The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-05-04
The Temples Of Egypt.

The Temples Of Egypt.
In the distribution of the monuments
of Egypt, it is curious fact that the
pyramids are found only in Lower Egypt,
and the great temples only in Upper. II
was not till we had been a week on the
Nile that we had our first sight of the
latter at Denderah. We have since spent
three days at Thebes, the great center of
historical interest, and have made a
regular campaign of ofsight-seeing, starting
on excursions every morning, and thus
have explored the ruins on both sides of
the river-for Thebes, like many other
great cities-like London and Paris-was
built OH both sides of a river, but one
much greater than the Thames or the
Seine, yet not so great but that it was
spanned by bridge, at least so it is in
ferred from some ancient sculptures and
inscriptions, over which poured a popula-
ton such rs pours over London bridge
to-day. The site seems made for great
capital, for here the mountains retire
from the river, sweeping round in a
circuit of some fifty miles, leaving q
broad plain to be filled with human habi-
tations. Here four thousand years ago
was built a city greater than that on
the banks of the Tigris or the Euphrates,
than >Ninevah or Babylon. Here was
the center of power and dominion for
two continents-not only for Africa, but
for Asia-to which focked the nultitudi-
nous nations of Assyria and Arabia and
Persia and the farthest East, as well as the
tribes of Ethiopa-as two thousand years
later all the people of the earth hocked
to Rome. It is easy, from historical
records and monumental inscriptions, to
form some idea of the glory of this capital
of the ancient World. We can imagine
the tumult and the roar of this more
ancient Rome, when the chariots Of
mighty kings and the tread of armies re-
turning victorious from distant wars
thundered through her hundred gates.
Then did the kings of Egypt rear tenn
Piles and palaces and statues and obelisks
worthy of all that greatness. Then were
built the most gigantic temples ever
raised by the hand of man--as much sur
passing in vastness and grandeur those
reared centuries afterward by the Greeks
as the latter surpass anything by the
moderns.
We have now been week-beginning
with Notwithstanding these ruins,
and may give certain general impress
sions. We do not attempt any detailed
descriptions, which must necessarily be
inadequate, since neither words nor
figures convey any idea of them; any
more than they do of the Alps. What
would be thought of an avenue nearly a
mile long, lined with over twelve hun
dred colossal sphinxes? Yet such was
the avenue from Luxor to Karnac-an
approach worthy to lead to the temple of
the gods. What can we say of forest Of
columns, each twelve feet in diameter,
stretching out in long colonades; of the
massive walls covered with bas reliefs |;
and obelisks in single shafts of granite,
of such lofty height and crushing weight
that it is wonder of modern engineer
ing how they could be cut from the side
of the hills, and be brought over hun
dred miles and erected on their firm base.
But this temple-or rather clusters of
temples and palaces-was not, like the
temple of Solomon, finished in single
reign. Karnac was not the work of one
man, or of one generation. 1t was twen-
ty-five hundred years in building, sue
cessive kings and dynasties adding to the
mighty whole, which was to represent all
the glory of Egypt.
The general impression of all these
temples-and the same is true of the
Egyptian statues and sculptures one
of grandeur rather than beauty. They
seek to overpower the senses by mere
size. Sometimes they overdo the matter.
Thus in the temples of Karnac the col
umns seem to me too large and too much
crowded for the best effect. Small trees
may be planted in dense grove, but
great, broad-spreading oaks or elms re-
quire space around them; and if these
columns were little more spaced-to use
a printers word-the architectural effect
would be still grander. So in the Egyp-
tian sculpture everything is colossal. In
the granite lions and sphinxes there is
always an aspect of power in repose which
is very impressive, and strikes one with
awe. But in the lighter work, such as
fresco and bas reliefs, there is a total
absence of delicacy and grace. Nothing
can be more stiff. They sometimes have
rude force of drawing, but beauty they
have none. That was born in Greece.
All the scultures on all the temples of
Egypt are not worth-except as histori-
cal monuments-the friezes of the Par
thenon.-Gr. Field, in Evangelist.