Memnon the Cursed: Ancient Sorcerer-King in Bewitched

Overview

Memnon, also known as Memnon the Cursed and formerly Memnon the Indomitable, is a two-thousand-year-old Sarmatian sorcerer-king who awakens after being imprisoned by his wife Roxilana. When Selene Bowers opens his tomb in Peru, he mistakes her for Roxilana, setting off a conflict rooted in love, betrayal, and revenge. Memnon’s magic consumes his conscience, and his power is immense, but his driving force is the soul‑mate bond he shares with Selene.

Plot Role

Memnon serves as both antagonist and romantic interest. He is the catalyst for the central conflict: his mistaken identity, his revenge against the woman who trapped him, and his determination to reclaim his wife. His actions—manipulating murders, demanding a marriage oath, and restoring Selene’s memories—drive the plot from a simple discovery in a crypt to a forced engagement that uncovers a past life. He also acts as a foil to Selene’s fractured memory, mirroring her search for identity.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Memnon’s primary motivation is reunion with his soul mate, Roxilana (whom he believes Selene to be). He demonstrates vengeance when he vows to destroy Selene’s world, possessiveness when he threatens Kane, and love that borders on obsession. His actions reveal a sharp intellect (deducing the Law of Three curse), cruelty (suffocating party guests), and vulnerability (grieving when he accepts Selene is not Roxilana). He is a sorcerer whose power erodes his conscience, yet he shows tenderness—healing Selene, sending her erotic dreams, and ultimately restoring her memories at great emotional cost.

Chronological Arc

• Prologue: Trapped for millennia, bound by spells, fragmented thoughts. He calls to Roxilana, confident their life‑bond keeps her alive.
• Chapters 6–7: Selene opens his tomb and wakes him. He mistakes her for Roxilana, kisses her, then realizes he was betrayed and vows revenge.
• Chapters 13–14: He corners Selene in the Everwoods, accuses her of destroying his empire, and threatens to take everything from her.
• Chapters 19–24: Through a truth spell and photo albums, he accepts Selene is not Roxilana. But he later insists she is his soul mate, demonstrating their magical bond.
• Chapters 33–34: He helps investigate the spell circle, reveals her self‑curse (Law of Three), and shares his origin story.
• Chapters 37–42: In anger he burns her notebooks, frames her for murder, and demands she marry him or guests die.
• Chapters 45–46: He forces a blood oath, helps lift the curse, and restores Selene’s memories—including the betrayal that originally imprisoned him.

Relationships

Selene Bowers / Roxilana

Memnon’s entire emotional world revolves around her. He treats Selene as his wife, first with rage, then with reluctant acceptance, and finally with a determination to re‑forge the bond. Their telepathic connection and shared magical signature prove the soul‑mate link.

Roxilana (Ancient Wife)

Though never directly shown, Roxilana’s betrayal defines Memnon. He recalls her physically and emotionally, and her actions—destroying his army, locking him away—make him both vengeful and heartbroken.

Kane Halloway

Kane represents a rival. Memnon physically attacks him and threatens to kill any man Selene touches, showing his jealousy and possessiveness.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Theme and Symbol Connections

• Memory and Identity: Memnon’s fragmented memories and Selene’s amnesia parallel each other. His inability to distinguish her from Roxilana forces both to question who they are.
• Soul Mates and Unbreakable Bonds: The magical bond (telepathy, shared language, scar recognition) proves their connection transcends time.
• Dark Magic and Consequence: Memnon’s power eats away his conscience; the Law of Three dictates that his and Selene’s curses return threefold.
• Revenge and Justice: Memnon’s revenge against Roxilana (and later against Selene) drives much of the plot. He sees his imprisonment as unjust and seeks to balance the scales.
• Sacrifice and Protection: Memnon heals Selene, protects her from the spell‑circle attackers, and ultimately forces a marriage to save her (from his own rage and from the Politia). His actions blur the line between sacrifice and control.

Questions and Answers

1. Why does Memnon mistake Selene for Roxilana?

Memnon mistakes Selene because she shares Roxilana’s physical features (sharp blue eyes, similar build) and because his soul‑mate bond recognizes her magic. He is also convinced that Roxilana cannot die while he lives, so any woman freeing his tomb must be her.

2. What is the Law of Three and how does it apply to Memnon?

The Law of Three states that any magic returns threefold. Memnon deduces that Selene cursed herself with memory loss using this law, which also explains why his own imprisonment and curses boomerang back—he cannot harm her without consequences.

3. How does Memnon prove that Selene is his soul mate?

He demonstrates their telepathic bond, reveals that she unknowingly speaks Sarmatian and Latin, and shows that her magic resonates with his. The official Awakening records from Peel Academy later confirm they are a soul‑mate pair.

4. Why does Memnon burn Selene’s notebooks and frame her for murder?

After Selene refuses to lift the curse and restore her memories, Memnon destroys her notebooks in revenge and to force her dependence on him. Framing her for murder ensures that she will come to him for help, strengthening his leverage.

5. What does Memnon gain by forcing Selene to marry him?

The marriage vow is part of an unbreakable blood oath that also lifts the curse binding both of them. Memnon wants to reclaim the love and life he lost with Roxilana; by marrying Selene, he believes he can rebuild that past and prevent her from escaping him again.

Learn more about the soul‑mate bond, the Law of Three and dark magic, and the ending of Bewitched.