Harmakhis
/hɑːrˈmækɪs/noun
An ancient Egyptian-Hellenized name for Horus as the sun god appearing in the eastern horizon, especially associated with the Great Sphinx.
Did you know?Greek and Roman writers used Harmakhis for the Sphinx’s solar identity, linking the monument to Horus rising at dawn and the eternal cycle of death and rebirth.
Etymological Timeline
New Kingdom Egypt, c. 1550–1070 BCE
Egyptian
Ḥr-m-ꜣḫt
“Horus in the horizon; a solar form of the falcon-headed god Horus”
New Kingdom Egypt, c. 1400 BCE
Egyptian
Ḥr-em-akhet
“A divine title associated with the Great Sphinx and the sun’s appearance on the horizon”
Hellenistic Period, 3rd–1st Century BCE
Greek
Ἁρμάχις (Harmakhis)
“Greek rendering of the Egyptian name for Horus of the horizon”
Roman Period, 1st–4th Century CE
Greek/Latin
Harmachis
“A name for the Sphinx understood as a manifestation of the solar Horus”
Modern English
English
Harmakhis
“A scholarly and occult term for Horus in his horizon or Sphinx form”
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