Head of Serapis

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Serapis is a powerful Graeco-Egyptian deity worshipped in various temples and cults throughout ancient history. Introduced during the 3rd century BC by Ptolemy I of Egypt, Serapis was created as a unifying force for Greeks and Egyptians alike within his kingdom. With Greek appearance and Egyptian trappings, Serapis embodied both abundance and resurrection through combined iconography from numerous cults. A serapeum was any grand temple or sacred precinct dedicated to the worship of Serapis, while the cultus of Serapis spread rapidly as a deliberate policy implemented by Ptolemaic kings. Notably, an immense serapeum in Alexandria stood as a testament to their devotion. However, some historians propose that Serapis existed before Ptolemy's reign, citing evidence from 323 BC mentioning a temple of Sarapis in Egypt. Ptolemy I is often credited with creating the cult of Serapis and promoting him as a patron deity for the Ptolemaic dynasty and Alexandria. Yet, Serapis was a syncretistic deity born from the worship of Egyptian gods Osiris and Apis (Osiris + Apis = Oserapis/Sarapis). He also inherited traits from other deities such as Hades and Demeter, conferring chthonic powers, and Dionysus, granting benevolence. Serapis continued to gain popularity during the Roman era, often replacing Osiris as Isis's consort in temples beyond Egypt. In 389 AD, a Christian mob led by Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria destroyed the Alexandrian serapeum, but the cult survived until all forms of pagan worship were suppressed under Theodosius I in 391.