Chapter I: Front Matter

HISTORY OF EGYPT

From 330 B.C. to the Present Time

By S. RAPPOPORT, Doctor of Philosophy, Basel; Member of the Ecole Langues Orientales, Paris; Russian, German, French Orientalist and Philologist

VOL. XI.

Containing over Twelve Hundred Colored Plates and Illustrations

THE GROLIER SOCIETY

PUBLISHERS, LONDON

Dam at Aswan

THE ROMAN, CHRISTIAN, AND ARABIC PERIODS

_THE ROMAN ADMINISTRATION IN EGYPT--THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY--THE ARIAN CONTROVERSY--THE GROWTH OF MONASTICISM--THE DECLINE OF ALEXANDRIA--THE ARAB INVASION AND THE SPREAD OF MUHAMMEDANISM--THE ARAB DYNASTIES._

_Augustus remodels the government of Egypt--A new calendar introduced--Egypt surveyed--Dissension between Jews and Greeks at Alexandria--Strabos visit--The Egyptian religion at Rome--Wise administration of Tiberius--The rise of the Therapeutæ--Lake Mæris destroyed--The origin of Chemistry--The fable of the Phoenix--Christianity introduced--Fiscal reforms under Galba--Vespasian in Egypt--Fall of Jerusalem--The Nile Canal restored--Hadrians voyage up the Nile--Death of Antinous--Christians and Gnostics--Astrology and Astronomy--Roman roads in Egypt--Commerce and Sports--The Growth of Christianity--Severus visits Egypt--The massacre of the Alexandrians--Ammonius Saccas and the Alexandrian Platonists--The School of Origen--Rise of Controversy--Decline of Commerce--Zenobia in Syria--Growing importance of the Arabs--Revolt and recapture of Alexandria--Persecution of the Christians under Diocletian--Introduction of the Manichean heresy._

_Constantine the Great converted--Privileges of the clergy--Dogmatic disputes--Council of Nicæa and the first Nicene Creed--Athanasian and Arian controversies--Founding of Constantinople--Decline of Alexandria--Imperial appointments in the Church--Religious riots--Triumphs of Athanasius--Persecution by Bishop George of Cappadocia--Early mission work--Development of the monastic system--Text of the Bible--The monks and military service--Saracenic encroachments--Theodosius overthrows Paganism--Destruction of the Great Library--Pagan and Christian literature--Story of Hypatia--The Arabs defeat the Romans--The Koptic New Testament--Egypt separated from Rome--The Council of Chalcedon--Paganism restored in Upper Egypt--The Henoticon--The writings of Hierocles--Relations with Persia--Inroads of the Arabs--Justinians fiscal reforms--Coinage restored--The Persians enter Egypt. The Life of Muhammed--Amr conquers Egypt--The legend of Omar and the Great Library--The founding of Fostât--The Christians taxed--Muhammedan oppression in Egypt--The Ommayad and Abbasid dynasties--Caliph Harun er-Rashid--Turkish bodyguards--Rise of the Tulunite Dynasty--Office of Prince of Princes--Reign of Muhammed el-Ikshid--War with Byzantium--Fatimite Caliphs--The Ismailians and Mahdism--Reign of Mustanssir--Turkish Rapacity--End of the Fatimite Rule._