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Stela of Ptolemy II and Arsinoe II, disc in between horns

European Museums, The British Museum

Solar disc in between horns on the upper left portion of the stela of Ptolemy II and Arsinoe II

Ptolemy II and Arsinoe II

The stela, from a chapel in the royal couple's honour, shows them in deified form. Their staffs are attributes of Egyptian gods, as is the emblem of life (ankh) held by the queen. Yet, unusually, the king wields a lightning bolt: a non-Egyptian motif that identifies him with Zeus, the Greek supreme god of sky and thunder. This reveals the Greek origin of Egypt's ruling dynasty. The Greeks equated Zeus with Amun, 'king of the gods', outside whose temple in Tanis this stela was displayed.

Ptolemaic Period, reign of Ptolemy II (285-246 B.C.) From San el-Hagar (Tanis), chapel of Ptolemy II and Arsinoe II

Limestone

Supplementary images:

Solar disc in between horns on the upper left portion of the stela of Ptolemy II and Arsinoe II
Taken on  Saturday 15th of August 2015
Device: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
Model: SP800UZ
Genre:  285 - 246 B.C.
Source:  London, United Kingdom
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