Cleopatra's Needles and other Egyptian Obelisks

Cleopatra’s Needle and Other Egyptian Obelisks by E. A. Wallis Budge was published by the Religious Tract Society in 1926 and reprinted by Dover in 1990 and by Kessinger in 2003 and 2010. This old book is still interesting and valuable.

Ernest Alfred Wallis Budge (1857-1934) was a well-known British orientalist: Keeper of the Assyrian and Egyptian Department of the British Museum 1894-1924 and the author of several books about ancient history.

In his preface he explains: “This volume … is intended to replace the little book ‘Cleopatra’s Needle’ written by the late Rev. James King” and published towards the end of the 19 century.

The main text is divided into two parts:

The first part covers the same ground as King’s book. The author gives a general presentation of the ancient Egyptian obelisk and explains how the obelisk known as Cleopatra’s Needle was moved to London and erected on the Embankment of the River Thames.

The second part gives a lot more than we find in King’s book. The author presents all the important Egyptian obelisks. Some of them are still in Egypt, while others were exported to foreign lands. There are more than ten in Rome, while there is one in Paris, one in Constantinople (today Istanbul) and one in New York. The presentation includes the inscriptions found on the obelisks, generally arranged in such a way that the Egyptian hieroglyphs and the English translations are printed on the same page.

A brief bibliography and an index are placed at the end of the book. The text is illustrated with 22 drawings and 17 black-and-white photos.

In King’s book the hieroglyphs are printed in a vertical line, exactly as they appear on the ancient monument, going from top to bottom. Moreover, the hieroglyphs are explained one by one, so the reader can see how the English translation is created (step by step). This system is very helpful, very pedagogical.

Unfortunately, Wallis Budge often has another approach: in his book the hieroglyphs are usually printed in horizontal lines, going from left to right. Moreover, the hieroglyphs are not explained one by one; instead there is a large block of hieroglyphs (five, six or seven lines) followed by an English translation of this block. This means that the reader cannot see how the translation is created.

Some sections are more successful than others. One of the most successful is the section about the obelisk of Hatshepsut (pp. 98-124), which includes four full-page drawings of the vignettes on the upper part of the obelisk. The long inscription on the base of the obelisk is quoted in full. The lines of hieroglyphs are numbered (from 1 to 32), and these numbers are repeated in the English translation, so the reader can compare one with the other.

Perhaps the least successful is the section about the speech of Amen-Ra (pp. 130-142). The lines of hieroglyphs are numbered (from 1 to 25), but these numbers are not repeated in the English translation, so it is almost impossible for the reader to compare one with the other.

This text is also found in First Steps in Egyptian: A Book for Beginners written by Wallis Budge and published in 1895 (pp. 156-167). And what a surprise it is to go back in time: in this book the hieroglyphs are explained one by one, exactly as they should be.

Wallis Budge is an expert who knows his topic very well, but sometimes he is a bit careless with the details. Here are some examples:

(1) In his preface (page viii) he claims King visited Egypt and Palestine in 1878. But according to King, his journey took place in 1877.

(2) The caption to Plate II facing page 42 says: “Scaffold built by Fontana for the removal of the obelisk from the Circus Maximus to the Piazza of St. Peter, Rome.” In fact, this obelisk was moved from the Circus of Caligula, as explained in the text (pp. 41-42).

(3) On page 48 we are told: “… in 1836 [the French engineer] Le Bas was deputed to go out and dismount the obelisk chosen by Champollion and … re-erect it in Paris.” In fact, this obelisk was transported to Paris in 1833. It was erected in the Place de la Concorde in 1836. [The correct dates appear on pp. 195-196.]

(4) On page 167 we are told an Egyptian obelisk was “transported … to New York and set up in 1880 in the Central Park by Lieut.-Commander H. H. Gorringe.” In fact, this obelisk was taken down in 1879, transported to the US in 1880, and erected in Central Park in 1881. [The correct dates appear in a footnote on page 55.]

(5) On page 182 we are told Augustus conquered Egypt in “AUC 731 = 23 BC.” In fact, the conquest of Egypt took place in AUC 724 = 30 BC.

(6) Egyptian Obelisks by Lieutenant-Commander Henry H. Gorringe is mentioned several times; each time we are told this book was published in 1885. But the correct date is 1882.

Sometimes Wallis Budge does not give us the whole story: the obelisk standing next to San Giovanni in Laterano (St. John Lateran) in Rome is presented on pp. 143-159. All four sides of the base are decorated with a Latin inscription. The author quotes only two of them (north and west). The other two (south and east) are not quoted, and the two which are quoted are not translated into English (pp. 151-152).

All four inscriptions are given - in Latin and in English - in Tyler Lansford, The Latin Inscriptions of Rome (2009) (pp. 226-231).

In spite of the flaws mentioned above, this old book by Wallis Budge is still interesting and valuable, because it provides an almost complete record of the inscriptions on the ancient Egyptian obelisks.

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E. A. Wallis Budge,

Cleopatra's Needles and Other Egyptian Obelisks,

The Religious Tract Society, 1926, Dover, 1990,

Kessinger, 2003 and 2010, 308 pages

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The facade of San Giovanni in Laterano (known in English as St. John Lateran),
the first Christian church in Rome, built 314-318,
during the reign of Constantine (306-337).

Detail of the facade.

The ancient monolith, known as the Lateran obelisk, is standing on a modern pedestal.
Today it is 32 m tall. In antiquity it was a bit taller. A Christian cross is placed
on top of it to show that the Christian religion (with one god) is stronger
than the pagan religion of ancient Egypt (with many gods).

Detail of the ancient Egyptian obelisk.

The modern pedestal is decorated with a Latin inscription on all four sides.
This picture shows the inscription on the east side (15 lines).

The Latin text:
FL CONSTANTIUS AUG / CONSTANTINI AUG F / OBELISCUM A PATRE / LOCO SUO MOTUM / DIVQ ALEXANDRIAE / IACENTEM / TRECENTORUM REMIGUM / IMPOSITUM NAVI / MIRANDAE VASTITATIS / PER MARE TIBERIMQ / MAGNIS MOLIBUS / ROMAM CONVECTUM / IN CIRCO MAX / PONENDUM / SPQR D D.

In English:
"Flavius Constantius Augustus, son of Flavius Constantine, gave to the Senate and People of Rome as a gift to be placed in the Circus Maximus the obelisk moved from its site by his father and long neglected at Alexandria, set aboard a 300-oared ship of astonishing size, by mighty labours
conveyed across the sea and up the Tiber to Rome."

In 1607 a fountain was placed at the foot of the ancient obelisk. It was built by Paul V,
who was pope 1605-1621. The fountain is decorated with an eagle
flanked by two dragons. This motive is borrowed
from the pope's coat of arms.

The ancient monolith weighs more than 450 tons. Today its height is 32 m.
If we add the modern pedestal below and the Christian cross on top,
the total height of the monument is 46 m.

The obelisk was commissioned by Thutmose III ca. 1450 BC. It was completed and erected
in the Karnak temple complex by his grandson Thutmose IV ca. 1400 BC.

Around AD 330 the obelisk was moved from Karnak to Alexandria where it was left for
several years. In AD 357 it was transported to Rome where it was
placed on the spina of the Circus Maximus. It was
erected in its present position in 1588.

Detail of the obelisk.

The modern pedestal is decorated with a Latin inscription on all four sides.
This picture shows the inscription on the south side (seven lines).

The Latin text:
CONSTANTINUS / PER CRUCEM / VICTOR / A S SILVESTER HIC /
BAPTIZATUS / CRUCIS GLORIAM / PROPAGAVIT.

In English:
"Constantine, through the cross victorious, baptized in this place by
Saint Silvester, furthered the glory of the cross."

The information given in this inscription is not true:
Constantine was not baptized by Saint Silvester at Rome.
Pope Sylvester died on 31 December 335. Constantine was baptized at
Nicomedia (today Izmit) by Eusebius on 22 May 337, just before his death.

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