A very ancient god, Montu was originally a manifestation of the scorching effect of
Ra, the sun – and as such often appeared under the epithet
Montu-Ra. The destructiveness of this characteristic led to him gaining characteristics of a warrior, and eventually becoming a widely revered war-god. The Egyptians thought that Montu would attack the enemies of
Maat (that is, of the
truth, of the cosmic order) while inspiring, at the same time, glorious warlike exploits. It is possible that Montu-Ra and
Atum-Ra symbolized the two kingships, respectively, of
Upper and Lower Egypt. When linked with
Horus, Montu's epithet was "Horus of the Strong Arm". and two feathers. The falcon was a symbol of the sky and the bull was a symbol of strength and war. He could also wield various weapons, such as a
curved sword, a spear, bow and arrows, or knives: such military iconography was widespread in the
New Kingdom (16th-11th centuries BC). and
Iunit, and a female form of Ra,
Raet-Tawy. He was also revered as one of the patrons of the city of
Thebes and its fortresses. The sovereigns of the
11th Dynasty (c. 2134–1991 BC) chose Montu as a protective and dynastic deity, inserting references to him in their own names. For example, four pharaohs of the 11th Dynasty were called
Mentuhotep, which means "Montu (Mentu) is satisfied": •
Mentuhotep I (c. 2135 BC) — maybe a fictional figure; •
Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II (c. 2061–2010 BC); •
Sankhkare Mentuhotep III (c. 2010–1998 BC); •
Nebtawyre Mentuhotep IV (c. 1998–1991 BC). The
Greeks associated Montu with their god of war
Ares – although that did not prevent his assimilation to
Apollo, probably due to the solar radiance that distinguished him. == Montu and the pharaohs at war ==