386 solar disk(1550–1070 B.C.E.), the Ramessids bore names meaning
“Ré fashioned him.”
solar disk A sacred symbol of Egypt, representing the
sun and in some eras called the ATEN, this disk was nor-
mally depicted as resting on the Djet or Tjet tree of the
god OSIRIS. ISISand NEPHTHYSare also portrayed in cultic
symbols as saluting the solar disk, and BABOONS, repre-
senting the god THOTH, were believed to praise the solar
disk’s rising.
Soleb A site in NUBIA(modern Sudan), in the territory
of the third cataract of the Nile. AMENHOTEP III(r. 1391–
1353 B.C.E.) erected a temple there, and Soleb served as
the capital of Kush, or Nubia, during his reign. The tem-
ple was dedicated to the god AMUNbut also presented
Amenhotep III as a deified ruler.
Son of Ré Name See ROYAL NAMES.
Sonebi(fl. 20th century B.C.E.) Aristocrat of the Twelfth
Dynasty
He served in the reigns of AMENEMHET I (1991–1962
B.C.E.) and SENWOSRET I(1971–1926 B.C.E.). Sonebi was a
prince of the fourteenth nome, the son of Ukhotep of
MEIR. His tomb, located in Meir, contained cellars, MENATS
(2), SISTRUMS, and other mortuary symbols. The tomb,
reflecting Sonebi’s rank and office of provincial governor,
contains elaborate paintings and reliefs, as well as hymns
to HATHOR.
Song of the Harper See LAY OF THE HARPER.
Sons of Horus See CANOPIC JARS.
Sopdu (Sopdet) He was an ancient Egyptian god and
the star known to the Greeks as Sirius, Sothis, or the
Dogstar, Alpha Canis Majoris. The appearance of Sopdu
signaled the beginning of AKHET,the SEASONof inunda-
tion of the Nile. Sopdu was also a divinity of the eastern
desert and the god of the four corners of the earth, with
HORUS, SET, and THOTH. When associated with Horus, the
god was “the Sharp Horus.” The star was sometimes rep-
resented in a feminine form and then was associated with
the goddess HATHOR. His consort was Sopdet.
Sopdu’s name meant “to prepare,” and he was repre-
sented by a zodiacal light on a tall cone. He probably was
eastern in origin and was transformed into the husband
of Sah (Orion). Sopdu was mentioned in the PYRAMID
TEXTS. The god was also depicted on an Abydos ivory
tablet, owned by DJERof the First Dynasty (2920–2770
B.C.E.).
See also SOTHIC CYCLE.
Sosibius(fl. third century B.C.E.) Courtier involved in
murder and a deadly cabal
He served PTOLEMY IV PHILOPATOR(r. 221–205 B.C.E.), and
when that ruler died, Sosibius and fellow courtiers,
including one AGATHOCLES(2), murdered Queen ARSINOE
(3) to remove her influence. Sosibius thus became the
guardian of the heir, PTOLEMY V EPIPHANES, who was
placed on the throne at the age of five. He remained
guardian until he retired in 202. When the people of
ALEXANDRIA, led by General TLEPOLEMUS, avenged the
death of Arsinoe (3), Sosibius may have been slain with
his fellow conspirators.Sostratus of Cnidus (fl. third century B.C.E.) Greek
architect who designed the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the
Pharos
He was asked to design the monument by Ptolemy I Soter
(r. 304–284 B.C.E.), who knew of Sostratus’s reputation
and achievements. Sostratus was honored with a plaque
on one of the tiers of the LIGHTHOUSE OF ALEXANDRIA,a
Wonder of the World.Sothic Cycle It was a method of measuring time in
ancient Egypt, associated with the rising of SOPDU(Sir-
ius). For the Egyptian the solar year measured 365 days
and six hours. These additional hours added up to a dis-
crepancy of a quarter day per year, an error that was cor-
rected after a period of 1,460 years, termed the Sothic
Cycle. Such cycles had termination dates of 1317, 2773,
4323 B.C.E., etc. The synchronization of time was possi-
ble in the interims by calculating years from the cycle
dates.
See also CALENDAR; SOTHIC RISING.Sothic Rising The term defining the star and goddess
Sopdet, who gave birth to the morning star and personi-
fied Sirius, or SOPDU. The Sothic rising coincided with
the start of the solar year once every 1,460 or 1,456
years. The time between such risings was called the
Sothic Cycle. The actual accounts of the Sothic Risings
in ancient Egyptian documents enabled scholars to
designate dates for the dynasties and to establish
chronologies.Sothis See SOPDU.soul bird It was a human-headed bird, representing BA,
or soul, that was placed on the SHABTIfigures found in
tombs in Egypt. The shabtiwas placed in the gravesite to
perform any required labors in Amenti, the land beyond
death. The soul birds appeared as part of the SHABTIfig-
ures in the Nineteenth Dynasty. The BA,or soul, was rep-
resented in various versions of the BOOK OF THE DEAD
from earliest times.