New land, new people, new customs: Legitimizing a rule over Egypt
The Temple of Path was furbished for the occasion, flowers and silken banners adorned the shrine. Priests, shaven and wearing leopard pelts and linen tunics lined the way to the altar, singing chants and hymns in the honor of the Gods. Nesisti-Pedubast, the High Priest of Path, an office that had existed since immemorial times, wore linen robes, pure and white, and splendid jewels, holding a rod on his right hand.
The new King was doing the ceremonial run around the city; it was prospective that the pharaohs had to walk around the white walls of the city. The whole way was lined with cheering crowds. Public banquets were organized and wine, beer, ran like water, at the King's expense. The circumambulation of the walls of Memphis, celebrated with a ritual procession around the city, was performed to strengthen the king's right to the throne.
After a couple hours a retinue appeared; at its head a slender and tall man, athletic, fair hair, shining like molten gold. He was bare chested, wearing a linen skirt, belted at the waist. Gold sandals in his feet. He held a mace on his right hand. A leopard pelt wrapped his naked chest, a lion's tail hung from his waist, a symbol of force and strength.
The High Priest of Path met the King before the temple's gates. Two servants brought a chained man, swarthy and bearded, a Lybian, classic foe of the Egyptian land, other two brought a black man, a Nubian (a rebel), a third pair a Syrian (raider of caravans), a fourth a fair haired man (a Greek who dared to oppose the King's rule). They were tied together by the priest, while chants intensified. There, in front of the temple and an enormous crowd of Egyptians, Antigonus rose his mace and smashed the prisoners heads.
"Thy, the Sun of the Black Land, have smitten the enemies of the Maat, brought Peace and Justice to the blessed land"
Said loudly the High Priest of Path. A servant approached a offered the King a linen cloth and pure water to clear his arms. Then Antigonus followed the priests inside the Great Temple of Path, and its sancta-sanctorum, forbidden to the commoners' eyes. There he sat upon a golden throne. Two priest approached the King by right and left, one wearing a mask in the shape of a falcon and the other with one resembling a desert dog. Horus and Seth. They carried two crowns, one white and tall, one red and proud.
Amidst hymns of glorification and in front of Path's statue the Seth priest placed the red crown on his head:
"Now you are the Lord of the Lower Egypt, shall Wedjet protect you and grant you strenght"
The Horus priest placed upon his temples the white one.
"Now you are the Lord of the Upper Egypt, shall Nekhbet protect you and burn your enemies"
With the combined, double crown he rose from the golden throne.
"Now rise son of the Nile, son of Amun-Ra, God of Egypt, you of the Sedge and the Bee; Useermatre-Nebra Ramesse-Merynetjeru (the justice of Re is powerful, Horus Lord of the Sun, Ra bore him, beloved of the Gods)"
He was then offered the scepters of his office, the heqa and the was.
Antigonus then walked outside the temple in a solemn procession. The crowds were cheering madly to their newly crowned King. His fair hair and skin a clear contrast with the olive skin of the priests. Outside he rejoined with his retainers, Macedonians and Persians, clad in courtly attires, with white chlamys and hats to protect themselves from the morning sun. Hieratic and majestic he walked towards the palace. With these ceremonies, so strange in Hellenes' eyes Antigonus tried to please the populace. An obelisk was soon to be erected at Memphis and Alexandria, stelae would be erected all over the Lower Egypt. Antigonus also ordered that several temples shall be rebuilt and restored to their former glory, carved at their walls new scenes depicting the King worshiping the Egyptian gods, with hus full titulary and royal name, that would share space with those of the past pharaohs. Fabulous presents were sent to the Amun-Re High Priest at Karnak.
Tall, golden, proud, majestic, like the Sun God Antigonus knew his reign had truly begun. Antigonus I Epiphanes, God-Manifest.
ooc: Disclaimer= The Coronation of an Egyptian king might have lasted a whole year, we know several ceremonies, but not the order or how they really were, as some were sacred and private. I made up a coronation with the evidences we have and trying to make something fanciful and beliable; including the smiting of the enemy, the circumbalation of Memphis and the royal name.
ooc2: This is purely symbolic to please the locals.
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Originally Posted by Lucius Malfoy
