E G Y P T O L O G Y

Cleopatra VII (69-30 BC), queen of ancient Egypt, appears in relief on the outer wall of the temple at Dendera along with Caesarion, her son by Caesar. Although Cleopatra passionately strove to restore Egypt's power and preserve its independence from Rome, she ultimately undermined her own efforts. The Ptolemaic dynasty was extinguished, and Egypt fell under Roman domination.

Horus In Egyptian mythology Horus was the god of light who personified the life-giving power of the Sun. He was usually represented as a falcon-headed man wearing a sun disk as a crown. Horus was the child of OSIRIS and ISIS and the brother of SET. He avenged his father's murder by killing Set and thus became the ruler of Egypt. The reigning kings of Egypt were believed to be incarnations of Horus. In a variant legend Horus was the son of Re . He was known as Harpocrates by the Greeks and Romans, who worshiped him as the god of silence; he was represented in this context as a child with his finger held to his lips.

Ramses II, the third king of the Egyptian 19th dynasty, is depicted in this stone sculpture. His 67-year reign was a time of great prosperity and marked the height of Egyptian military power, culminating in a peace treaty (1283 BC) with the neighboring Hittites.

This Royal Seal was the possession of the Egyptian pharaoh Horemheb and dates from the beginning of the 19th dynasty (1320-1200 BC). The scarabus beetle, a symbol of rebirth and immortality in Egyptian mythology, is incorporated in the cartouche of Horemheb.