The History of Egypt Podcast 224: Ozymandias (or, Shadow of the Colossus)
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Dec 12, 2025 A deep dive into Ramesses II's campaign of colossal statues and their sweep across Egypt. Short scenes trace how massive sculptures gained names, priests, and cult roles as intermediaries with the gods. Quarrying at Aswan, unfinished works, and inscriptions reveal the logistics behind these giant projects. The story connects ruined colossi to poetic and historical echoes of power.
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Shelley Inspired By Ramesses II Colossus
- Shelley's Ozymandias poem was inspired by a colossal seated statue of Ramesses II from the Ramesseum in Luxor.
- The statue originally stood ~17.5–18 meters tall, now shattered and partly tumbled into the temple's second court, matching Shelley's image.
Diodorus Linked Ozymandias To Ramesses
- Percy Bysshe Shelley likely learned about the statue through Diodorus Siculus, who recorded an inscription reading King of kings am I, Ozymandias.
- Diodorus's Library of History described the seated black granite statue and a boastful inscription that Shelley adapted decades later.
Ramesses Built A Nationwide Program Of Colossi
- Ramesses II commissioned a widespread program of colossal statues across Egypt, each often given its own name and cult.
- Examples include the Ramesseum seated colossus and two 11–12m standing limestone colossi from Memphis now in the Grand Egyptian Museum and Mitrahina.