Alexander in Thebes (Luxor)

[maciek]

Hello Companions!
I've just returned from Egypt and have many thoughts about that. I was in Luxor temple where one of the rooms was rebuild by Alexander. The room's name is GÇ£sanctuary of the barqueGÇ¥. There is not very much I could find in internet about the AlexanderGÇÖs images inside it so I couldnGÇÖt prepare myself for this visit good enough. Finally I got surprised by the place and too nervous because the time in this temple was very short in this trip (I hate organized trips with other tourists).
I found out some conclusions from that visit and would like to share them with You... I'm very much interested if more then one imagination in this walls could show Alexander himself. Just when I got out from the temple it came to me that GÇ£cartushGÇ¥ with his name wasn't in the same side where his image was and in both walls and their both sides was plenty of images with persons, pharaohs, priests etc.. IGÇÖm almost sure that there could be more images with him.Regards
Maciek

[marcus]

I was there in April, and it was the first time I'd seen the shrine outside photos!Alexander's image appears at least twice in the shrine. What you notice is that his cartouche is repeated on at least two occasions, and Alexander is the figure to the left of the cartouche in each instance (I'm thinking of the north wall - I found the light, and the condition of the carvings, difficult on the south wall). Each representation shows him being presented to a different god (one of whom is, of course, Amun, as the temple as a whole is dedicated to Amun).Does that answer your question? :-)All the bestMarcusPS: The tour I was on didn't even include Luxor Temple, only Karnak. So I had to go down there on my own when everyone else was lounging by the pool - but it meant I didn't get the benefit of any form of guide (for better or for worse).

[susan]

Do you happen to know what Alexander's name was, in Egyptian ?Susan

[marcus]

Not off the top of my head, although they did form part of his cartouche with "Al-k-s-n-dr" (or something like that). I get very confused over Pharaohs' names, however. Alexander will have had five names in total, including his "Horus name" and a couple of other standard ones (eg. "Son of Ra"). Apart from using Alexander, therefore, I believe the other names will have been formulaic, but nowhere have I been able to pin down exactly what they were.I do have a nice photo of his cartouche, from Luxor, though - which shows only two of his names (which again was fairly standard).All the bestMarcus

[matz]

Does that mean that the name from the hieroglyphics of his cartouche is translated as "Al-k-s-n-dr" (or something like that)? I guess my question is how is it concluded that his name was pronuonced "Al-k-s-n-dr".I can not escape the comparison with "Al-Cassander". Just a thought.Best Regards,
Matz

[yiannis]

In what sense Al-Cassander?
"Al" is an Arab not an ancient Egyptian word.Moreover, Ptilemy was the ruler of Egypt at the time not cassander.During the Ptolemaic dynasty, Egyptian and Greek languages were used simultaneously. During the Roman Governorship only Latin was used and occasionally Greek. Within a hundred years the Egyptian hieroglyphics were no longer used or understood by anyone and even the Roman authors of the time suggested that hieroglyphics was not even a language.

[matz]

I'm sorry, I should have put it differently to avoid confusion:The part of "Al-k-s-n-dr" after "Al" is reminiscent of "C(K)assander". In fact, they are the same assuming the vowels weren't open.It was a mere observation, nothing more.Regards,
Matzp.s. Is there a possibility that the name should be written (pronounced?) as "A-l-k-s-n-d-r"?. Again, only an observation.

[marcus]

I get what you're saying, Matz.I can't remember many hieroglyphic symbols off the top of my head, unfortunately, so I can't give a proper reply here.However, I do have a book which shows the cartouche and provides the 'translation'. I shall have to try and find it - perhaps I'll set it alongside my photo of the cartouche and post it in the information section.All the bestMarcus

[maciek]

This site shows his names in Egypt. The site is in polish language but most information is quite obviouse. Of course if You want me to translate something in there it's no problem. Regards
Maciek

[maciek]

Yes as always You give great informations Marcus!
My trip also didn't include the Luxor temple but they had the break for the lunch and we (I and my wife) finished it very fast and we went to temple just before the Karnak. Unfortunately we had just ten minutes... well I planned it very bad but it's another story;-))Regards
Maciek

[susan]

Hi Maciek
Nice to hear from you again - but you haven't given the site URL !Susan

[maciek]

Heh that was strange I'd swear I made it... he he I'm getting too old;-))
http://www.narmer.pl/dyn/32pl.htm

stp.n-ra Setepenre (Choosen by Re)

mri-imn Meriamon (Loved by Amon)
Sory for my mistake Susan... It's pleasure to talk to You again!

[ruthaki]

Thanks, Mak, nice to hear from you and your adventures. I appreciated the info on the cartouche as I'm just about to write a bit about that in my novel.

[matz]

Thanks Marcus. No rush, though - I'm getting you off the hook (((:
(this little tasks can be a nuisance sometimes).From the site Maciek provided in the thread it appears that one of the names in Egypt is "AlksndrS" instead of "Alksndr" as you suggested.Any chance your memory failed you on this occasion?Best Regards,
Matz

[lucinos]

"During the Roman Governorship only Latin was used and occasionally Greek." this is surelly not true. the common greek language was the most used for many centuries in the east mediteranian. Latin was used only as the formal language and at last greek language was made also formal (many centuries later) just because everybody was speaking greek. "Within a hundred years the Egyptian hieroglyphics were no longer used or understood by anyone and even the Roman authors of the time suggested that hieroglyphics was not even a language."I find that strange because I thought that until 5th century there where people (priests of the ancient religion) understanding hieroglyphics.