Trajan Offering to Hathor, Dendera Relief

What it is

This carved sandstone relief comes from the birth house at the temple complex of Dendera in Upper Egypt, built during Roman rule. It shows the emperor Trajan dressed in traditional pharaonic costume, offering to the goddess Hathor, who is shown nursing her son Ihy. A photograph of the relief was taken in 1989.

Why it matters

Roman emperors who ruled Egypt were often shown in Egyptian temples dressed as pharaohs, continuing a tradition thousands of years old. This relief shows how Trajan's image was adapted to fit local religious customs, blending Roman power with Egyptian tradition.

Look closer

• Why would Roman rulers want to be shown as Egyptian pharaohs in local temples?
• What does the mixing of Roman and Egyptian imagery tell us about ruling a diverse empire?
• What might local Egyptian worshippers have thought seeing a Roman emperor shown this way?