The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-29

could undsrstand them. The increase 81
their power gave rise 10 Egypt TO an sufi-
Semitic fesling and Greeks and Egyptian
, were drawn together by q common dislike
for the Jew. The wilful ISOLATION Of the
Israelite kept him aloof from the rest OF
the population, whsrcas the Greeks and the
Macedonians mingled moro and more with
the native Egyptians. until intermarrisge
became common among them, and until
In the documents OF the period are
found Greek. Macedonian and Egyptian
names attributed indisoriminas ely to sin
gle family. Tho popular aversion to the
Jews often found expression In the san
culinary riots which occurred from time
to timS In Alexandria. but In some Of these
the Jews wsre the a&gressou.
Inasrnuch as In private life King. court.
Ministry. the military officers and most
OF the soldiers were Greeks, 1t inevitably
followed that Hellenic literature end art
invaded Egypt In the Ptolsunaio period.
For long time, however. Greek ideas on
these subjects were confined to the people
OF Greek descent. The native Esyptians
had daily before theif eyes temples and
other buildings erected In the Greek style,
and became accustomed TO the sight OF
the leaves Of their native papyrus being
inscribed In Greek characters with the
MASTERPIECES Of Greek literature: but 10
cannot b said that the majority OF the
people had begun to appreciate these
things until the end Of the Ptolemsic period.
ct which time. also. intsrmarrtages between
Greeks and Egyptians became especially
frequent. The mixed styles Of art known
a. Greoo-Esyptisn hardly belong 10 the
Ptolemsic period 1t all; they date. generally
! speaking. from the early Roman period.
Under the Ptolemys q hard and fast line
still separated Greek from Egyptian art.
and, when q temple was erected by the
| Greek King In honor Of his Egyptian gods.
Its style and ornamentation were purely
! Egyptian. Very rare were the instances
| Of Greek Interference with Egyptian con-
/ ventions In the matter Of temple decora-
| ton.
The Egyptian literature Of the Ptolemaic
| period. like the art. was In no way fashioned
! upon Greek models. and Greek influence
does not appear to any great extent In either
| until Roman times. The native literature
consisted chiefly Of popular tales which
were based on ancient originals and were
written down In the Denote character.
Entire or partial copies Of the Ssite re-
soension Of the Book Of the Dead'-that
10 TO say tho resoension made under the
saite dynasty during the Egyptian Renais-
sanoe-continued to be made for funereal
purposes, but at this time the copy was
often written in Denote. and when linear
hieroglyphs are employed. they have
the peculiarly ungraceful appearance
characteristic Of the Ptolemaic period
whom the scribes seem to have compre-
hanAo1 he r<llxr varI nj xrhst kou
writing. 1t IL . moot point, indeed, how
stood the hieroglyphic texts which were
inscribed on the walls OF the temples and
on stele and other public monuments.
DR.. Bulge for his part deems II more than
probable that they never had been able
to read them. In the Ptolemaic period
it Is certain that no one could read the
hieroglyphic inscriptions, with the ex-
oeption OF . few priests and scribes who
were interested in antiquarian studies.
The better classes Of the people generally
used the Denote character. which was
understood by nearly every one. just az
under the New Empire the foremen Of
the temple artisans could read and write
the hisratio character. The result OF the
study Of the hieroGlyphio scripts becoming
connneu 70 small company OF toArne0
men was that the writing became modified
by pedantic ideas and erroneous theories.
the ultimate eject being that. by the time
the Roman period is reached. the use and
sgnifcation Of many signs were 70 much |
altered that an Egyptian OF the Ramessid !
period would have had great difhculty In |
understanding the parody which passed I,
for hieroglyphic writing under the later /
Ptolsmies and the Romans. IL may also be |
noted that at this period the hieroglyphcs ,
on the walls Of temples are always in relief. !
instead Of being incused or sunk. change
due to the archaizing spirit in art, which. I
~ we have said. grew up under the Twenty !
sixth Dynasty, for hieroglyphics were often !
cut In whole relief under the earliest dy-
nasties. Another curious fact is that the
scarab was now no longer used as seal:
the non-use Of Il for this purpose seems to
date from the end OF the Twenty-sixth |,
Dynasty. Under the restored native king
dom OF the Nsctanebids (Thirtieth Dynasty.
fourth century B. c. the scarab seems to
have been used ~ funereal amulet. In
general. the Ptolsmsio monumental art 10
marked BY considerable alteration from
thu nfvlN vonvie n0doF thu NArtA nQhid