The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-29
SOME NEW BOOKS.
the Greeks In Esypt.

portant work, A Btst0Tt OF E0tpt from w
End Of the Ncolifhie Period TO tie Death O.
Cleopatra VII. by z. A. WALLIS BuDoI
Henry Frowde) scarcely any are fraugh'
with more interest for US than those which
throw light on the connection OF the pre-
classical Greeks with the Nile country. Thai
connection began long before the conquest
Of Egypt by Alexander. and for many cen
turtles the Greeks were pupils rather thar
.-ohers OF the Egyptians. Even when
suer the death OF the most celebrated OF
the Ceopatras, all that part OF the Nile
Valley which lies between the Mediterranean
and the First Cataract became . Roman
province, Hellenic influence had made no
very wide or deep impression outside Of
Alexandria and few other points In the
Delta. 1t used to be common TO speak OF
Egypt under the Ptolemies as Hellenized
State, but the truth Is that. although the
Ptolemaic Kings and the Court and most
OF the army were Greeks and spoke Greek.
the religion OF the country continued to be
purely Egyptian. and the language OF the
priesthood and Of the people remained
Egyptian. Moreover, the Ptolemies them
selves affected in public to be Egyptians,
and many OF them were crowned with all
the ancient rites and ceremonies at Mem
phis. All Of them worshipped the ancient
gods and offered up sacrifices to them, and
they even followed the example OF the
Pharaohs in marrying their own sisters and
nieces, q course which must have been ex-
tremely repugnant to the ideas OF their
Greek subjects, and could only have
been pursued for political purposes. While
with great tact, however, the Ptolemies
carried out the wishes Of the Egyptian
priesthood in religious affairs. they took
care not TO allow the priests to take any
important part in the administration OF the
country, which was carried on by Greek
officials and Ministers. But, before mark
ing In some detail the state Of things In
Egypt under the Macedonian dynasty, we
purpose to bring together some OF tho notes
relating to the earlier associations OF the
Greeks with the Nile land which We find
scattered through the last three volumes OF
this comprehensive work.
Even as early az B. c. 1900 one Of the
tribes inhabiting the islands Of the eastern
Mediterranean and the coasts OF Asia Minor,
which invaded Egypt In the reign Of Ramesss
III, has been identified with the DanAians.
That the primeval civilization Of Crete,
brought to our knowledge by recent exca-
vations. was OF Egyptian origin, 10 probable.
II was not. however, until the Egyptian
Renaissance, which began with Psam-
metichus l., the founder OF the XVI.
dynasty, that Ionian and Carian mercen-
aries began to be regularly employed by
the Pharaohs and a permanent Greek set
Element was officially tolerated In the Delta.
The Greek soldiers were stationed in great
camp at q place on the eastern border. not
far from that point on the Sues Canal which
is now called Al-Kantara. The Milesians
seem to have possessed q monopoly OF
Egyptian trade for some time. probably
until the Rhodians, Samians and Eginetans
began to compete with them for the Egyp-
tian market. Toward the end Of the reign
Of Psammetichus I. tho various Greek
factors were united into one settlement at
Naucratis. The founding Of Naucratis
opened a door into Egypt to the Greeks
through which not only artists but philos-
ophers and historiographers hooked to
examine the wonders Of the Nile Valley. |
In the seventh century B. c.. however.
there is as yet no question Of Greek infu- |
ence upon Egyptian art. The archaic |
Greek art Of the time Of Psammetichus
found no favor In the eyes of the Egyptians. |
So far from the Egyptian Artistic Of this |
period having borrowed from their Greek |
II 10 the unanimous voice |
Of tradition that Greek artistic often jour- |
neyed to the Nile land In order to learn from |
the Egyptians. II should, indeed. be bone |
In mind that the period which begins With
/. il called the Egyptian
Renaissance for the reason that its Pharaohs |!
rejected the traditions Of the eighteenth |
and nineteenth dynas.ies rendered Illus |
trious by the achievements OF Thothmes
III. and Ramesss H., and strove to repro
duoe the manners, customs and arts Of the |
Early. and 10 q osrtain extent. Of the Middle |
Empire. The names and titles held by |
officers OF State under the Twelfth and |
Fourth dynssties were revived, while the |
appellations which had been In uss under the /
New Empire went out OF fashion. Deities |
who had been greatly honored under the |
ancient dynasties. but had sunk into |
obscurity during the period Of the pre-
eminence OF Amen OF Thebes, came once |
more into popular favor. While such an /
spirit dominated the
Nile Valley II was not 10 Be- expected that /
The Hellenic foreigners would b. initiated. |
even had they deserved imitation. Az Q
matter Of fact. In the sixth century B. C., |
that In TO say. In the time Of the phil Hsllenic
King. Amasis H.. the Greek ssttlers st Maui
traits are oftsn found copying or adapting
Egyptian models; nor Was IL until Greek art
of the classical period attained its full de-
velopment In the latter half Of the fifth oen-
Jury b. C. that any marked Greek inAuenos
pn the art Of Egypt csn bs traced.
Tie Greeks having onos attained foot
hold In Egypt could no longer b. dsaisd
further sooess TO the country. and the par
hal abandonment Of Naucrstis o. Q later
Hate. owing 10 the anti-forslgn feeling AZ
Ne Egyptians developed sftsr ths desth
y Amasis II. and the TsvASss Il Camb3sse.
not IN the Withdrawal of he
Iiresks. hut in the scattering u thsls usd.
ING settlements over the Valley of the Lower
Nile Under this rule Of tks resslAns. sho
we're always tolerant toward foreigners.
and indeed. regarded ths A~ksiis NJ.
lsnss a. moro W iss. thslr osn suhIsass,
fsypi Mas made ffss 20 every Gsnst visitor;
Z sas dsrlas this Jsflod thsi nssoass,s
visited tsyP No usyslIs1 w shs kts.
pfoi,sl,ly 40 fsr - klspAAslils, ne,laS
Io, hlilseif the characteristic fssiufss n
la eoaniIp no ds~sslpslss ~ J.sl.s
NJ Llia has CONS asss 10 W, Lua iAls fsc
. ao pod thai 10 als ssi sslis sss Jis
'eooiss LsuA ~ ils hlsl.sy. eaisllsd sk,,