx of Tanis. "Found" a couple of hundred years ago in the ruins of the Temple of Amun at Tanis (the capital of Egypt during the 21st and 22nd dynasties

Hello! (La Pallas de Velletri)

With Athena behind us, we entered a large room which was full of artefacts from the Greek, or Roman copies of long lost Greek bronzes going back several hundred centuries BC. Bigger than life (they're gods so they should be) statues of Ares, Aphrodites, Zeus, Hermes and such were scattered throughout with smaller, mantle size pieces around the peripheral and reliefs and friezes on the walls.

Aphrodite ("Venus Genitrix")

Zeus, dieu des cieux et maître de l’Olympe

The entire display covered the whole Mediterranean basin from the sixth century AD back to Neolithic times. At the end of the Greek section Venus de Milo, demanding her own room ferried us through to the Etruscan and Roman sections.

Doing an about face, we retraced our steps to the central stairs, descended to the landing, back up to the Egyptian Antiquities section and further to the Near Eastern area in the Richelieu Wing, dominated by Iran and Mesopotamia.

Small alcoves were lined with small figurines of Egyptian history. The larger areas were divided by displays of the same, thereby creating more small alcoves. Almost all of the displays were protected in glass. Interesting stuff, jewellery, trinkets, decorative objects, toys and what seemed like kitchen accessories.

Statue du dieu Horus, worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Roman Egypt, he was one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities

Partial sarcophagus lid

The row of sphinxes nearby was interesting, a half a dozen were impressive enough, but apparently several hundred of them lined the processional way to the Serapeum in Saqqara, which has long since gone. An 1850's tomb raider noticed these at various antique shops around town and put two and two together. It was apparent that some of the sphinxes came from the same place so he went out and found the place, thereby finding all of the sphinxes, buried in sand.

Six des sphinx qui bordaient l'allée menant au Sérapéum de Saqqara

We then came across the mummy sarcophagi, quite a few mainly protected by glass cabinets. Amongst them all was an actual mummy, a well preserved specimen of a male that lived during the Ptolemaic Period. After death and during the mummification process, he was covered in strips of linen and after receiving more attention to dry him out a bit, was covered in cartonnage which consisted of a mask covering his head, a wide collar over his chest, an apron across his legs and a casing over the feet.

This was one of the highlights of the day, probably for everyone as it was difficult to get close to him.

Momie recouverte de ses "cartonnages". Mummy covered with its "Cartonnages ". Embalming jars as well

As the Egyptian section finished, the Near Eastern Antiquities started. The Levant was an area located at the western extreme of the Mediterranean but not too far inland. It seemed to encompass modern day Syria, Jordan, down to what is now the Suez Canal and all between. The sarcophagus of Eshmunazar II, King of Sidon was carved around 500BC for a king whose demise was ahead of his time (he died when 14 years old and ruled the kingdom with his mother). Sidon was located in Phoenicia, now Lebanon and later expanded its horizons by being given lands by the Persian "Lord of Kings", Xerxes as reward by providing their naval fleet to the Persian forces.

The epitaph across the chest and around the head describes a king who died young and curses on anyone who should trouble his rest among the Rephaïm, followed by a genealogy of the royal family, concluding with a final curse on those who would "raise my slab" and remove the sarcophagus.

The next section was Iran followed by Mesopotamia. There was some great stuff here, the highlights being some friezes from the Persian King Darius I back around 500BC. The first was of lions made of a glazed brick and came from Mesopotamia. They were displayed in his Susa palace and was a symbol of power, embodying the king of beasts. The next frieze was not so certain as to its origins. They were the Archers on Parade depicting two symmetrical lines of soldiers, bow and quiver around their shoulders, both hands holding their spears. Very impressive and quite colourful.

The Frieze of Lions from the first court of Darius I’s palace at Susa

Archers on Parade

Although there was other great stuff in this area, the other impressive artefact was the temple headstock and column (or the colossal capital), one of thirty six that once held up the roof components of the apadana at Susa. A couple of bulls kneeling back to back atop of Egyptian style palm fronds and double volutes with rosettes taken from the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. There wasn't too much in one piece when excavators excavated during the late nineteenth century which explained the colour difference (veined grey limestone brought to the plain of Susa from the Zagros Mountains) due to the capital being reconstructed from bits and pieces of the thirty six columns that originally existed.

Chapiteau d'une colonne de la salle d'audiences (Apadana) du Palais de Darius Ier

The final part, after a break at the café overlooking Napoléon Hall, was back to the Denon Wing to finish off with a few more statues and some paintings, particularly looking forward to the pushing and shoving in front of the Mona Lisa. After ascending a rather grand staircase we found ourselves on the ground floor amongst the European sculptures before climbing one more floor to the paintings of France, Italy and Spain. One of the final acts of the morning, after wandering through the corridors of religious art was to enter Room 711 where the incredibly underwhelming Mona Lisa proudly hung.

First break for the day.

Andrea di Bartolo dit Solario. La Crucifixion

There she is

That was it. Louvre over and lunch ahead, followed by the tower. Playing it safe, we headed back to where we knew, via the Carrousel du Louvre underground shopping centre, eventually reaching the surface at Arc de Triompe du Carrousel, watched a weirdo pigeon man walking around dropping wheat out of his pockets and braved the irksome Africans and gypsies trying to con us or flog us something. Once through the cordon of conmen we settled in at the Le Carrousel Bar and Brasserie for pizza and snails.

Cordon of conmen

Snails for lunch

After lunch we walked back through the gardens towards Place de la Concorde and further to Avenue Winston Churchill, across the road from the Grand Palais. From there we had a good look at our next destination, the Eiffel Tower. Shane and Jo had seen it before so were doing something different while Cec and the boys went to the top. We proceeded as one to the ticket place where they would meet up with their escort for the trip to the top, then separate for a while.

We Shall Never Surrender

Winston Churchill

Londres le 4 Juin 1940

Leaving Cec, Tom and Beau at the meeting place and agreeing to meet below at the tower ticket collection box later on, Jo and Shane headed along Rue de Grenelle a few streets away to Rue Cler for a Rick Steves audio tour starting with Café Rousillon.

Emmanuel Macron lived in an apartment in Rue Cler before becoming president. Even though he and his wife occasionally shopped in the street, business owners and residents were glad to see the back of them after he was voted in as president. From the vote until the inauguration, the lived in Rue Cler but then moved to Palais de l'élysée, the Presidential residence. During that period the extra security, movement restrictions and extra crowds caused the locals some angst until he left and calm was restored. Shop owners lost business due to street closures. It's okay now and they'll probably be welcomed back when he leaves politics.

Café Rousillon

At the Bar Prices

Taking Rick's advice and saving money by standing for cafés, we then moved across Rue de Grenelle to a neat and village like street, lined with open aired produce stands, made particularly inviting by excluding all but service vehicles beyond the intersection.

Bunches of radishes. The French have a real flair for produce display

Looking down Rue Cler from Café Rousillion

The street had everything. Apparently, many Parisiennes shop for food daily in street markets just like this as not only are they after fresh food, but their apartments are small and so are their fridges. To shop daily may not only be a preference but a necessity.

Immediately on our left was the only supermarket to be seen, albeit typically small. A fruit stall on either side constricted the street but it soon opened up to specialty shops, hotels and banks, hidden behind closed doors and partially obscured by the fishmongers, cheese shops, bakers and butchers who opened their doors wide and spilled their produce onto the street.

Top Halles

La Fromagerie

La Fromagerie has been in Rue Cler for generations, straight across the street was La Sablaise Poissonniere-Traiteur, supplying fresh seafood daily from the English Channel. There were more cafés, where if one desired could have a café and smoke while sitting on the footpath, facing the crowds, Traiteur Jeusselin which served precooked meal portions for people to buy on their way home from work if too busy to cook and Boucherie du Perche. People around the area didn't have a garden per se, but flower boxes hanging from the window sill. They still had an appetite for flowers as the florist was pretty popular.

La Sablaise Poissonniere-Traiteur

Boucherie du Perche

Cler Fleurs

This was an interesting experience but catering more for the top end of town given some of the prices.

Rue Cler came to an abrupt halt at its intersection with Avenue de la Motte-Piquet. Turning right we followed the avenue to the Cavalerie building on Place Joffre, standing at the top of Champ de Mars, a tree lined and grassed park which would lead us to the Eiffel Tower at the other end.

The tower at the end of Champ de Mars

Partially down the Champ de Mars we were lucky enough to experience something that made our day. Amongst the families and couples taking it easy around the place, there was a young couple quickly becoming the centre of attention. The young bloke had a couple of mates with him and duly went down on one knee and opened up a jewellery box with a ring in it. Whilst this was happening one of his mates was playing the violin and the other recording everything. We were a bit far away to hear but she must have said yes as those closer started to applaud. A touching moment to soon be over shadowed by the crowds ahead and the hordes of Africans trying to flog models of the tower.

Romance in Champ de Mars

While this was all happening, Cec, Beau and Thomas were enjoying the city from the top of the tower.

Looking over Paris

As Jo and Shane moved closer to the proposed meeting point below the tower, it was apparent that it would not go to plan. Considerable construction works were underway to construct a "terrorist proof" fence around the tower. The fence will be made of thick glass that will supposedly stop bullets and car bombers and cost several tens of millions of Euro.

Let the fence begin

With no communication and our meeting plan in tatter as there was no ticket box to meet as planned and there were 4 different entry/exit points, we had no idea where the crew would emerge from. Jo and Shane headed to the park besides the north rafter and waited. Jo wandered around panicking, Shane just sat, moving around, trying to find a seat without bird shit on it. There were plenty of vacant benches for a reason. Just as annoying were the Africans, they were everywhere trying to make a buck. There didn't seem to be much competition as they were all standing together in small groups selling the same thing, models of the tower. They did however, move pretty quickly when the gendarmes approached. Within not to long spent waiting, firstly Tom and Beau walked out the gate followed a short time later by Cecilia, bitchin about how the group dropping them off somehow and they had to fend for themselves. Anyway, it didn't matter now as we were all together again. When asked how did they enjoy their experience, Cecilia said she was too terrified, fearing that an attack on the tower was imminent, As like all major tourist spots, the area had armed troops patrolling the area and being a large city, sirens wailing through the streets was commonplace, we were use to this from previous travels but this was a new experience for Cecilia , thus fuelling her fear for expecting a disaster was  pending. Beau has an extreme fear of hieghts but was proud of the fact he did manage to stand at the railings of the top level viewing deck, take in the vista, albeit feeling like he left his fingerprints embedded in the steel hand rail.

Gendarmes causing a stir

The trip back to the apartment was interrupted by a beer at Café Roussillon in the Le Cler district. While here, Beau made a very interesting observation, on visiting the toilet area of the bar. There was only one toilet that had a step up to it, the disabled toilet. What the Heck!! Time to head home. Women taxied; men walked. By then it was after seven, back at the apartment by eight. 

Back at Café Roussillon 

Cosy lift

Twilight view from our apartment

Tomorrow, the Catacombes, for the boys, a special treat, for the girls with breakfast and Café Angilina, and then Notre Dame, Saint-Chappelle and the football.

[smokeybrandcompositions]

Historical Accuracy

The discourse around Netflix’s Ancient Apocalypse is fascinating to me. I haven’t seen it and i know next to nothing about it’s creator, Graham Hancock, but the vitriol around this man and his theories is f*cking intense. The academic establishment hates this man and the media is definitely following suit. This man dares to postulate that there was a pre-Ice Age, sea fairing culture that suffered a fall, leading to it’s people integrating with the hunter-gatherers of the time and teaching them the seeds of society. He believes that there is ample evidence around the world pointing to this, Gobekli Tepe being a hug one. If you don’t know, Tepe is a civilization dating back almost twelve thousand years, who built a monolithic civilization something thought not possible until thousands of years later. There’s even evidence that the Sphinx in Egypt is much, much, older than what is common accepted. For all of these “insane” theories, Hancock is seen as a fraud and dangerous but, like, how?

Why is it so hard for people to accept that what we know as history is just a snippet of what we are? It feels like every other month, our genesis as a species is pushed back a couple dozen millennia. More than that, why is it so hard to believe that these people, who lived in a completely different version four world, was able to harness a completely different yet similar technology to ours? Roman streets still exist to this date, flawless in their construction, but our modern streets are riddled with potholes. We found legitimate Orichalcum at the bottom of the Mediterranean sea but that sh*t was considered mythological until then. No one even knows what Greek Fire is, but it, for sure, was used as a weapon of mass destruction back during the Bronze Age. Hell, no one even knows what caused the Bronze Age collapse and that sh*t was well within the wheelhouse of written historic record. Why is it so wild to believe that there was a civilization that had existed long enough to develop sea faring tech, long before other people? Why is it so hard to believe that there were isolated pockets of people who just observed the world closer than most, and decided to f*ck around and find out? That’s all it takes to develop anything really.

It’s incredibly disrespectful and wildly dismissive to just write off these theories, especially when they point to these advanced civilizations being from Africa or the Far East. I absolutely believe Atlantis existed and that it was situated in West Africa before that sh*t got washed away during a glacial melt. There is a ton of f*cking evidence which supports The Eye of Africa in  Mauritania, being the site of the mythological super power. Imagine that. Imagine this very narrow, Eurocentric view of “history” which paints ancient Egyptians as Greeks (even though the Ptolemys were the last of the Dynastic families and literally caused the downfall of the millennia old civilization), absolutely eviscerated by the revelation that one of the oldest, most advanced cultures in the history of man, were African. Like, so far away from that light-skinned Middle Eastern by way of white folks narrative perpetuated throughout schools, African. And that’s just one of these pre-Ice Age civilizations. I personally believe there were many, many, more.

Civilization ebbs and flows. In ten thousand years, we will be long gone and whoever comes after us will think us primitive. They’ll come across our combustion engines and think, “Really?” I’m sure their tech will be just as advanced, maybe moreso maybe not, but it will look the same. It will do the same things but they would have gotten to that answer in a different way than us. Ingenuity isn’t tied to a level of intelligence, it just takes patience and experimentation. What has that got to do with Hancock and his black listing from modern academia? Absolutely everything. IF we know that tech, society, and civilization rise and fall at pretty regular intervals, then why is it so hard for anyone to think that sh*t started earlier? Why is it so hard to believe that sh*t  existed in an advanced state, one alien to our perception of what advanced even is, but fell due to a complex system of issues? No one knows why agriculture started, they just have an idea of when. No one knows why we began to build, we just have an idea of when; One that keeps getting pushed farther and farther back. It’s not a stretch to think our story started much, much, earlier than we have accepted and it’s weird to me that there is so much resistance to this notion.