Cook, Arthur B.: Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 1): Zeus god of the bright sky (Cambridge, 1914)

The Oasis of Siwah

377

in Arabic geographers1. The Arabs obtained possession of Egypt
and presumably of the Oases also in the seventh century. A
certain king Kofthim—we are told—built two towns in remote
Oases and equipped them with palaces, fountains, pools, brazen
pillars and magic idols : the traveller who set eyes upon the idols
stood rooted to the spot until he died, unless one of the natives
released him by blowing in his face2. Another king Ssa, son of
Assad, established a town in a distant Oasis (probably that of
Amnion), which was attacked in 708 A.D. by Musa, son of Nosseir.
Musa marched his troops for seven days through the desert, but
found the town protected by walls and gates of brass. He made
a futile attempt to take it, and was forced to retire with heavy
losses3. In 943—944 A.D. the king of the Oases was Abdelmelik
Ben Meruan, of the Lewatah tribe, who had several thousand riders
under his command. Seven years later the king of the Nubians
came, explored the Oases, and carried off many prisoners. The
devastation must have been great; for Edrisi, the Geographus
Nubiensis, says that in his day (s. xii) the small Oases had no in-
habitants, though water, trees, and ruined buildings were still to be
seen4. It was otherwise with the Oasis of Santariah or Siwah,
which in Edrisi's time was occupied by Mohammedans with a resi-
dent Imam5. Abulfeda (1273—1331 A.D.) describes the Oases with
their palm-groves and springs as islands in the sand6. Makrisi
(1364—1441 A.D.) has more to say :

'The town Santariah forms part of the Oases and was built by Minakiush,
one of the old Coptic Kings, founder of the town Achmim.... He built it
(Santariah) in the form of a square of white stone. In each wall there was
a gate, from which a street led to the opposite wall. Each of these streets
had gates right and left, leading to streets that traversed the town. In the
middle of the town was a circus surrounded by seven rows of steps and crowned
by a cupola of laquered wood resting on costly marble columns. In the middle
of the circus rose a marble tower supporting a statue of black granite, which
every day turned on its axis, following precisely the course of the sun. Under
the dome on every side figures were suspended, which whistled and spoke in
diverse languages. On the highest step of the circus the king took his place,
and beside him his sons, his kinsfolk, and the princes. On the second step sat
the high priests and the viziers ; on the third, the commanders of the army ; on

1 These were collected by Langles ' Memoire sur les oases d'apres les auteurs arabes'
in F. C. Hornemann Voyages dans Piritirieur de FAfrique Paris 1802 Appendice no. 2,
and are conveniently summarised by G. Parthey ' Das Orakel und die Oase des Amnion'
in the Abh. d. berl. Akad. 1862 Phil.-hist. Classe p. 172 f.

2 Langles op. cit. ii. 364, Parthey op. cit. p. 172.

3 Langles op. cit. ii. 368, Parthey op. cit. p. 172.

4 Langles op. cit. ii. 350, Parthey op. cit. p. 172.

5 Langles op. cit. ii. 398, Parthey op. cit. p. 172.

6 Abulfeda descr. Aeg. p. 4 Michaelis, Parthey op. cit. p. 172.