I understand that the title does not tell you a lot to what this article is about, but remember, never judge a article by its title. Now let us begin.

Serapis was a god created in Memphis, the old capital of Egypt. In Memphis there ws site for a sacred bull called Apis. Once this bull died, it was believed to become one with the underworld god Osiris. Thus both together formed Osirapis. It is said that the name Osirapis was Hellenized (made Greek) and turned into Serapis.

Serapis was first brought to prominence by the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. The Ptolemeis were part of the “Successors”(the “Successors” were those who ruled Alexander’s empire after His death). Serapis’s cult was centred around Alexandria, the capital of the Ptolemaic kingdom. He was originally worshipped as the god of the death/underworld, but slowly after he rose to prominence, people also started worshipping his as the god of medicine and healing. Serapis had curly beard and hair, a Greek styled face, kept a three headed dog as a pet and carried a staff. He also wore a wicker basket on his head, called a modius. This how he looked.

Explaining his symbolism

Serapis was made a major god by the Ptolemy the first to secure his rule. In ancient Egypt, having a god approve of your rule, or you showing connection to one was very important. The Greeks disapproved and did not believe much in gods with animal heads, like the Egyptians, and so Serapis was displayed extremely humanlike. Serapis was also used as a way of bringing the Greeks and Egyptians together. Serapis shared the roles of the Egyptian underworld god, Osiris, eventually replacing him. However his facial features and body were reminiscent of the Greek gods Zeus and Hades. The basket on his head was also a Greek symbol for the land of the dead. He was given Isis, the Egyptian goddess whose cult became important in Rome, as his wife (she was formerly Osiris’s wife). Serapis also had a connection with Dionysus, the greek god of wine and partying. Having influences from two great cultures, Serapis won a place in the Greek, Egyptian and Roman world.

Worship

Serapis was worshipped in temples called serapeum. His cult often thrived around here. The biggest serapeum was built by the Ptolemeis and was called the Serapeum of Alexandria. It attracted visitors from all around the world. Those who worshipped Serapis in the ancient world made regular pilgrimages to this site.

Sadly this great building was brought down by a Christian mob in the 4th century. It is said that the statue of Serapis in the temple was so big that its right hand touched one side and the left hand the other side. The temple was said to be inlaid with gold, silver and bronze. Serapis was worshipped throughout the Mediterranean, and evidences of his worship have also been found in Turkey and Italy. The Roman Empire was infiltrated by the Egyptian deities after Rome conquered Egypt, and Serapis also became a major god for them (until Christianity took over and destroyed paganism in the Western World). It has been found that Serapis was also worshipped as far as Britain, where a Roman inscription was found of a temple dedicated to Serapis by Nero.