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City of the Ram-Man: The Story of Ancient Mendes
A richly illustrated history that sheds light on ancient Egypt across the millennia
In this richly illustrated book, renowned archaeologist Donald Redford draws on the latest discoveries―including many of his own―to tell the story of the ancient Egyptian city of Mendes, home of the mysterious cult of the "fornicating ram who mounts the beauties." Excavation by Redford and his colleagues over the past two decades has cast a flood of light on this strange center of worship and political power located in the Nile Delta. A sweeping chronological account filled with photographs, drawings, and informative sidebars, City of the Ram-Man is the first history of Mendes written for general readers.
Founded in the remote prehistoric past, inhabited continuously for 5,000 years, and abandoned only in the first-century BC, Mendes is a microcosm of ancient Egyptian history. City of the Ram-Man tells the city's full story―from its founding, through its development of a great society and its brief period as the capital of Egypt, up to its final decline. Central to the story is millennia of worship dedicated to the lascivious ram-god. The book describes the discoveries of the great temple of the ram and the "Mansion of the Rams," where the embalmed bodies of the avatars of the god were buried. It also discusses ancient Greek reports that these ram-gods occasionally ritually fornicated with women.
Vividly written and informed throughout by Redford's intimate knowledge of the remains of Mendes, City of the Ram-Man is a unique account of a long-lost monument of Egyptian history, religion, and culture.
In this richly illustrated book, renowned archaeologist Donald Redford draws on the latest discoveries―including many of his own―to tell the story of the ancient Egyptian city of Mendes, home of the mysterious cult of the "fornicating ram who mounts the beauties." Excavation by Redford and his colleagues over the past two decades has cast a flood of light on this strange center of worship and political power located in the Nile Delta. A sweeping chronological account filled with photographs, drawings, and informative sidebars, City of the Ram-Man is the first history of Mendes written for general readers.
Founded in the remote prehistoric past, inhabited continuously for 5,000 years, and abandoned only in the first-century BC, Mendes is a microcosm of ancient Egyptian history. City of the Ram-Man tells the city's full story―from its founding, through its development of a great society and its brief period as the capital of Egypt, up to its final decline. Central to the story is millennia of worship dedicated to the lascivious ram-god. The book describes the discoveries of the great temple of the ram and the "Mansion of the Rams," where the embalmed bodies of the avatars of the god were buried. It also discusses ancient Greek reports that these ram-gods occasionally ritually fornicated with women.
Vividly written and informed throughout by Redford's intimate knowledge of the remains of Mendes, City of the Ram-Man is a unique account of a long-lost monument of Egyptian history, religion, and culture.
- GenresHistoryEgyptArchaeology
264 pages, Hardcover
First published August 5, 2010
1 person is currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Donald B. Redford
33 books34 followersDonald Bruce Redford was a Canadian Egyptologist, archaeologist, and Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies at Pennsylvania State University; he retired in 2024. Redford directed a number of important excavations in Egypt, notably at Karnak and Mendes.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 16, 2013
Redford's "City of the Ram-Man" is choc-full of excellent information concerning Delta region History. It centers around the history of Djedet (Mendes) specifically, if the title didn't give it away, but discusses Djedet within the greater scheme of Egyptian History and Ancient Near Eastern History. Lesser-known deities such as Hatmehyt and Banebdjedet are also discussed, along with revelatory analyses of aspects of Egyptian Theology not often approached. Redford also participated in the excavations of the site he predominately writes about, so he has a lot more to offer his audience than a simple "armchair Historian." While I don't agree with all of Redford's conclusions, I respect the quality of his writing, sources, and his expertise, which are clearly demonstrated in the text. The tome has become a frequently-consulted reference in my library of ANE texts.
Redford writes with enthusiasm, but the read is nevertheless dry. I am quite fond of historical texts, and I don't slave to get through most, but this one took me weeks and weeks to read. The content was absolutely fascinating, but something about the way the text was composed made it hard to read in a timely fashion.
It is written at a post-graduate level, so I would not recommend this book to anyone not familiar with the language and structure of academic texts.
Redford writes with enthusiasm, but the read is nevertheless dry. I am quite fond of historical texts, and I don't slave to get through most, but this one took me weeks and weeks to read. The content was absolutely fascinating, but something about the way the text was composed made it hard to read in a timely fashion.
It is written at a post-graduate level, so I would not recommend this book to anyone not familiar with the language and structure of academic texts.
January 11, 2018
Professor Redford is a well-established expert in Egyptology and archeology. I have no doubt that everything written in this book is factually accurate. My rating is based upon the book's presentation and writing. Redford writes early on that the book is intended for the layman, student, and scholar. Instead, the book alternates styles to address each of these respective audiences.
The book begins with nomads crossing a desert and settling in the marshy delta to found the town that would become known as Mendes. Redford goes on to discuss artifacts uncovered that support the growth of the settlement. So far so good. Then he dives into strata, stria, trenches, and other archeological terms that are not defined are clearly presented. It would have helped considerably if Redford had included a brief primer on Egyptian archeology.
Redford does follow a chronological pattern in keeping with his stated goal of telling the story of Mendes. He is able to distinguish artifacts between thousands of years of history which is impressive; but the story-line does become jagged due to the difficulty of artifacts that do not have a ready date stamp. Redford fills in these gaps with a broader history of Egypt. Scholars can follow this much more easily than laypersons or students. For example, the second chapter is entitled The Advent of Horus. Most laypersons and students can identify Horus from the Egyptian Pantheon. Why is Horus introduced before Djet (the Ram)? It takes some reading before readers can realize that Horus refers to the first pharaohs, not the god Horus.
Along a similar line, Redford discusses the Ram towards the end of the book. This is awkward considering the focus of their excavations is usually around the cult structures. The explanation that Mendes was the place where a dismembered Osiris left his back and penis. And the locals decided to venerate this mythology by focusing on the later with the lascivious ram. Then, the cult gets weird with "the Ram who mounts the beauties." This is probably the only spot where Redford makes some discussion. He clarifies that it is unlikely that the Ram mounted human beauties even though that was a common art motif at Mendes and attested by the Greeks. Redford quickly steers the dialogue back to the archeological record.
The overall chronological narrative was not very clear partly because of the different ways to spell names, new discoveries, and how to simplify the chaos of the later dynasties. In several places Redford summarizes for his readers that the pharaoh might just be the ruler of Mendes - such as the 29th and 30th dynasties. It is not clear how much territory they ruled; but their names are inscribed on the pharaoh lists. I have found other books on Egyptian history to be more clearly written.
The chaos of the 8th - 6th Centuries BC are well established in the book. This all comes from the later chapters where the archeological record is more accommodating. Redford has brilliantly reconstructed the fate of the temple complex of Mendes during this time. He also belies the myth of Persian forgiveness by demonstrating Persian retaliation for revolts that included Mendes. The fate of Mendes may be a more apt title than the story of Mendes. Then the story suddenly ends. Within a few pages, the summary of decline races through Christian and Muslim times as the settlement shifted away from Mendes and to nearby Thmuis.
Lastly, the book is very nicely illustrated. Photographs, reconstructions, art, and details of archeological excavations support the text. Many of these show the original record of how Redford can date events and construct his narrative. In some cases there are illusions to further developments that are barely covered in the book such as the Ram mounting a beauty or the Byzantine reuse of a temenos wall. I think the illustrations were one of the strengths of the book.
Overall, I am reluctant to recommend the book. Redford's imminence not withstanding, the writing is not for casual readers. The story of Mendes is really specific to that city even though Redford does try to make it an illustration of a broader Egyptian or Delta historical narrative. In the introduction, Redford says that they have so much information they can tell the story, or part of the story. That is partially true as the excavations appear to overwhelmingly focus on the temple complex of the ram. There was very little discussion of residential, industrial, or commercial neighborhoods in Mendes. While not as significant, they should be able to offer estimation on population. It just seems that the story is not complete.
The book begins with nomads crossing a desert and settling in the marshy delta to found the town that would become known as Mendes. Redford goes on to discuss artifacts uncovered that support the growth of the settlement. So far so good. Then he dives into strata, stria, trenches, and other archeological terms that are not defined are clearly presented. It would have helped considerably if Redford had included a brief primer on Egyptian archeology.
Redford does follow a chronological pattern in keeping with his stated goal of telling the story of Mendes. He is able to distinguish artifacts between thousands of years of history which is impressive; but the story-line does become jagged due to the difficulty of artifacts that do not have a ready date stamp. Redford fills in these gaps with a broader history of Egypt. Scholars can follow this much more easily than laypersons or students. For example, the second chapter is entitled The Advent of Horus. Most laypersons and students can identify Horus from the Egyptian Pantheon. Why is Horus introduced before Djet (the Ram)? It takes some reading before readers can realize that Horus refers to the first pharaohs, not the god Horus.
Along a similar line, Redford discusses the Ram towards the end of the book. This is awkward considering the focus of their excavations is usually around the cult structures. The explanation that Mendes was the place where a dismembered Osiris left his back and penis. And the locals decided to venerate this mythology by focusing on the later with the lascivious ram. Then, the cult gets weird with "the Ram who mounts the beauties." This is probably the only spot where Redford makes some discussion. He clarifies that it is unlikely that the Ram mounted human beauties even though that was a common art motif at Mendes and attested by the Greeks. Redford quickly steers the dialogue back to the archeological record.
The overall chronological narrative was not very clear partly because of the different ways to spell names, new discoveries, and how to simplify the chaos of the later dynasties. In several places Redford summarizes for his readers that the pharaoh might just be the ruler of Mendes - such as the 29th and 30th dynasties. It is not clear how much territory they ruled; but their names are inscribed on the pharaoh lists. I have found other books on Egyptian history to be more clearly written.
The chaos of the 8th - 6th Centuries BC are well established in the book. This all comes from the later chapters where the archeological record is more accommodating. Redford has brilliantly reconstructed the fate of the temple complex of Mendes during this time. He also belies the myth of Persian forgiveness by demonstrating Persian retaliation for revolts that included Mendes. The fate of Mendes may be a more apt title than the story of Mendes. Then the story suddenly ends. Within a few pages, the summary of decline races through Christian and Muslim times as the settlement shifted away from Mendes and to nearby Thmuis.
Lastly, the book is very nicely illustrated. Photographs, reconstructions, art, and details of archeological excavations support the text. Many of these show the original record of how Redford can date events and construct his narrative. In some cases there are illusions to further developments that are barely covered in the book such as the Ram mounting a beauty or the Byzantine reuse of a temenos wall. I think the illustrations were one of the strengths of the book.
Overall, I am reluctant to recommend the book. Redford's imminence not withstanding, the writing is not for casual readers. The story of Mendes is really specific to that city even though Redford does try to make it an illustration of a broader Egyptian or Delta historical narrative. In the introduction, Redford says that they have so much information they can tell the story, or part of the story. That is partially true as the excavations appear to overwhelmingly focus on the temple complex of the ram. There was very little discussion of residential, industrial, or commercial neighborhoods in Mendes. While not as significant, they should be able to offer estimation on population. It just seems that the story is not complete.
August 11, 2017
Congratulations to the author Donald B. Redford!
One of the best book on the subject of Ancient City of Mendes!
This book goes into details of the history of this important ancient Egyptian city! A must have book!
Bravo!
Ramiro Mendes
Artist | Author | Musician and Humanitarian.
Co-Author of SOUND—The Fabric of Soul, Consciousness, Reality, and the Cosmos.
Sound: The Fabric of Soul, Consciousness, Reality, and the Cosmos
One of the best book on the subject of Ancient City of Mendes!
This book goes into details of the history of this important ancient Egyptian city! A must have book!
Bravo!
Ramiro Mendes
Artist | Author | Musician and Humanitarian.
Co-Author of SOUND—The Fabric of Soul, Consciousness, Reality, and the Cosmos.
Sound: The Fabric of Soul, Consciousness, Reality, and the Cosmos
June 23, 2019
Perfectly fine however it’s very dry - and its not as powerful as his other work
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews