The day when MEMNON sang to HADRIAN

Novembre 21st 130 AD


Hadrian and Sabina were both in Egypt for about 3 months, continuing their exploration of this important part of the Empire despite the recent and tragic death of Antinous, the Emperor's favorite. They now arrived at Thebes, the former capital of Egypt, where they visited the Colossi of Memnon, two enormous stone statues of the pharaoh Amenhotep III. Including the stone platforms on which they stand – themselves about 13 ft – the colossi reach a towering 60 feet in height and weigh an estimated 720 tons each. The northern statue had the reputation to "sing" on various occasions – always within an hour or two of sunrise, usually right at dawn. The earliest report in literature is that of the Greek historian Strabo, who claimed to have heard the sound during a visit in 20 BC, by which time it apparently was already well known. The legend of the "Singing Memnon", the luck that hearing it was reputed to bring, and the reputation of the statue's oracular powers became known outside of Egypt, explaining the reason why many Emperors visited the place. Scientists and researchers think that the cause of the sound was due to a rise in heat and humidity, playing off one large, cracked stone.



Anyway, on November 21st, Hadrian and his wife were there and they clearly heard the statue sing ! The Imperial couple was accompanied by Julia Balbilla, a court poet and friend of Hadrian and also companion or lady in waiting to Sabina. Balbilla inscribed three epigrams in Aeolic Greek, known as 'epigrammata', on the legs of the Colossi of Memnon. Here they are :


When with the August Sabina I Stood Before Memnon:


Memnon, son of Aurora and holy Tithon,

seated before Thebes, city of Zeus,

or Amenoth, Egyptian King, as learned.

Priests recount from ancient stories,

greetings, and singing, welcome her kindly,

the August wife of the emperor Hadrian.

A barbarian man cut off your tongue and ears:

Impious Cambyses; but he paid the penalty,

with a wretched death struck by the same sword point

with which pitiless he slew the divine Apis.

But I do not believe that this statue of yours will perish,

I saved your immortal spirit forever with my mind.

For my parents were noble, and my grandfathers,

the wise Balbillus and Antiochus the king.


When on the first day

We didn't hear Memnon:


Yesterday Memnon received [Hadrian's] wife in silence,

so that the beautiful Sabina might come back here again.

For the lovely form of our queen pleases you.

When she arrives, send forth a divine shout,

so the king won't be angry with you. As it is now,

you've fearlessly detained for too long his noble wedded wife.

And Memnon, trembling at the power of Hadrian,

suddenly spoke, and she rejoiced to hear it.


P.S.: About 70 years later, the Emperor Septimius Severus visited the famous Colossi of Memnon to hear the singing of the statue; he heard nothing...


So in memory of this event, please show us your coins related to Hadrian, Sabina, Egypt or whatever you like !

Hadrian drachm Alexandria
130-131 AD 33 mm 22.30g
Hadrian greeted by Alexandria

 

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I visited Egypt and saw the Memnon statues , didn't hear them
thanks for the write up, Ocatarine

 

HADRIAN, Sestertius
Rome, 136
S 3572 v. - C 110 - RIC 838
HADRIANVS AVG COS III PP, Bare head right
AEGYPTOS, Aegyptos reclining left, holding sistrum; at his feet, ibis standing right

 

I visited as well. I like the oracle at Siwa Oasis better, though.

 

Cool story, I had never heard of that one before. Here are a couple of Hadrian tets from Egypt:


Hadrian, Alexandria, BI Tetradrachm (24 mm, 12.68 g), 137/8 AD. Laureate head r./ Rev.Pronoia standing front, head to l., holding Phoenix in her right hand and scepter in her left. RPC III 6252.

Hadrian, Alexandria, BI Tetradrachm, 136-137 AD (24.5mm., 13.20g). Laureate head of Hadrian r./ Rev. Demeter wearing peplos standing l. holding corn-ears and sceptre.

 

I didn’t hear them when I visited Egypt, but planning to go there again. Who knows
My Egypt travel coin ....



Hadrian, denarius.
Travel series issue.
18x19 mm 3,11 g.
Obv. HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, laureate head right.
Rev. NILVS, Nilus reclining right on urn, holding cornucopiae, hippopotamus standing left, crocodile left below.
RIC II 310; RSC 991.

 

Great post - I've seen some sources claiming that the repairs under Septimius Severus stopped the statue from "singing." Others that it sings still

Last year I found some Roman Egyptian uglies in my local dealer's $2 junk box (!). One of them thwarted my attribution attempts, both are homely:


Hadrian Æ Hemidrachm?
(Year 14 / 129-130 A.D.)
Alexandria Mint
AYT KAI TPAI AΔPIA CEB, laureate,draped and cuirassed bust right / LI - Δ Isis Pharia standing right, holding sistrum and billowing sail.
RPC III 5748; Dattari 1753 (?).
(Lightweight forgery or Diobol? Fake?)
(7.79 grams / 27 mm)

Attribution Note:
Weight is light for hemidrachms of this era, but about right for a diobol. No diobols of this type are listed for Hadrian. Light tetradrachm? Fake?

Provenance Note: Flip stated "Found in Egypt 1972"

Here's the other one:



Hadrian Billon Tetradrachm
(Year 10 / 125-126 A.D.)
Alexandria Mint
AYT KAI TPAI AΔPIA CEB, laureate,draped and cuirassed bust right / LΔE-KATOY, bust of Selene right, crowned with crescent on taenia.
(9.50 grams / 24 mm)

Attribution Note:
RPC III, 5595 tetradrachm:
Average diameter 24 mm
Average weight 8.98 g
Specimens 14
https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/5595 9/17/2019
RCV (2002) 3728; Dattari 1482; Milne 1109; Geissen 916

Provenance Note: Cardboard flip stated "Found in Egypt 1972"

 

Here they are when I visited a couple years ago:


and here's an antinous struck in alexandria:

 

I learned of these on History's Ancient Aliens program. Thanks for posting them.

 

Nice write-up again, thank you! Here are coins of Hadrian related to Egypt. All 'travel series' of course. I don't have coins of Sabina.