Ad99998 04 036a/eng
Obelisken der Egypter
Beschreibungstext eng
Miscellanies. XXXIV. Vol. IV. No. 34., OBELISKS OF THE EGYPTIANS., opo'ii, * I*F?*, *«%**** »«Nia «*. $ 5S JUS. ‘«"»fw-Wità *fa confacrê il. a "viron -oofl îjs »t lepalais royalpar »t aroir «op à st *eu\ Uoc de «p/f, ledit Sixte V, tt e lun'lit Architecte, Jean du Lateran, du Cirque h Vol. IV. No. 34. uni, d'une f(n'e it de 78 pied* En ron 1« lit apporte m cirque nouvelle r renwfé par le = ixte V. auoeite OBELISKS OF THE EGYPTIANS. / -____________ JL he Obelisks are like the Pyramids and Cata« coiubs or touibs remarkable Monuments of the bold architecture of the ancient Egyptians. The Word Obelisk wbich is of greek origin, dénotes a bigh column, having ufually tour lides and reifen ing upwards by degtees. In ancient times WÎien Egypt was governed by itsown kings, inany of Obelisks exifted wbich thole iovereigns bad erected on the (ides oi temples, before their palades, or on large pubJick places, in order to transmit their naines to pofterity. They were fron; 50 to 1-50 feet bigh and generally of one pièce of a reddish Granit; a few were made of marbîe, the Quanies are yet to be seen in Upper-Egypt, w h ère thoufands of hands loofened and worked those immenle malTes of stone. Very few of these Obelisks were plain or polisbed; on the molt of thein Hieroglyphs or characters, representing différent toois, utenfi!s or animals were engraved 2 inches deep. These characters together, formed a language in images or wiitiug in picture which at that timewas underf'tood, but in our days has proved impoilible to be unraveiled, Not long before the beginning of the Chrifiian Aéra when the Romans fubjugated Egypt, some of the Emperours ordered feveral of thejigreatest snd fineft Obelisks asfplendid columns to be brqught to Rome. Three of the most magnïficient, and stil! exifting in Rome, are represented in the annexed picture., Fig. 1. An Obelisk brought toRome by order of Augustus., This Obelisk wbich without its pedeital is 73 feet bigh, is eut out of one pièce of marble and ornameuted writh a numlnr of Hieroglyphs. It has been îemoved thRome from Heliopolis the ancient capital of Egypt under the reîgn of Augustus; but when the northern Barbarians invaded Rome, this Obelisk was fubverted and broke in three pièces. ït remained in the rubbish tili the reign of the Roman Pope Sixtus V. , when in the Year i58ö it was erected again by the Architect Fontana, near la Porta dei Popolo., Fig. 2. An Obelisk dedicated to the sun and removed to Rome by Constantius., This Obelisk was erected in Heliopoli9 about 3000 Years ago by the king Ramefïes before bis palace. 20000 men are faid to bave worked at it. It is 100 feet high and hewn of one pièce of Granit. Conitaritine the Greafhad it conveyed down theNile as far as Alexandria, but bis early death hindered the further transport. Gonftantius his son bad it afterwards brougbt to Rome and erected in the courfe. This Obelisk was also deftroyed by the northern invaders and put up again by Sixtus V. before the Church of St. John of Lateran, under the furvey of the aforefaid architect., Fig. 3. The Obelisk of the Circus of Nero., This Obelisk is quite plain and of one pièce of reddish Granit; without its pedeftal it is 73 feet high. Nero had it brought to Rome in order to place it in the new built Circus. The northern invaders deitroyed it like the others, but in the reign of the above mentioned Pope it was also dug out of the rubbish in the Year i$Q6 and erected in the middie of the place before St. Peter' » Church.
