Page:Six Temples at Thebes 1896.djvu/33

 of Tausert's temple; a longer example of such inscription will appear amongst the ostraca of the Ramesseum.

Figs. 14 to 18, 21, and unnumbered piece 25. These are the most interesting of the graffiti, and the latter ones give the key to the others. They read "the great one of the mercenaries of the right hand Huy." We know from the papyrus of Tanis that there was a separation of troops into right (unami) and left (semhi) classes; and there it is very likely, as Horrack (Rev. Arch. 1862 ii, 268) and Brugsch (Aegyptologie 221) have observed, that a remembrance of this organization is implied by Herodotos when he states (II, 30) that Asmakh (or Askham) means "those that stand at the left hand of the king." This division into right and left appears also in the organization of the workmen of the Theban necropolis (e.g. Pap. Turin VII, 10), and is shown here by the title in the graffiti 14 to 18. It seems quite possible that the marks unami, right, and semhi, left, refer also to this military organization. In the fig. 20 the dates have been added "12th of 4th month of inundation" and 10 + x of the same; the black lines are written upside down to the red. To understand these graffiti we must remember that the necropolis of Thebes had several forts with garrisons, such are often named in business papers (Spiegelberg, Arbeiter … unter den Ramessiden). These garrisons may well have been near the funerary temples, which we know had their troops. May then these marks "right" and "left" have indicated the place of the soldiers, in the temple fortifications of the funerary temple of Merenptah, where they were found?

46. . This sculpture has been intentionally defaced in all parts relating to the god Amen, and then subsequently restored by Sety I. At the top under the solar disc, with wings and uraei, is twice repeated "The god of Edfu (Horus) the great god, he gives life and purity." Between the uraei is the cartouche Neb-maat-ra. Below this the whole is divided into two scenes, each with a standing figure of "Amen-ra, lord of heaven, he gives all life and all health," who receives the offerings of the king. On the right side the incised inscription (restored) states "Restoring of the monument made by the son of Ra Sety Merenptah (Sety I) for his father Amen." The restored parts are the figures of Amen, the names of Amen, the cartouches of Amenhotep in the lower scenes, and the restoration inscription. The names of offerings before the king are probably original.

Right Side. Above the king is "The good god, lord of the two lands, Neb-maat-ra son of Ra, his beloved [Amenhotep, prince of Thebes] gifted with life like Ra." Below is "Offering of wine to Amen; may he give the gift of life."

Left Side. Above the king is "The Good God, lord of the two lands Neb-maat-ra son of Ra, of his body [Amenhotep, prince of Thebes] lord of the diadems, beloved of Ra." Below is "Giving truth to the lord of the gift of life (?)."

''Lower Part. Right Side.'' Amenhotep triumphing in his chariot over the negroes. "The Good God [Lord of the foreigners] master of the sword, strong in binding them, who ruins the offspring of the vile Kush, guiding her chiefs as living prisoners by the power of his father Amen." There are some curious forms of signs (as seger and sar), and a brevity of orthography caused by the short space available.

Left Hand. Amenhotep triumphing in his chariot over the Syrians. "The Good God, the golden Horus, shining in truth, beautiful (?) like the sunrise, great in power, mighty in terror, firm of heart like he who is in Thebes (Amen) prostrating Nehereni with his victorious sword." If it be correct to give the sign of the horse the value nefer, which it has in Ptolemaic times, it would be of interest to find it thus early under Amenhotep III. We know that the germs of the Ptolemaic system are to be found long before their development, as in the writing of mesdemt in the Ebers papyrus (26, 18).

At the base "… all foreign (?) lands, all men (rekhyt), all beings (ḥnememet), Nehreni, the vile Kush, the Upper and Lower Rethenu, are at the feet of this good god like Ra in eternity."

47. . At the top is the solar disc with wings and uraei, and on either side "The god of Edfu (Horus), the great god, lord of heaven." Between the uraei is the cartouche of Neb-maat-ra. Down the middle is "Restoring of the monument made by the king of Upper and Lower Egypt Men-maat-ra (Sety I) for his father Amen-ra king of all gods." This proves the restoration by Sety after the erasures of Amen by Akhenaten. The restored parts are the figures and names of Amen, the whole of the first 21 lines, parts of 7 lines lower, and the names of Amen in the lowest 3 lines.

Right Hand. The king is standing, "Offering libation to Amen that he may give the gift of life." Above is "The Good God, lord of the two lands, Neb-maat-ra, Son of Ra, lord of the diadems,