Author of Legacy Project: Michael Lim

Class: Ancient World Slot B

Eternal Truth Analyzed: The Power Behind the Throne
Piece of Artwork Analyzed: The Temple of Dendur

Who holds the Power?

In 1965, Egypt gifted the Temple of Dendur, a Nubian temple, to the United States for its
work in helping to save monuments and architectural complexes that would have been flooded
over by the building of the Aswan High Dam. The temple was later awarded to the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in 1967, and was installed in the Sackler Wing in 1978. I studied this object
because Ancient Egypt was a topic we touched on in class, but never explored as deeply as other
ancient civilizations. The eternal truth that I chose to explore was the power behind the throne.
This phrase is used to describe a person or group in a government or organization with great
influence but stays behind the scenes. I chose this eternal truth because after reading the
description of the temple at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I learnt that the Pharaoh depicted
in the temple was not an Egyptian king but actually the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar.

Under the reign of Octavian Augustus Caesar, the Roman Empire stretched from Western
Europe to parts of North Africa and the Middle East. In his conquered territories, which included
Egypt, he did not enforce the Roman Pagan religion, but rather tolerated the local ones. In
ancient times, Egyptian temples were believed to be the homes of Gods and Goddesses. These
temples were not simply houses for cult images, but the designs were illustrations of how
Egyptians viewed the natural order of the world. The Temple of Dendur is of no exception. The
lining of the temple includes scenes common to Egypt: carvings of papyrus and lotus plants as
well as images of the sun and the sky. Scenes inside the temple depict the Pharaoh worshiping
and praying to the Goddess of the Temple Isis. The Pharaoh in question is actually Octavian
Augustus Caesar of Rome, who commissioned the construction of numerous Egyptian temples
during his reign. The Temple of Dendur represents Egyptian temples during the Roman Province
of Egypt (39 BC-390 AD), it demonstrates the role of the Pharaoh in Egypt, and it exemplifies
the eternal truth of power behind the throne that is still shown in the 21
st
century
The Temple Of Dendur represents Egyptian temples during the Roman Province of Egypt
because it acts as a sample of the temples built during the time period. The temple itself was
dedicated to the Goddess Isis, however it also includes carvings of two other figures: Pedesi and
Pihor.
1
According to R. J. Schork in his book, The Dendur Temple in New York: The Gallus
Connection, Pedesi and Pihor were a pair of deified local princes, who drowned in the (Nile)
river.
2
Schork also states that the temple was built near the location that these princes drowned.
Jimmy Dunn, president of touregypt.com states, Egyptian temples were almost always located
at a point of some religious interest, and most often oriented in the direction of another
significant religious point Factors effecting the location could include ancient myth and
tradition, such as the believed site of a god's birthplace, or grave or some other place believed to
posses properties of power, or other associations.
3
The tradition of setting up places of worship
in places of religious significance is common throughout ancient religions: Greeks built the

1
"The Temple of Dendur | Roman Period | The Metropolitan Museum of Art," The Temple of Dendur | Roman Period
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d., http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-
collection-online/search/547802?=&imgNo=15&tabName=gallery-label.
2
R.J. Schork., "The Dendur Temple in New York: The Gallus Connection," JSTOR, 2011,
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/41308547?uid=3739832&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21104180647493.
3
Jimmy Dunn, "Tour Egypt :: The Ancient Egyptian Cartouche." Tour Egypt. June 20, 2011.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/cartouches.htm.
Parthenon on top of the ruins a previous temple destroyed by the Persians and Muslims built the
Dome of the Rock on the spot believed to be the location that Muhammad met the angel Gabriel.
By locating the temple near to where the deified princes drowned, the Temple of Dendur follows
this ancient tradition. Additionally, according the Metropolitan Museums of Art, another key
aspect of Egyptian temples was based on the understanding of the temple as an image of the
natural world as the Egyptians knew it.
4
Further down in their description of the Temple of
Dendur, the Metropolitan Museum of Art temple states, Lining the temple base are carvings of
papyrus and lotus plants that seem to grow from water, symbolized by figures of the Nile god
Hapy. The two columns on the porch rise toward the sky like tall bundles of papyrus stalks with
lotus blossoms bound with them.
5
The Temple of Dendur is decorated with sights common to
Egypt: carvings of papyrus and lotus plants as well as images of the sun and sky. With a few
exceptions, the Roman Empire was known to be tolerant of other religions. This tolerance is
shown in the Temple of Dendur and serves as a representation of Egyptian temples during the
Roman Province of Egypt.
The Temple of Dendur demonstrates the role of the Pharaoh in Egypt because Temples
were the Egyptians illustration of the natural world.In The Teaching for King Merykara, a set of
instructions created around 2100 BC, the current pharaoh addresses his son, the future king
Merykara, and advises him on how to be a good king and how to avoid evil, essentially laying
the foundation for the role of the Pharaoh in Egyptian society. A quotation from this text states,
Respect the great; keep your people safe; consolidate your frontier and your patrolled area, for it

4
Metropolitan Museum of Art, "The Temple of Dendur | Roman Period | The Metropolitan Museum of Art," The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d., http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/547802.
5
Metropolitan Museum of Art, "The Temple of Dendur | Roman Period | The Metropolitan Museum of Art," The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d., http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/547802.
is good to work for the future.
6
In essence, by respecting the Gods, the pharaoh will be able to
provide his people with the future their actions deserve. The role of the pharaoh in Egypt was
later explored by Dutch egyptologist and archaeologist Henri Frankfort in his book Kingship
and the Gods published in the year 1948. In his book, Frankfort states, Kingship in Egypt
remained the channel through which the powers of nature flowed into the body politic to bring
human endeavor to fruition."
7
In the Temple of Dandur, the pharaoh is seen praying and
offering to the gods.
8
As was see in the Teaching for King Merykara, the pharaoh is depicted
serving as an intermediary with the gods. As was stated by Frankforts description of the pharaoh
being the channel through which the powers of nature flowed, the pharaoh in the temple,
connected to the gods in a supernatural way, is depended on for the maintenance of nature and
civilization.
The Temple of Dendur exemplifies the eternal truth power behind the throne because
the pharaoh depicted inside the temple was not a native Egyptian king, but rather was Emperor
Augustus. In 2010, a team researching in translating a Roman victory stele reportedly found
Emperor Octavian Augustuss name written in a cartouche.
9
While having himself depicted as a
pharaoh seems an intrusion on the sacred Egyptian space, it is interesting to note that this was the
only notable difference from temples built prior to it. During his rule, Augustus did not try to
enforce the Roman pagan religion on Egypt, nor did he try to change the Egyptian one. In
Egyptian hieroglyphics, the cartouche is a specific hieroglyphic that indicates that the text

6
William Kelly Simpson, "The Instruction of Merikare," Reshafim, 1973,
http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/merikare_papyrus.htm.
7
M. I. Finley., and Henri Frankfort, "Kingship and the Gods: A Study of Ancient Near Eastern Religion as the
Integration of Society & Nature." The University of Chicago Press 1 (1948): 275.
http://oi.uchicago.edu/pdf/kingship.pdf.
8
Egyptology and Archaeology Temple of Dendur in its current location within the Metropolitan Museum, Ancient
Egypt and Archaeology Website, March 8, 2013, http://www.ancient-
egypt.co.uk/metropolitan/pages/metropolitan_ny%20770.htm.
9
Independent Digital News and Media, "Stele names Roman Emporor Octavian Augustus as Egyptian Pharaoh,"
The Independent, April 6, 2010, http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/history/stele-names-roman-emperor-octavian-
augustus-as-egyptian-pharaoh-1937308.html.
enclosed is a royal name.
10
This discovery by the team provides evidence that Augustus was
considered the Pharaoh of Egypt. Additionally, Professor Minas-Nerpel, who was part of the
team translating the stele, believes that Octavian did not ask for the honor, rather it was the
Egyptian priests who implored him. Minas-Nerpel said, (The priests) had to have an acting
pharaoh, and the only acting pharaoh (possible) under Octavian was Octavian The priests
needed to see him as a pharaoh otherwise their understanding of the world would have
collapsed.
11
While the Romans seemed to give Egyptians power to dictate their own religion, it
seemed that Roman influence had infiltrated every aspect of Egyptian life. For over three
thousand years, after the unification of upper and lower Egypt by Menes, the notion of Pharaoh
has been etched into the minds of Egyptians. The king acted as the head of the civil
administration, the commander of the military, and most importantly, he was believed to be a
divine being and the connection between the material world and the spiritual world. When
Cleopatra died, there a power vacuum that needed to be filled. The priests willingness to elevate
Augustus to the status of a Pharaoh demonstrates the extent to which the Romans held power
over the Egyptians. Having said this, however, Ken Humphries, a writer for touregypt.com,
believes that the priests might have another motive. In his article Egypt: Was Pharaoh Divine,
Humphries states, the priests found it to be in their own interest to support the king, who
supported them in return, rather than risk getting the blame and being slaughtered for not
propitiating the gods when things went wrong.
12


10
Jimmy Dunn, "Tour Egypt :: The Ancient Egyptian Cartouche." Tour Egypt. June 20, 2011.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/cartouches.htm.
11
Independent Digital News and Media, "Stele names Roman Emporor Octavian Augustus as Egyptian Pharaoh,"
The Independent, April 6, 2010, http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/history/stele-names-roman-emperor-octavian-
augustus-as-egyptian-pharaoh-1937308.html.
12
Ken Humphries, "Tour Egypt :: Egypt: Was Pharaoh Divine," Egypt: Was Pharaoh Divine, n.d.,
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/divinepharaoh.htm#ixzz327ZzyFvF.
The eternal truth who holds power is shown in the 21st century in the 2004 movie
Shrek 2. The main plot of Shrek 2 is: Prince Charming returns from a failed attempt at rescuing
Fiona, who was already saved by Shrek, and works alongside his mother, the Fairy Godmother,
to try and find a way to get Shrek away from Fiona. The Shrek franchise as a whole can be seen
as a parody that uses traditional characters from previous Disney films and fairy tales and
subvert their traditional roles. An example of this is the Fairy Godmother; The Fairy Godmother
is based off of the Princess Cinderellas Fairy Godmother, who helps her get into the ball. On
the other hand, according to Jessica Lim the Fairy Godmother in the Shrek 2 is, a wicked and
ambitious person. She always appears to be good, but she actually has her own purpose behind
everything she has done. Instead of being the traditional fairy that uses her magic for well-
intended purposes, the Fairy Godmother is a manipulative businesswoman that uses others to
benefit herself and her son, Prince Charming. An example of her evil nature and how far she
goes is shown during the meeting at the Poison Apple between King Harold, Prince Charming
and herself discussing the problem with Fiona. In this scene, the Fairy Godmother suggests that
Harold give Fiona a love potion. When he refuses, the Fairy Godmother threatens him with
blackmail, If you remember, I helped you with your happily ever after. And I can take it away
just as easily. Without knowing about the relationship between Fairy Godmother and King
Harold, it is easy to believe that King Harold is the person in power and the one to commit all the
misdeeds. After all, he was the one who hired Puss In Boots as an assassin to kill Shrek.
However, since the viewer has an omniscient point of view, and knows the true nature of the
Fairy Godmother, it is easy to tell exactly who holds the power.
From a historical perspective, the Temple of Dendur did not hold much importance, as
multiple temples were built throughout Ancient Egypt, each honoring their own god or goddess.
However, today the temple is a valuable example of Egyptian temples, particularly in the United
States, as it was the only one gifted by Egypt to the United States and it is prominently displayed
in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As well as depicting the natural world as the Egyptians saw
it, the temple accurately depicts the role of the pharaoh through the carvings on the wall. But
behind all of the architectural beauty lies Roman emperor Augustus Caesar. He commissioned
this temple, and his name is etched in like a pharaohs would. Augustus seems to use the power
of the pharaoh to solidify his rule over Egypt, while spend little time there. Others benefited from
this situation as well. With Augustus disengaged from the everyday life in Egypt, the power is
passed on to the high priests, who are responsible for religion, which plays a major role in the
lives of the common people. This is shown in the 21st century via the movie Shrek 2, which
creates the classical Power Behind the Throne relationship: King Harold seems to have the
power, but in reality the Fairy Godmother, a character which Harold seemingly has no
connection with, controls his every move. The eternal truth of Power Behind the Throne is not
something of the past, but something we continue to see depicted in 21st century books and
movies as well as in daily life. It is often seen that there are manipulative people around but now
that media is so accessible, the masterminds behind are quickly exposed.







Bibliography:
Dunn, Jimmy, "Tour Egypt :: The Ancient Egyptian Cartouche," Tour Egypt, June 20, 2011.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/cartouches.htm.
Edgar, Monroe, "Tour Egypt :: Egypt: The Location and Orientation of Ancient Egyptian
Temples," Tour Egypt, n.d.,
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/locationandorientation.htm.
Finley, M. I., and Henri Frankfort, "Kingship and the Gods: A Study of Ancient Near Eastern
Religion as the Integration of Society & Nature," The University of Chicago Press 1
(1948): 275, http://oi.uchicago.edu/pdf/kingship.pdf.
Humphries, Ken, "Tour Egypt :: Egypt: Was Pharaoh Divine," Egypt: Was Pharaoh Divine, n.d.,
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/divinepharaoh.htm#ixzz327ZzyFvF.
Schork, R. J., "The Dendur Temple in New York: The Gallus Connection," JSTOR, 2011,
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/41308547?uid=3739832&uid=2&uid=4&uid=37
39256&sid=21104180647493.
Simpson, William Kelly, "The Instruction of Merikare," Reshafim, 1973,
http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/merikare_papyrus.htm.
Smith, Gary V. . "The Concept of God/The Gods as King in the Ancient Near East and the
Bible." Trinity Journal 3 (1982): 18-38.
http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/otesources/20-
proverbs/text/articles/smith-anegods-tj.pdf.
Independent Digital News and Media, "Stele names Roman Emporor Octavian Augustus as
Egyptian Pharaoh," The Independent, April 6, 2010, http://www.independent.co.uk/life-
style/history/stele-names-roman-emperor-octavian-augustus-as-egyptian-pharaoh-
1937308.html.
Egyptology and Archaeology, "Temple of Dendur in it's current location within the Metropolitan
Museum," Ancient Egypt and Archaeology Web Site, March 8, 2013,
http://www.ancient-egypt.co.uk/metropolitan/pages/metropolitan_ny%20770.htm.
"Fairy Godmother." WikiShrek. http://shrek.wikia.com/wiki/Fairy_Godmother (accessed May
18, 2014).
Lim, Jessica. Interview by author. Personal interview. United States, May 17, 2014.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, "The Temple of Dendur | Roman Period | The Metropolitan
Museum of Art," The Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d.,
http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/547802.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, "The Temple of Dendur | Roman Period | The Metropolitan
Museum of Art," The Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d.,
http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-
online/search/547802?=&imgNo=15&tabName=gallery-label.
Kibbutz Refashim, "The pharaoh - man, ruler and god." Refashim, n.d.,
http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/administration/pharaoh.htm.
Shrek 2. DVD. Directed by Andrew Adamson. United States: DreamWorks Home Entertainment
;, 2004.