Isis-Thoeris at Karanis" A New Reading and Interpretation of a Painted Female Figure from Karanis | ||
| Shedet | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 30 October 2025 | ||
| Document Type: research articles | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/shedet.2025.402986.1315 | ||
| Author | ||
| Shaimaa Abdelmonem Abdelbary Ahmed* | ||
| Department of Greek and Roman Archaeology, Ain Shams University | ||
| Abstract | ||
| This study re-examines one of the women in the fresco discovered in House CIII in Karanis and re-reads the Pantheon of Karanis, previously interpreted by Cornelia Römer as a depiction of the goddess Leda, mother of the Dioscouri. The study begins with a critical examination of this interpretation, the absence of artistic and textual elements associated with Leda throughout the composition. The woman depicted is not accompanied by the attributes of Leda, lacking any inscription referring to Leda or the Dioscouri. The study relied on an analysis of the artistic and symbolic features of the female figure, such as the double-axe, the ritual staff, and the war attire, linking them to the symbols of the goddess Isis-Thoeris (Athena-Taweret [thoeris]), known for her functional composition associated with protection, fertility, and healing. The association of these symbols is also documented in other forms of sculpture, coins, inscriptions, and papyri from Roman Egypt. The presence of the accompanying priestess and children carrying offerings reinforces the hypothesis that the scene has a ritual character linked to the phenomenon of "ritual representation" common in Late Egypt. The study concludes that the female figure does not embody Leda, but rather represents a ritual depiction of Isis-Thoeris. Reflecting her role as a protector and good luck goddess within a local religious framework specific to Karanis, this approach calls for a re-evaluation of several later depictions in light of their authentic ritual and spiritual references, rather than according to stereotypical interpretations. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Isis; Double axe; Thoeris; Athena; Leda | ||
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