Horus, Coptos

(715 – 332 BC.). The falcon god Horus is one of the oldest, most well-known Egyptian gods. As early as in pre-dynastic times (the fourth millennium B.C.) cosmic powers were ascribed to the falcon. In the very complex world of the Eyptian gods, the falcon subsequently continued to occupy a prominent role, although its position and meaning varied according to place and time. The statue dates back to the Late Period, a turbulent time in which the already divided Egypt was captured by the Persians. These were subsequently driven out bij Alexander the great, who made Egypt part of the Hellenic empire. The falcon was found in Coptos, an important town in Upper Egypt, whence trading routes departed towards the red Sea. One of the inlaid ivory eyes has been lost.