Marble head of Zeus Ammon, datable to the Roman Imperial Period (abou
120-160 A.D.), now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
The oracle located in the Siwa Oasis, in the western Egyptian desert,
was regarded by Egyptians as the voice of the god Amun-Ra. When Alexander
the Great conquered Egypt, he wanted to reach the oasis and consult
the oracle, that confirmed him as son of the god Amun and thus legitimate
king of the country. After this episode the Greeks identified the oracle
with their own supreme deity, Zeus, under the name of Zeus Ammon, which
subsequently the Romans adopted as Iuppiter Ammon. The god presents
the typical attributes of the Greek Zeus: bearded, with thick hair,
but also with the horns of a ram, attribute of the Egyptian god Amun.
The assimilation of the Egyptian deities with the Greek ones encouraged
good relations between the local population and the new rulers, on the
other hand legitimizing the new king’s power as recognized successor
of the pharaohs. On his part, Alexander took on himself the title of
“Son of Zeus Ammon”, and wanted to be portrayed on coins
with his head garnished by the horns of a ram.
[Image: http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/257864?img=1]