Alexandria: A History and a GuideForster, E. M. (Edward Morgan)
History
Alexandria: A History and a Guide
Forster, E. M. (Edward Morgan)
Alexandria (Egypt) -- Guidebooks; Alexandria (Egypt) -- History
LEFT WALL, centre: _Cases La_ and _M_.: Flasks from St. Menas. They were
filled with water, which must soon have evaporated, and exported all
over the Christian world: usual design—the Saint between camels. Between
the vases interesting fragments from a church to St. Menas at Dekhela;
(p. 171), the bas-relief of the Saint is a clumsy copy of the one that
stood in his shrine in the desert (p. 195). _Cases P._, _Q._, _R._,
_S._: Coptic tapestries from Akhmin and Antinoe—beautiful. Date 3rd
cent. onward. Near _Case N_, two absurd reliefs (Christian era) of Leda
and the swan—in one of them she holds an egg.
ROOM 2: COINS.
Chronological continuation of the Ptolemaic coins in Room 3, which
should be visited first. Illustrate history of Alexandria, and also her
religion, under Rome and afterwards under Constantinople. Series begins
in _Case A_ (further right-hand corner) with Octavian (Augustus) 675;
_Case B_ No. 675 (of Domitian) shows the Pharos (_see_ p. 16). 750 (of
Trajan)—a temple to Isis in Alexandria, with pylons between which the
goddess stands. 771 shows Serapis on his throne. 890-892, the sacred
basket that he sometimes carries on his head. _Case C_,
1363-1366—interviews, very friendly, between the emperor Hadrian and
Alexandria. 1409—interviews between him and the god Serapis. 1450, Isis
as guardian of the Pharos.
ROUND THE ROOM: Four marble capitals from St. Menas.
ROOM 3: COINS.
The collection of Ptolemaic coins begins in _Case Ab_ (right of room)
and continues through _Case C-D_ (left) and _Case E-F_ (entrance). The
coins are numbered consecutively. They are of great historical and
artistic interest, but must not be taken seriously as portraits, since
the ruler is generally approximated to some god (_i.e._ numeral ‘one’
1). Silver four drachma of Alexander the Great, struck by his Viceroy
Cleomenes. 2-45. Ptolemy I as Viceroy. On the obverse is always the head
of Alexander the Great, with horns of the God Ammon. 46-274. Ptolemy I
as King (Soter). A new type gradually appears; on the obverse the head
of the King, on the reverse an eagle (note 14 gold coins—four-drachma
pieces). 275-510. Ptolemy II (Philadelphus) instructive for the domestic
history of his reign (p. 14). At first the King appears alone—_e.g._ on
gold five-drachma. 275-280. Then his formidable sister and wife Arsinoe
is alone—gold coin 342. Then the couple appear together—gold 428-434,
while on the other side of the coins are their predecessors, Ptolemy I
and his wife, to show that the dynasty emanated in pairs. 551-619.
Ptolemy III (Euergetes). 620. Magnificent gold eight-drachma,
representing Euergetes, but struck by Philopator his son; the most
gorgeous coin in the collection. 621. Silver four drachma, with heads of
Serapis and Isis. Ptolemaic coinage now deteriorates; the eagle in the
later issues (_Case D_) becomes formalised and ridiculous. 1059 (_Case
E_) features—what disillusionment!—Cleopatra!
ROUND THE ROOM—Casts.
ROOM 4: COINS. AKHMIN TAPESTRY.
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