In the multicultural society of Ptolemaic Egypt, one of the areas in which Greeks and Egyptians met was religion. The two documents in this section illustrate this interaction. The first tells how the cult statue of Sara-pis, the patron deity of Alexandria, was discovered and brought to Egypt.
Although the statue was made by the Greek sculptor Bryaxis in the form of a Greek god, Manetho and Timotheos of Athens used an old Egyptian literary form—the communication of the god’s will directly to Ptolemy I in a dream—to authenticate the statue. In the second selection, the an-cient Egyptian goddess Isis is reinterpreted as a mother goddess and founder of civilization through identification with various Greek goddesses.
The origin of this God Serapis has not hitherto been made generally known by our writers. The Egyptian priests give this account. While
Ptolemy, the first Macedonian king who consolidated the power of Egypt, was setting up in the newly built city of Alexandria fortifications, tem-ples, and rites of worship, there appeared to him in his sleep a youth of singular beauty and more than human stature, who counseled the monarch to send his most trusty friends to Pontus, and fetch his effigy from that country. This, he said, would bring prosperity to the realm, and great and illustrious would be the city which gave it a reception. At the same moment he saw the youth ascend to heaven in a blaze of fire.
Roused by so significant and strange an appearance, Ptolemy disclosed the vision of the night to the Egyptian priests, whose business it is to un-derstand such matters. As they knew but little of Pontus or of foreign countries, he enquired of Timotheus, an Athenian, one of the family of the Eumolpids, whom he had invited from Eleusis to preside over the sa-cred rites, what this worship was, and who was the deity. Timotheus, ques-tioning persons who had found their way to Pontus, learnt that there was there a city Sinope, and near it a temple, which, according to an old tra-dition of the neighborhood, was sacred to the infernal Jupiter, for there also stood close at hand a female figure, to which many gave the name of Proserpine. Ptolemy, however, with the true disposition of a despot, though prone to alarm, was, when the feeling of security returned, more intent on pleasures than on religious matters; and he began by degrees to neglect the affair, and to turn his thoughts to other concerns, till at length the same apparition, but now more terrible and peremptory, de-nounced ruin against the king and his realm, unless his bidding were per-formed. Ptolemy then gave directions that an embassy should be dispatched with presents to king Scydrothemis, who at that time ruled the people of Sinope, and instructed them, when they were on the point of sailing, to consult the Pythian Apollo. Their voyage was prosperous, and the response of the oracle was clear. The God bade them go and carry back with them the image of his father, but leave that of his sister behind.
On their arrival at Sinope, they delivered to Scydrothemis the pres-ents from their king, with his request and message. He wavered in pur-pose, dreading at one moment the anger of the God, terrified at another by the threats and opposition of the people. Often he was wrought upon by the gifts and promises of the ambassadors. And so three years passed away, while Ptolemy did not cease to urge his zealous solicitations. He continued to increase the dignity of his embassies, the number of his
ships, and the weight of his gold. A terrible vision then appeared to Scy-drothemis, warning him to thwart no longer the purposes of the God. As he yet hesitated, various disasters, pestilence, and the unmistakable anger of heaven, which grew heavier from day to day, continued to harass him.
He summoned an assembly, and explained to them the bidding of the God, the visions of Ptolemy and himself, and the miseries that were gath-ering about them. The people turned away angrily from their king, were jealous of Egypt, and, fearing for themselves, thronged around the tem-ple. The story becomes at this point more marvelous, and relates that the God of his own will conveyed himself on board the fleet, which had been brought close to shore, and, wonderful to say, vast as was the extent of sea that they traversed, they arrived at Alexandria on the third day. A temple, proportioned to the grandeur of the city, was erected in a place called Rhacotis, where there had stood a chapel consecrated in old times to Serapis and Isis. Such is the most popular account of the origin and introduction of the God Serapis. I am aware indeed that there are some who say that he was brought from Seleucia, a city of Syria, in the reign of Ptolemy III, while others assert that it was the act of the same king, but that the place from which he was brought was Memphis, once a fa-mous city and the strength of ancient Egypt. The God himself, because he heals the sick, many identified him with Aesculapius; others with Osiris, the deity of the highest antiquity among these nations; not a few with Jupiter, as being supreme ruler of all things; but most people with Pluto, arguing from the emblems which may be seen on his statues, or from conjectures of their own.
From Tacitus, “The Origin of Sarapis,” Histories, 4.83–84. In The Complete Works of Tacitus, trans. John Church and William Jackson Brodribb (New York: Ran-dom House, 1942), pp. 653–55.
Demetrios, the son of Artemidoros, who is also called Thraseas, a Mag-nesian from Magnesia on the Maeander, an offering in fulfillment of a vow to Isis. He transcribed the following from the stele in Memphis which stands by the temple of Hephaistos:
I am Isis, the tyrant of every land; and I was educated by Hermes, and together with Hermes I invented letters, both the hieroglyphic and the demotic, in order that the same script should not be used
to write everything. I imposed laws on men, and the laws which I laid down no one may change. I am the eldest daughter of Kronos.
I am the wife and sister of King Osiris. I am she who discovered the cultivation of grain for men. I am the mother of King Horos. I am she who rises in the Dog Star. I am she who is called goddess by women. By me the city of Bubastis was built. I separated earth from sky. I designated the paths of the stars. The sun and the moon’s course I laid out. I invented navigation. I caused the just to be strong.
Woman and man I brought together. For woman I determined that in the tenth month she shall deliver a baby into the light. I ordained that parents be cherished by their children. For parents who are cru-elly treated I imposed retribution. Together with my brother Osiris I stopped cannibalism. I revealed initiations to men. I taught men to honor the images of the gods. I established precincts for the gods.
The governments of tyrants I suppressed. I stopped murders. I com-pelled women to be loved by men. I caused the just to be stronger than gold and silver. I ordained that the true be considered beauti-ful. I invented marriage contracts. Languages I assigned to Greeks and barbarians. I caused the honorable and the shameful to be dis-tinguished by Nature. I caused nothing to be more fearful than an oath. He who unjustly plotted against others I gave into the hands of his victim. On those who commit unjust acts I imposed retribu-tion. I ordained that suppliants be pitied. I honor those who justly defend themselves. With me the just prevails. Of rivers and winds and the sea am I mistress. No one becomes famous without my knowledge. I am the mistress of war. Of the thunderbolt am I mis-tress. I calm and stir up the sea. I am in the rays of the sun. I sit be-side the course of the sun. Whatever I decide, this also is accomplished. For me everything is right. I free those who are in bonds. I am the mistress of sailing. The navigable I make unnaviga-ble whenever I choose. I established the boundaries of cities. I am she who is called Lawgiver. The island from the depths I brought up into the light. I conquer Fate. Fate heeds me. Hail Egypt who reared me.
From “The Praises of Isis, Mistress of the Universe and Creator of Civilization.”
In Stanley M. Burstein, The Hellenistic Age from the Battle of Ipsos to the Death of Kleopatra VII (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985), p. 147.
Ptolemy I Soter 305–282 b.c.e.
Ptolemy II Philadelphos 282–246 b.c.e.
Ptolemy III Euergetes 246–222 b.c.e.
Ptolemy IV Philopator 222–205 b.c.e.
Ptolemy V Epiphanes 205–180 b.c.e.
Ptolemy VI Philometor 180–145 b.c.e.
Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator 145–144 b.c.e.
Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II 145–116 b.c.e.
Cleopatra III and Ptolemy IX Soter II 116–107 b.c.e.
Cleopatra III and Ptolemy X Alexander I 107–101 b.c.e.
Ptolemy X Alexander I and Cleopatra Berenike 101–88 b.c.e.
Ptolemy IX Soter II 88–81 b.c.e.
Cleopatra Berenike and Ptolemy XI Alexander II 80 b.c.e.
Ptolemy XII Theos Philopator Philadelphos Neos
Dionysos 80–58 b.c.e.
Cleopatra V Tryphaina and Berenike IV 58–57 b.c.e.
Berenike IV 57–55 b.c.e.
Ptolemy XII 55–51 b.c.e.
Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII 51–47 b.c.e.
Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIV 47–44 b.c.e.
Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XV (Caesarion) 44–30 b.c.e.