HADRIAN AT ABU SIMBEL

HADRIAN made his way south from Philae into what is called the Dodekaschoinos or the Land of the Twelve Measures, roughly equivalent to 72 miles, which the Greeks called Ethiopia.

First conquered Rameses II, it was later lost to the Egyptians and then later reconquered by the Ptolemies.  Shortly after Egypt was occupied by the Romans, the Queen of Kush named Candace invaded Egypt and sacked Syene.

Augustus sent Gaius Petronius with 10,000 men against her, they defeated her army of 30,000 and pursued them all the way to the capital city Meroe deep in modern Sudan, burning the city to the ground.

Rome made peace with the tribes and held the upper Nile from a fortress known as Primis, now called Qsar Ibrim, situated high on a cliff overlooking the Nile.

This was the furthest outpost of Rome  in the south and so Hadrian always wanting to see the limits of his Empire with his own eyes made the trip to see the southern boundary. He met with the tribal chieftains, distributing gifts and renewing peace, thereby securing stability for centuries to come.

Located about 30 miles further south from Primis is the Temple of Abu Simbel, built by Rameses II at the gateway of Egypt for the people of Nubia to behold the grandeur of Egyptian might.

The temple is aligned so that on February 22nd the first rays of dawn penetrate the inner chamber and illuminate the statues of the gods within.

It is likely that Hadrian, who is known for making arduous trips to witness celestial events and was in the area at the right time, would have made the journey to Abu Simbel to see the miraculous alignment.

Above the door of the temple is the god Re-Harakte, to whom Antinous addresses his prayers in the Obelisk text.

The sun appeared on the horizon aligned with the Constellation Aquila as Hadrian entered the temple corridor and witnessed the rays illuminating the gods upon their thrones deep within.

Hadrian became part of the alignment of the Clockwork of the Cosmos, as the sign of Aquarius comes to an end and the Eagle carries Ganymede into the heavens.

The spirit of Antinous stepped forth, away from the Saturnine Sphere and entered the great expanse of interstellar darkness beyond.  On that same day, Hadrian turned around and began the long trip back to Rome.  

AVE ANTINOUS!