back to the time of the second Theban empire.

[Illustration: 041.jpg HEAD OF THE MUMMY OF THÛTMOSIS III.]

Drawn by Boudier, from a photograph lent by M. Grébaut,
taken by Emil Brugsch-Bey.

Happily the face, which had been plastered over with pitch at the time
of embalming, did not suffer at all from this rough treatment, and
appeared intact when the protecting mask was removed. Its appearance
does not answer to our ideal of the conqueror. His statues, though
not representing him as a type of manly beauty, yet give him refined,
intelligent features, but a comparison with the mummy shows that the
artists have idealised their model. The forehead is abnormally low, the
eyes deeply sunk, the jaw heavy, the lips thick, and the cheek-bones
extremely prominent; the whole recalling the physiognomy of Thûtmosis
II., though with a greater show of energy. Thûtmosis III. is a fellah of
the old stock, squat, thickset, vulgar in character and expression, but
not lacking in firmness and vigour.* Amenôthes II., who succeeded him,
must have closely resembled him, if we may trust his official portraits.
He was the son of a princess of the blood, Hâtshopsîtû II., daughter of
the great Hâtshopsîtû,** and consequently he came into his inheritance
with stronger claims to it than any other Pharaoh since the time of
Amenôthes I. Possibly his father may have associated him with himself on
the throne as soon as the young prince attained his majority;*** at any
rate, his accession aroused no appreciable opposition in the country,
and if any difficulties were made, they must have come from outside.

* The restored remains allow us to estimate the height at
about 5 ft. 3 in.