Whereas in the early Ptolemaic Period only the Greek names of the new rulers point to foreign influence, the Greek presence becomes gradually more visible. Side by side with the buildings in the age-old Egyptian tradition appear smaller shrines in Greek style within the enclosure or along the dromos. Examples are the Greek chapels and statues along the dromos of the Serapeum at Saqqara (2nd century bc; Bagnall and Rathbone 2004: 100), the Sarapis temple along the dromos in Luxor (inaugurated on Hadrian’s birthday in ad 126; Holbl 2000: 53), or the Isis chapel with Greek inscription on its lintel in Dendera (I. Portes 25; ad 1). The pronaos of the Egyptian temple of Kalabsha seems to take into account the rules of Graeco-Roman architecture as expounded by Vitruvius (Hcllbl 2004: 127). The lower register in the Tutu temple in Ismant el-Kharab (Dakhla oasis; second century ad) is decorated with imitation marble slabs, similar to what is found in houses at Pompeii (Holbl 2005: 91).
Greek inscriptions are cut side by side with traditional hieroglyphs: dedicatory inscriptions are carved above the rock temple of Hakoris (I. Akoris 1; 197-194 bc), on door lintels in Philai, Kom Ombo, or in Theadelpheia (I. Philae I 4 and 8, 244-21 BC and 186-80 bc; I. Thebes Syene 193, ad 88; I. Fay. II 107; 137 bc), and even on the shrine of the god in Soknopaiou Nesos (I. Fay. I 74; ad 50); trilingual decrees for the Ptolemies were set up in all major temples, and this continues in the early Roman Period with the inscription of Cornelius Gallus (I. Philae 128), Greek hymns on the door posts of the sanctuary of Narmouthis (I. Metr. 175; first century ad), Greek dedications on the walls, on stelae, and statues (I. Fay. I 77-80), royal orders protecting rights of asylum, and Greek graffiti on the walls or on the sphinxes of the dromos (Rogge and Harrauer 1999: 1-15). The twenty-five building inscriptions by Parthenios, prostates of Isis in Koptos in the time of Tiberius, are written in a remarkable mixture of Greek, Demotic and Hieroglyphic (Vleeming 2001: nos. 179-202 passim).
Though keepers of the indigenous traditions, the priests were not averse to Greek culture. Greek papyri, including fragments of Homer and Euripides, but also scientific works on medicine and astrology were found in the priestly houses and the rubbish dumps near the temples of Soknopaiou Nesos and Tebtunis (van Minnen 1998: 145-68). The astrological ceilings of the wabets in Dendera, Shenhur, and elsewhere, render the Greek zodiac in Egyptian style. Oracle questions to the gods originally in Demotic change to Greek already in the Ptolemaic Period in Tebtunis. The numerous Roman examples are all Greek, though they were written in the temple by priestly scribes. In the great trilingual decrees honoring the Ptolemies the priests, with their phylai, take the place of citizens (also organized in phylai! ) elsewhere in the Greek world; these honorary decrees follow the Greek epigraphic model: the verb ‘‘it has been decided’’ is preceded by a series of motivations introduced by epeide, ‘‘because,’’ and followed by infinitives containing the honors voted upon the kings. The priests have adapted the Greek format to the Egyptian situation (Clarysse 2000a).
World History
