Sphinx of Ramses II: Art, Power, and Egyptian Propaganda

Introduction

Ramses II was the third pharaoh of the 19th dynasty in the New Kingdom era. He ruled ancient Egypt from 1279 to 1213 BCE. While Ramses launched wars against the Hittites and the Libyans, what he is most known for today is his extensive building programs and the many statues of him in and around Egypt. One of these is the Sphinx of Ramses II.

Relevant Features of the Sphinx

The Sphinx of Ramses II was carved from a single block of red granite. It was made to resemble the body of a lion and the head of a man. The sphinx was an important symbol in ancient Egypt: it signified unity between the royal and the divine, and it suggested that the pharaoh possessed divine powers of protection. The sphinx represents the combination of human intelligence (the human head) and great strength and power (the lion's body) (Penn Museum, "The Granite Sphinx of Ramses II"). The union of human and lion in the sphinx was Ramses's declaration that his intellect and attributes were superior to those of ordinary men, and also that he was present to protect his people from harm. This was an important message at a time when he was simultaneously waging wars against other civilizations. The sphinx could therefore be described as a form of ancient Egyptian propaganda meant to comfort the Egyptian people during wartime (Simpson 1982: 266). In the Sphinx of Ramses II, Egyptians were meant to see the power of their pharaoh.

The granite sphinx measures approximately 362 cm in length and 145 cm in width — or about 14 feet long and 6 feet wide and tall — and is estimated to weigh about 13 tons. Transporting this massive piece was an extraordinary challenge. It was moved to the Penn Museum in 1916, three years after its excavation from a site near the Ptah Temple by W. M. Flinders Petrie (Penn Museum, "The Granite Sphinx of Ramses II"). The Penn Museum states that it is the "4th largest sphinx outside of Egypt and largest in the western hemisphere" ("Land of the Pharaohs").

We know it is the Sphinx of Ramses II because his name is carved into the base of the sculpture. That base was preserved from the effects of time because, for centuries, the majority of the sculpture lay buried in sand. Only part of the sphinx's face was exposed to the elements, which explains why the facial details have faded — time and weather acted upon that portion most severely, while the rest was found buried to its shoulders. The facial features eroded due to windblown sand, but the writing on the sphinx remained safely preserved beneath the surface. However, as Wegner points out in his study of the sphinx, it was most likely sculpted for a different pharaoh hundreds of years earlier and simply adopted by Ramses II, who had his own name inscribed upon it (Leong 2016). Ramses II probably had the older sphinx retouched and recarved, dedicating it to his own kingship for political purposes.

Egyptian Historical Context

Why would Ramses II do that? At the time the Sphinx of Ramses II was, in a sense, "born again," Egypt was at war — alternately with Syrians, Hittites, Nubians, and Libyans (Rice 1999: 166). Ramses II was constantly at war, and it likely gave his people a sense of confidence to see the Sphinx of Ramses. It would be comparable to today's governments displaying images of national symbols in patriotic settings. Such imagery inspires people and gives them hope and comfort. It was probably much the same for the Egyptians thousands of years ago. Wars can be difficult to endure, and they can take a psychological toll on any people. The pharaoh probably saw a need to recycle the old sphinx, adopt it for himself, refurbish it somewhat, and place it near the temple where Egyptians went to worship. In this way, Egyptians would associate the divine with the pharaoh and would not feel as though they were being led by an ordinary man like themselves.

Ramses II was considered a great king and contributed much to the Egyptian people. He is also known, however, as the pharaoh who kept the Hebrews enslaved despite the warnings of Moses. For the Egyptians themselves, Ramses II was great — so great that many kings who followed him adopted the name Ramses, much as ancient Roman rulers took the title of Caesar after Julius Caesar's death. They wanted to associate themselves with that ruler's greatness. Had Ramses II been a despised or ineffective king, no ruler would have wished to adopt his name; history shows clearly that nearly a dozen kings honored him by doing exactly that. Ramses II himself seems to have been keenly aware of his own greatness, as he left behind many memorials in his name. Art in Egypt thus reflects not only the cultural beliefs about kings and the religion of the people, but also the degree to which a powerful king thought highly of himself. He wanted to be remembered by all — and monumental art represents monumental power. The Sphinx of Ramses II is certainly an example of art on a grand scale.

Conclusion

The sphinx represented the power of Ramses, the Egyptian king of his era. His principal responsibility was to protect his people and to defeat his enemies. Since his Egyptians were engaged in multiple wars simultaneously, communicating this message was essential. The inscription on the chest of the sphinx made it unmistakable, in case the powerful symbol of the man-lion did not suffice: Ramses was there to protect them. He was the lord of the land, and would live forever.

Bibliography

Leong, Jeanne. "The Journey From Egypt to Philadelphia of the Penn Museum's Sphinx." Penn Today, 2016. https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/journey-egypt-philadelphia-penn-museum-s-sphinx

Penn Museum. "Land of the Pharaohs." Highlights of the Penn Museum's Egyptian Galleries.

Penn Museum. "The Granite Sphinx of Ramses II."

Rice, Michael. Who's Who in Ancient Egypt. Routledge, 1999.

Simpson, William Kelly. "Egyptian Sculpture and Two-Dimensional Representation as Propaganda." The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 68.1 (1982): 266–271.