Chapter 16
Share
THE TEMPLE OF SERAPIS (AD 391)
CHAPTER XVI: THE TEMPLE OF SERAPIS (AD 391)
In the account of Constantine, it was mentioned that the emperors
after their conversion did not try to put down heathenism by force,
or all at once (page 39). For the wise teachers of the Church knew
that this would not be the right way of going to work, but that it
would be more likely to make the heathens obstinate than to convert
them. Thus St. Augustine (of whom we shall have more to tell you
by-and-by) says in one of his sermons--"We must first endeavour to
break the idols in their hearts. When they themselves become
Christians, they will either invite us to the good work of
destroying their idols, or they will be beforehand with us in doing
so. And in the mean while, we must pray for them, not be angry with
them."
But in course of time, as the people were more and more brought off
from heathenism, and as the belief of the Gospel worked its way more
thoroughly among all classes of them, laws were sent forth against
offering sacrifices, burning incense, and the like, to the heathen
gods. These laws were by degrees made stricter and stricter, until,
in the reign of Theodosius, it was forbidden to do any act of
heathen worship. And I may now tell you what took place as to the
idols of Egypt in this reign.
It was in the year 391 that an old heathen temple at Alexandria was
given up to the bishop of the city, who wished to build a church on
the spot. In digging out the foundation for the church, some strange
and disgusting things, which had been used in the heathen worship,
were found; and some of the Christians carried these about the
streets by way of mocking at the religion of the heathens. The
heathen part of the inhabitants were enraged; a number of them made
an uproar, killed some Christians, and then shut themselves up in
the temple of one of their gods called Serapis, whom they believed
to be the protector of Alexandria. This temple was surrounded by the
houses of the priests and other buildings; and the whole was so vast
and so magnificent, that it was counted as one of the wonders of the
world.
The rioters, who had shut themselves up in the temple, used to rush
out from it now and then, killing some of the Christians who fell in
their way, and carrying off others as prisoners. These prisoners
were desired to offer sacrifice; if they refused, they were cruelly
tortured, and some of them were even crucified. A report of these
doings was sent to Theodosius, and he ordered that all the temples
of Alexandria should be destroyed. The governor invited the
defenders of the temple of Serapis to attend in the market-place,
where the emperor's sentence was to be read; and, on hearing what it
was, they fled in all directions, so that the soldiers, who were
sent to the temple, found nobody there to withstand them.
The idol of Serapis was of such vast size that it reached from one
side of the temple to the other. It was adorned with jewels, and was
covered with plates of gold and silver; and its worshippers believed
that, if it were hurt in any way, heaven and earth would go to
wreck. So when a soldier mounted a ladder, and raised his axe
against it, the heathens who stood by were in great terror, and even
some of the Christians could not help feeling a little uneasiness as
to what might follow. But the stout soldier first made a blow which
struck off one of the idol's cheeks, and then dashed his axe into
one of his knees. Serapis, however, bore all this quietly, and the
bystanders began to draw their breath more freely. The soldier
worked away manfully, and, after a while, the huge head of the idol
came crashing down, and a swarm of rats, which had long made their
home in it, rushed forth, and scampered off in all directions. Even
the heathens who were in the crowd, on seeing this, began to laugh
at their god. The idol was demolished, and the pieces of it were
carried into the circus, where a bonfire was made of them; and, in
examining the temple, a number of tricks by which the priests had
deceived the people were found out, so that many heathens were
converted in consequence of having thus seen the vanity of their old
religion, and the falsehood of the means by which it was kept up.
Egypt, as you perhaps know, does not depend on rain for its crops,
but on the rising of the river Nile, which floods the country at a
certain season; and the heathens had long said that the Christians
were afraid to destroy the idols of Egypt, lest the gods should
punish them by not allowing the water to rise. After the destruction
of Serapis, the usual time for the rising of the river came, but
there were no signs of it; and the heathens began to be in great
delight, and to boast that their gods were going to take vengeance.
Some weak Christians, too, began to think that there might be some
truth in this, and sent to ask the emperor what should be done.
"Better," he said, "that the Nile should not rise at all, than that
we should buy the fruitfulness of Egypt by idolatry!" After a while
the Nile began to swell; it soon mounted above the usual height of
its flood, and the Pagans were now in hopes that Serapis was about
to avenge himself by such a deluge as would punish the Christians
for the destruction of the idol; but they were again disappointed by
seeing the waters sink down to their proper level.
The emperor's orders were executed by the destruction of the
Egyptian temples and their idols. But we are told that the bishop
of Alexandria saved one image as a curiosity, and lest people should
afterwards deny that their forefathers had ever been so foolish as
to worship such things. Some say that this image was a figure of
Jupiter, the chief of the heathen gods; others say that it was the
figure of a monkey; for even monkeys were worshipped by the
Egyptians!
In the account of Constantine, it was mentioned that the emperors
after their conversion did not try to put down heathenism by force,
or all at once (page 39). For the wise teachers of the Church knew
that this would not be the right way of going to work, but that it
would be more likely to make the heathens obstinate than to convert
them. Thus St. Augustine (of whom we shall have more to tell you
by-and-by) says in one of his sermons--"We must first endeavour to
break the idols in their hearts. When they themselves become
Christians, they will either invite us to the good work of
destroying their idols, or they will be beforehand with us in doing
so. And in the mean while, we must pray for them, not be angry with
them."
But in course of time, as the people were more and more brought off
from heathenism, and as the belief of the Gospel worked its way more
thoroughly among all classes of them, laws were sent forth against
offering sacrifices, burning incense, and the like, to the heathen
gods. These laws were by degrees made stricter and stricter, until,
in the reign of Theodosius, it was forbidden to do any act of
heathen worship. And I may now tell you what took place as to the
idols of Egypt in this reign.
It was in the year 391 that an old heathen temple at Alexandria was
given up to the bishop of the city, who wished to build a church on
the spot. In digging out the foundation for the church, some strange
and disgusting things, which had been used in the heathen worship,
were found; and some of the Christians carried these about the
streets by way of mocking at the religion of the heathens. The
heathen part of the inhabitants were enraged; a number of them made
an uproar, killed some Christians, and then shut themselves up in
the temple of one of their gods called Serapis, whom they believed
to be the protector of Alexandria. This temple was surrounded by the
houses of the priests and other buildings; and the whole was so vast
and so magnificent, that it was counted as one of the wonders of the
world.
The rioters, who had shut themselves up in the temple, used to rush
out from it now and then, killing some of the Christians who fell in
their way, and carrying off others as prisoners. These prisoners
were desired to offer sacrifice; if they refused, they were cruelly
tortured, and some of them were even crucified. A report of these
doings was sent to Theodosius, and he ordered that all the temples
of Alexandria should be destroyed. The governor invited the
defenders of the temple of Serapis to attend in the market-place,
where the emperor's sentence was to be read; and, on hearing what it
was, they fled in all directions, so that the soldiers, who were
sent to the temple, found nobody there to withstand them.
The idol of Serapis was of such vast size that it reached from one
side of the temple to the other. It was adorned with jewels, and was
covered with plates of gold and silver; and its worshippers believed
that, if it were hurt in any way, heaven and earth would go to
wreck. So when a soldier mounted a ladder, and raised his axe
against it, the heathens who stood by were in great terror, and even
some of the Christians could not help feeling a little uneasiness as
to what might follow. But the stout soldier first made a blow which
struck off one of the idol's cheeks, and then dashed his axe into
one of his knees. Serapis, however, bore all this quietly, and the
bystanders began to draw their breath more freely. The soldier
worked away manfully, and, after a while, the huge head of the idol
came crashing down, and a swarm of rats, which had long made their
home in it, rushed forth, and scampered off in all directions. Even
the heathens who were in the crowd, on seeing this, began to laugh
at their god. The idol was demolished, and the pieces of it were
carried into the circus, where a bonfire was made of them; and, in
examining the temple, a number of tricks by which the priests had
deceived the people were found out, so that many heathens were
converted in consequence of having thus seen the vanity of their old
religion, and the falsehood of the means by which it was kept up.
Egypt, as you perhaps know, does not depend on rain for its crops,
but on the rising of the river Nile, which floods the country at a
certain season; and the heathens had long said that the Christians
were afraid to destroy the idols of Egypt, lest the gods should
punish them by not allowing the water to rise. After the destruction
of Serapis, the usual time for the rising of the river came, but
there were no signs of it; and the heathens began to be in great
delight, and to boast that their gods were going to take vengeance.
Some weak Christians, too, began to think that there might be some
truth in this, and sent to ask the emperor what should be done.
"Better," he said, "that the Nile should not rise at all, than that
we should buy the fruitfulness of Egypt by idolatry!" After a while
the Nile began to swell; it soon mounted above the usual height of
its flood, and the Pagans were now in hopes that Serapis was about
to avenge himself by such a deluge as would punish the Christians
for the destruction of the idol; but they were again disappointed by
seeing the waters sink down to their proper level.
The emperor's orders were executed by the destruction of the
Egyptian temples and their idols. But we are told that the bishop
of Alexandria saved one image as a curiosity, and lest people should
afterwards deny that their forefathers had ever been so foolish as
to worship such things. Some say that this image was a figure of
Jupiter, the chief of the heathen gods; others say that it was the
figure of a monkey; for even monkeys were worshipped by the
Egyptians!