Standing Statue of King “Thutmose III”
Introduction:
(1) This
remarkable standing statue belongs to king Thutmose III who is considered one
of the great warrior kings.
(2) King Thutmose III made 16 successful military
campaigns in Asia and one in Nubia and he spread the Egyptian domination in a
great empire extended from the Ephrutus River in Syria to the fourth cataract
in Nubia.
(3) King
Thutmose III invented the strategy of dividing his army into heart and two
wings. He also established a great navy to support his army.
(4) Therefore
some French scholars described as Napoleon of the east.
(5) King
Thutmose III was also a wise man. He brought the sons of the Asiatic kings to
Egypt to educate them on the Egyptian way so they would be loyal and faithful to
Egypt when they grew up and became rulers in their countries.
Remarkable
Features of the Statue:
(1) The
Statue is made out of schist [2]
and it represents king Thutmose III standing with elegant and strong appearance
while stepping his left leg forward as if following his heart in all of his
actions.
(2) The
king is wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt, with the cobra symbol of power
and protection on the forehead.
(3) The
artist represented the king with handsome and calm facial features clearly
shown in the full round face, remarkable long eyebrows, wide eyes with the
cosmetic lines of Kohl [3],
high cheekbones, delicate nose and thin calm mouth with graceful smile.
(4) Looking
to the neck from the side, there is unique feature represented in the so called
Adam’s apple which is seen for the first time in an Egyptian statue. This
indicates that the artist was skillful to represent the tiny details of the
statue.
(5) The
artist succeeded in depicting the strong body of the King represented in the
strong muscles of the chest, the arms and the shoulders.
(6) The
king is wearing the short royal kilt “shyndet”. On the belt of the kilt there
are the title and the name of the king:
![](file:///C:/Users/T6222~1.GMU/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image006.gif)
![](file:///C:/Users/T6222~1.GMU/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image008.gif)
![](file:///C:/Users/T6222~1.GMU/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image010.gif)
(7) Under
the feet of the king, there are nine bows called that represented the nine
traditional enemies of Egypt. This symbolizes that the king is having full
control of the King over his enemies. The nine bows were called psDt-psDwt“psdjet-psdjwt”
in ancient Egypt.
(8) The
spaces between the legs are blocked to protect the legs from being broken. The
statue is also supported by back pillar. On the base of the statue, are
inscribed:
Right :
Imn-Ra xnty Ax-mnw mry“Amon Re who is in front
of the Akh-mnw loves ….. ”
![](file:///C:/Users/T6222~1.GMU/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image012.gif)
Left
:
NTr-nfr Mn-xpr-Ra di anx “The good God lord of
Action (Stable is the existence of Re) given life”.
![](file:///C:/Users/T6222~1.GMU/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image014.gif)
Complete
Text: “(right) Amon Re who is in front of the Akh-mnw loves (left) the good God
lord of Action (Stable is the existence of Re) given life”.
For
the Akh-mnw, it is the name of the festival hall which was built by king
Thutmose III at Karnak.
**********
Good
Luck
D.
Hesham Ezz Eldin
Appendix
Historical
Background about king Thutmose III :
(1)
King Thutmose III was the Son of
King Thutmose II and a Secondary queen
called Isis.
(2)
After the death of Thutmose II, he
succeeded his father on the throne but he was still a young child. So his was
placed under the regency of his step mother and aunt in the same time queen
Hatshepsut.
(3)
After two years, queen Hatshepsut
placed Thutmose III under her shadow and considered herself as the sole ruler
of Egypt.
(4)
During the rule of queen Hatshepsut
which lasted for about 20 years, Thutmose III spent much time in the military
activities. So he gained a powerful body and became talent in using military
weapons and in making strategic plans for the battles.
(5)
After the death of queen
Hatshepsut, Thutmose III was having at last the thrown of Egypt.
(6)
There is an opinion that king
Thutmose III took revenge from queen Hatshepsut. He erased her images and
destroyed her monuments.
(7)
As a king, he started his military
policy in order to restore the Egyptian domination and Empire in Asia [4].
This is because Egypt started to lose its domination during the reign of Queen
Hatshepsut who was not interesting in using the military power.
(8)
During his sole reign which is for
about 20 years, he sent sixteen military expeditions to Asia [5].
(9)
In the battles Thutmose III proved
his extraordinary military talents. He is considered to be the first leader who
divided the army into a heart and two wings.
(10) Among
his important expeditions are his first expedition to the fortified land of
Megiddo [6],
the sixth expedition to Qadish [7]
and the 8th expedition to the Euphrates and Qarqamish.
(11) He
made one military expedition to Nubia in the last years of his reign to assure
the Egyptian full control.
(12) The
Egyptian Empire during his reign extended from the Euphrates in the East to the
Fourth Cataract in the South. Therefore, some western scholars called him
Napoleon of the Fast however Napoleon could be also called Thutmose of Paris.
(13) King
Thutmose III was also a wise man in his external policy especially with the
Asian cities. During his military expeditions in Asia, he used to bring the
children of the Asiatic kings and princes. This is to educate the children on
the Egyptian manner so they would love Egypt and would be loyal to it when they
grow up. Beside, Thutmose would guarantee that the Asiatic cities shall not
attack Egypt which houses the Asiatic children.
(14) Egypt
during the reign of Thutmose III became very wealthy.
(15) Thutmose
III had got new corps like the seeds of pomegranate and he also entered the
chicken to Egypt.
(16) Concerning
the building projects, Thutmose III had many important monuments all over the
country represented in for example :
-
At Karnak he rebuilt the Hypostyle
Hall of Thutmose I. beside he made the Festival Hall Ax mnw and erected the 6th
Pylon as well as obelisks. He laso made the sacred lake.
-
At Deir AI-Bahary, he erected a
mortuary temple between the mortuary temples of queen Hatshepsut and King
Montuhotep II.
-
At Elephantine, he built a temple
for goddess Satet.
-
He has other buildings at Kom Ombo,
Edfu, El-Kab, Tod, Armant, Akhmim, Hermopolis and Heliopolis, Asyut, Atfish and
various locations in the delta.
* Outside Egypt, he made buildings at Buhen, Amada and
Semna and others.
(17) The
principal wife of king Thutmose III was Meret Re Hatshepsut and he got from her
his son Amenhotep II. He also had several minor queens from Egypt and other
countries for political reasons.
(18) King
Thutmose III ruled for about 54 years from 1504 to 1450 BC.
(19) After
his death, he was buried in tomb KV 34 in the Valley of the kings. When
Victor Loret discovered the tomb in
1898, he found carved sarcophagus and some remains of statues.
-
The mummy of king Thutmose III was
found in the great royal cache at Deir Al-Bahari.
(20) His
birth name of the king is +Hwty-ms (Born of god
Thoth). While his throne name nsw-biti
is Mn-xpr-Ra
(Stable is the existence of Re).
*******
[1] The statue was discovered
by Legrain in the Karnak Cachette before the 7th Pylon (1904-05).
[4]
The Egyptian empire had been established by king Thutmose I.
[5]
the details of the military expeditions are registered in the Annals of
Thutmose III at the Karnak Temples.
[6]
in the battle of Megiddo ,
king Thutmose III used a strategy of surprising the enemies through attacking
them from unexpected route.
[7]
This expedition happened in the 31st year of his reign.
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