Illustration
This photo shows the location where the 'Meroe Head', being the head section of a statue of Augustus Caesar, was found by British Professor, John Garstang in 1910 CE. The head was located below the steps of the entrance of the temple in the Royal City of Meroe, which was sacked by Emperor Ezana of the Kingdom of Aksum in 350 CE. After Egypt was made a Roman province in the battle of Actium in 31 BCE, statues of Caesar were placed in Egyptian towns. When the Nubians launched attacks into Egypt in retaliation to the sacking of their city Napata, it is very likely the head was taken from one of these statues. It is believed the Nubians placed the head next to the main entrance so that its citizens would step on the head of Caesar as an act of insult, ironically this act helped perverse the quality of the head. The head itself and location it was found, shows the extent of the influence of Caesar deep into the upper Nile region.
Related Images
The Meroe Head of Augustus Caesar
Comparative Timelines of Egypt & Kush
Head of a Colossus, Wadi es Sebui, Nubia
Kingdom of Kush (c. 2400 BCE - 350 CE)
Greco-Roman Temple in Nubia
Hindu Kush Mountain Range
References
- http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/b/head_of_augustus.aspx, accessed 1 Dec 2016.
Cite This Work
APA Style
Zaki, O. (2013, June 11). Original Site Of The Meroe Head. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/1264/original-site-of-the-meroe-head/
Chicago Style
Zaki, Omar. "Original Site Of The Meroe Head." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified June 11, 2013. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/1264/original-site-of-the-meroe-head/.
MLA Style
Zaki, Omar. "Original Site Of The Meroe Head." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 11 Jun 2013. Web. 22 Feb 2025.
