ИСТИНА

The paper presents an interpretation for a part of the Egyptian royal protocol names compiled for Alexander the Great – the so-called Horus’ name postulating his identity to the falcon-god of the sun and the sky Horus. Its two versions are: mk-Kmt (“Defender-of-Egypt”; Luxor) and ḥqȝ-qnw tkn-ḫȝswt (“Brave ruler, trampling on foreign countries”; Karnak) with shortenings ḥqȝ-qnw (“Brave ruler”; Karnak, Hermopolis) and qnw (“Brave”; Hermopolis; see for the synopsis: Bosch-Puche 2013, 132-133). There is a reason to believe that the bark-shrine at Luxor bearing the former variant of the title is the earliest building of Alexander’s time in Egypt; while the attestation of the latter variant at Hermopolis, aside with the titles of Philip Arrhidaeus proves that it was retained for Alexander till the end of his reign. As for the respective meanings of these names, the former, “Defender of Egypt”, fits really well the alleged image of Alexander in Egypt at his invading the country and putting the end to the Second Persian Domination. The full form of the second name employed the verb tkn (“to approach with hostility”; Wb. V. 334. 7), which defines an action that must have a prospect of success but is still inconclusive. Probably, it must have been compiled before Alexander’s decisive victories in 331 and 330 B.C.; and one might believe it to allude to the future victory over Persians predicted to him at Egypt by the Milesian oracles and, probably, at Siwa (FgrH 124. F. 14a; Fredricksmeyer 1991, 202). Thus, the Horus’ names of Alexander seem to reflect rather neatly the nuances of his “war propaganda” and at the same time put his military effort in connection with the might of the Egyptian royal god.