Benson, Margaret; Gourlay, Janet: The temple of Mut in Asher: an account of the excavation of the temple and of the religious representations and objects found therein, as illustrating the history of Egypt and the main religious ideas of the Egyptians (London, 1899)

282

THE TEMPLE OF MUT.

[part iv.

policy of the 26th dynasty saved Egypt now from
being treated as an ordinary conquest, and the
succession of Ptolemies who ruled for three hundred
years after Alexander's death adopted wholesale
the national usages. To give some semblance of
reality to their kingship they played the Pharaoh in
architecture, religion and outward observance, but
their assumption of the Egyptian manner is merely
a fancy dress, and carries no conviction. From an
archaeological point of view the adjective " Ptole-
maic " withers an Egyptian building. These Greek
princes built largely throughout Egypt proper, and
the best-preserved temples now existing—Denderah,
Edfu, Philae—are their work. Careful copies of
Egyptian temples, they are elaborate, magnificent,
and dead.

Three of the Ptolemies made small additions to
the temple of Mut, in such a way as to show that it
was standing intact in their time. At the southern
b.c. end Ptolemy Philadelphia built against the outer
4/' wall a small shrine of three tiny chambers, which
jutted from the main building, and had a flight of
steps leading down to the lake (plan x, y, z).
He also lengthened the gateway of Seti II. before
the first court (Pylon I.).

Philadelphus seems to have been truly Greek in
his desire for learning. Me caused the Egyptian
priest known as Manetho to compile a history of
P-gypt from all the records then existing. Of this
unique book only a few fragments, containing