The Adaptation of the Egyptian Royal Ideology under Darius I: The Intertwined Iconography of a Sema Tawy Motif Scene in the Temple of Hibis, Kharga Oasis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/21860Keywords:
iconography, sema tawy, Darius I, Egyptian ideology, unification, Temple of HibisAbstract
This iconographical study examines the sema tawy motif scene in Room L in the Temple of Hibis constructed during Achaemenid Persian rule over Egypt at the Kharga Oasis in Egypt. The complex and multilayered sema tawy motif scene incorporates three parts into a unified composition: Darius I seated on a block throne with a sema tawy motif in the lower back corner, Horus and Thoth pulling the national plants around the smꜣ-sign that functions as a podium for the enthroned Darius I, and two fecundity figures kneeling on either side of the national plants. This study analyses the elements that accompany the Temple of Hibis scene to show how the addition of such elements elevates the iconography of the sema tawy motif. The sema tawy motif on the throne base and as a podium for Darius I during Achaemenid Persian rule over Egypt functioned as a symbol of power over the unification of the Two Lands. The Horus–Thoth pair and the fecundity figures further expanded the definition of unification to encompass the four cardinal directions and foreign regions. The composition in the Temple of Hibis, therefore, reveals that the Egyptian royal ideology was adapted to encompass the Achaemenid Persian Empire to legitimise the authority of Darius I as a foreign ruler.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Unisa PressAccepted 2026-07-09
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