 This article contains spoilers. Read at your own risk!
|
Memphis was the ancient capital of Inebu-hedj, the first nome of Lower Egypt. It was located approximately 12 miles south of Giza, on the west bank of the Nile.
Overview[]
One of the largest and oldest cities of ancient Egypt, Memphis was one of the two centers of power during its time, and served an important purpose throughout its history. Memphis was divided into two sections; the suburbs and the metropolitan area. In the metropolitan area was where the Temple of Ptah was located, the largest and most sacred temple in the city.
A religious faction of high priests, who called themselves the "Children of Amon-Ra", lived here, residing in a part of Memphis called the Great Obelisk.[1]
History[]
With the rise of Thebes, a sacred place and heart of the Egyptian religion, the rulers of Memphis were unsatisfied with their power and influence of the religious people in Thebes, especially since they had help from the Sirians. In response, the rules of Memphis incited a riot and attacked Thebes.[2]
During the riot, the leaders of Memphis stole many sacred relics, including the Sign of Amon-Ra, which was considered to be extremely valuable. The Memphis leaders did not understand its purpose, so they placed it well guarded within the Temple of Ptah, a tall building in which the inhabitants of Memphis wanted to get closer to the sky and their gods.[3]
Since the Memphis leaders knew the artifact was gravely important to the Thebans, they placed traps in the surrounding area, such as spike pits and high walls, to preserve the temple and protect it from trespassers. At some point after the Amon-Ra artifact was placed in the temple, the Children of Amon-Ra stole it and used it for a sacrificial ritual involving "the Ram-God".[1]
With the theft of the Thebans' most sacred treasure, this left them unable to contact the Sirians as part of their religious ritual. As a consequence, they decided to seal away Thebes from the rest of Egypt and cut off contact with the people of Memphis. It was this that sparked the decline of the Egyptian Empire.[2]
Areas of interest[]
Suburbs[]
The Memphis suburbs.
The suburban part of Memphis was home to the poorer residents of the city, such as peasants and slaves.[4] There were many houses scattered throughout this area, which appeared to be made out of stone or dirt, with straw being used as roofing material. Inside the second part of the suburbs was the entrance to the metropolitan part of town. However, this door was kept locked, so the metropolis had to be accessed via the sewers.
Sewers[]
Memphis had a large network of sewers running underground. They could be accessed from both parts of the suburban area. It's possible that the metropolian area also had a sewage system.[1]
Metropolitan area[]
A more luxurious part of Memphis than the suburbs, only the rich and privileged were allowed to live here. According to archaelogists from the present day era, it was a beautiful place with large houses and gardens.[1] Located at the entrance was a strange structure with four black 'portals'. Entering the metropolis required a clean soul, so the ancient Egyptians would pass through these 'portals' as part of a purification ritual.[5]
Temple of Ptah[]
Possibly the largest temple in Memphis, it was here where the leaders of the city kept the relics they stole from Thebes, including the invaluable Sign of Amon-Ra. Surrounding this temple was a guarding area, where traps were put in place to prevent easy access to the temple incase anyone attempted to steal anything from there.[6]
The Great Obelisk[]
A massive temple where the "Ram-God" was being held in a pit and given animals and people to feast upon as sacrifices by the Children of Amon-Ra.[7] The members of the cult lived in the nearby temples and houses.
Appearances[]
Serious Sam: The First Encounter[]
After obtaining all four elements, Sam makes his way to Memphis. Mental is already aware of Sam's intentions, and sends heavy resistance to stop him. After eliminating the enemies, Sam advances further into the city, where he ends up in the suburban area. Having found out that the door leading to the metropolis is locked, he is forced to find a way through the sewer, which is located in the second part of the suburbs.
Once Sam makes his way to the metropolis, he fights huge waves of enemies all the way to the Temple of Ptah. Here, he obtains the Shrine of Amon-Ra and then heads to Thebes to understand what the item's purpose is for.
Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter[]
Legend of the Beast[]
During his time in Memphis, Sam discovers that the artifact he's looking for was not in the Temple of Ptah, but instead is located somewhere in a building called the Grand Obelisk. There is also a legend that a beastly "Ram-God" roams the area, and that certain people are given to the Ram-God as sacrifices. After clearing his way through the city, Sam finally reaches the Obelisk, defeats the Ram-God, acquires the Sign of Amon-Ra and proceeds with his journey.
Serious Sam's Bogus Detour[]
Set during the events of Serious Sam: The First Encounter, Sam fights a large horde of enemies and enters the temple, where he finds the Sign of Amon-Ra. He exits the temple and discovers that the Mental-Altani corporation, a wide-scale planetary mining company that has allied themselves with Mental, has established a base in the region. Sam eliminates all the enemies and, by acquiring keycards stolen from Orc Captains, heads north towards the city of Alexandria and exits Memphis.[8]
Gallery[]
Serious Sam: The First Encounter[]
List of appearances[]
- Serious Sam: The First Encounter (First appearance)
- Serious Sam: Xbox (non-canonical appearance)
- Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
- Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter (Legend of the Beast only)
- Serious Sam VR: The First Encounter (non-canonical appearance)
- Serious Sam VR: The Second Encounter (non-canonical appearance) (Legend of the Beast only)
- Serious Sam's Bogus Detour (non-canonical appearance)
- Serious Sam Classics: Revolution (non-canonical appearance)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter - NETRICSA - Strategy -"Children of Amon Ra"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Serious Sam: The First Encounter - NETRICSA - Strategy - "Temple of Hatshepsut"
- ↑ Serious Sam: The First Encounter - NETRICSA - Strategy - "City of Memphis - Metropolis"
- ↑ Serious Sam: The First Encounter - NETRICSA - Strategy - "Memphis - Suburbs"
- ↑ Serious Sam: The First Encounter - NETRICSA - Hints - Metropolis - "Purify Your Soul"
- ↑ Serious Sam: The First Encounter - NETRICSA - Hints - Metropolis - "Guarding Area"
- ↑ Legend of the Beast level: "The Grand Obelisk"
- ↑ Serious Sam's Bogus Detour level: "Knee Deep in Sand"
External links[]
| |||||||||||||||||