Serapis
Sign in to savethumb|Antoninianus of Postumus with Serapis on the reverse. Serapis or Sarapis is a Graeco-Egyptian god. A syncretic deity derived from the worship of the Egyptian Osiris and Apis, Serapis was extensively popularized in the third century BC on the orders of Greek Pharaoh Ptolemy I Soter, as a means to unify the Greek and Egyptian subjects of the Ptolemaic Kingdom.
Key facts
- Deity.type
- egyptian
- Deity.name
- Serapis
- Deity.image
- Serapis Pio-Clementino Inv689 n2.jpg
- Deity.caption
- Marble bust of Serapis wearing a modius
- Deity.cult_center
- Serapeum of Alexandria
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
10 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Iconography
- Serapis cult history
- Jewish and Christian views
- Gallery
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Sources
- External links
thumb|Antoninianus of Postumus with Serapis on the reverse. Serapis or Sarapis is a Graeco-Egyptian god. A syncretic deity derived from the worship of the Egyptian Osiris and Apis, Serapis was extensively popularized in the third century BC on the orders of Greek Pharaoh Ptolemy I Soter, as a means to unify the Greek and Egyptian subjects of the Ptolemaic Kingdom.
The of Serapis was spread as a matter of deliberate policy by subsequent Ptolemaic kings. Serapis continued to increase in popularity during the Roman Empire, often replacing Osiris as the consort of Isis in temples outside Egypt. Alongside his Egyptian roots he gained attributes from other deities, such as chthonic powers linked to the Greek Hades and Demeter, and benevolence derived from associations with Dionysus.