Osymandyas

Osymandyas, the name of a great king of Egypt, mentioned by Diodorus and Strabo, who reigned, according to these authors, as the 27th successor of Sesostris. He is said to have distinguished himself by his victories, to have invaded Asia with an army of 400,000 men and 20,000 cavalry, and to have conquered the Bactrians, who had been rendered tributary to Egypt by Sesostris. In honour of this exploit he is said by Hecateus to have erected a monument which was at once a palace and a tomb, and which, under the name of Osymandeion, was renowned for its size and splendour in later times. The Osymandeion is generally believed to be represented by the extant ruins of the Ramesseum at Medinet Habu (see THEBES), though great difficulty has been felt in reconciling the descriptions of its magnificence in ancient writers with the dimensions of the existing relic. Nor can the name of Osymandyas be recognised amongst the Egyptian kings.