Relic of Harpocrates, the god of secrecy and silence, found at Silchester

Guardian UK ^ | Friday 16 July 2010 | Maev Kennedy

[SunkenCiv]

Archaeological dig at abandoned Roman city in Hampshire yields earliest representation of an Egyptian deity found in Britain... A battered and corroded thumb -- sized piece of bronze has turned out to be a unique find, the earliest representation of an Egyptian deity from any site in Britain -- and appropriately, after almost 2,000 years hidden in the ground, it is Harpocrates, the god of secrecy and silence. The little figure was found at Silchester, site of an abandoned Roman city in Hampshire, in last summer's excavation, but his identity was only revealed in months of careful conservation work. His Greek and Roman designation as Harpocrates, the god of spymasters, is actually a transcription error. "In Egyptian mythology the figure is known as Horus, the child of Isis and Osiris," said Professor Mike Fulford of the University of Reading, director of the Silchester excavation. "He is often shown with his finger in his mouth, a gesture that in Egypt represented the hieroglyph for his name, but was misinterpreted by the Greeks and Romans, resulting in his adoption as the god of silence and secrecy."

[SunkenCiv]

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[SunkenCiv]

whoops, wrong template file. [blush]

[sinanju]

Kinda funny that. Them Romans bought their gods out of the remainder bin.

Ah well, spies need a deity too. Even if he was a bit garbled in translation.

[BenLurkin]

So, what’s he have to say for himself?

[Onelifetogive]

The famous Harpocrates...

[Young Werther]

I don't want to harp on this post but....

Silent and Secretive!

[Fast Moving Angel]

Beat me to it. I was wondering if he was the brother of Grouchocrates, Gummocrates and Zeppocrates.

[colorado tanker]

Harpocrates and his High Priests, dressed in the sacred robes.

[SunkenCiv]

secrecy and silence, and people wonder why it took so long to find the thing.

[SunkenCiv]

He’s the Cal Coolidge of ancient deities.

[SunkenCiv]

The Romans first encountered Harpocrates in the Kingdom of Lydia, oh Lydia...

[colorado tanker]

You can learn a lot from Lydia!

[SunkenCiv]

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