CENTER GOD
Hierakonpolis Horus
Leratopolis Lions (Akeru)
Letopolis Horus
Memphis Ptah and Sekhmet
Ombo Set
Sais Neith
Tanis Set
Thebes Amun
Thinis Anhur (Onouris)
cults These were Egyptian religious practices embraced
throughout all historical periods, related to the “TIME OF
THE GODS,”the Predynastic Period before 3000 B.C.E. The
deities traditionally preceded the first pharaohs, and GEB,
OSIRIS,SUTEKH,HORUS,THOTH, and MA’AT were among
them. The symbolism of every cultic ceremony was
twofold: the rite was celebrated so that divine grace could
enter Egypt’s social and religious life, and every rite was
reenacted to repeat a divine event from “the Time of the
Gods.” At the close of the day’s services in the temples,
for example, the priests raised up a statue of Ma’at, to
denote the fact that right and truth had been established
by the ceremonies, reenacting the eras in which right and
truth were originally proclaimed on the Nile.
Such cults were unique in human history. They were
based on celestial observations of the ancient Egyptians.
The animal THEOPHANIESrepresented in the cultic rituals
were chosen for their particular strengths or virtues. The
BULLand the ram, for example, symbolized physical pow-
ers and virility. The lion, crocodile, and leopard displayed
muscular agility and savagery. The goose and cow
depicted fertility, the jackal cunning, the cobra and scor-
pion lethal power, the baboon wisdom, and the scarab
rebirth.
Cusae The ancient Egyptian site named el-Qusiya in
modern times, this was the main city of the 14th NOMEof
Upper Egypt, located just south of ’Amarna. Cusae was at
one time the southern area of the HYKSOSdomain during
the Second Intermediate Period (1640–1532 B.C.E.). A
FORTRESSwas erected on the site, taken by KAMOSE(r.
1555–1550 B.C.E.) of the Seventeenth Dynasty during
Egypt’s war of independence. The nearby necropolis of
MEIR(Mir) contained rock-carved tombs of the nomarchs
of the region, some dating to the Old (2575–2134 B.C.E.)
and Middle Kingdom (2040–1640 B.C.E.) Periods.
cylinder seals Carved seals originating in Sumeria and
entering Egypt in Predynastic times (before 3000 B.C.E.),
or in the Early Dynastic Period (2920–2575 B.C.E.), the
cylinder seals were used to imprint titles on clay objects.
Some were attached to metal handles, while others,
specifically those of the early dynasties, were handheld in
the form of a scarab. Fragments of such seals were found
at Khafr Tarkhan and elsewhere. These carried the
insignias of NARMER and AHA (Menes; r. 2920 B.C.E.).
Queen NEITHOTEP’s seals were also discovered from the
same period. Cylinder seals were made of black steatite,
serpentine, ivory, and wood. Officials suspended the seals
from cords around their necks and then impressed sym-
bols or cartouches into damp clay or other substances to
mark items as reserved for royal use. By the Middle King-
dom (2040–1640 B.C.E.) the cylinder seals were discarded
in favor of SCARABS.Cyprus (Alashya) An island in the eastern Mediter-
ranean, called Alashya by the Egyptians, noted for its
copper resources and Greek in origin, the island was con-
trolled briefly by Assyria and then by Egypt. The Persians
ruled Cyprus 525–333 B.C.E., and ALEXANDER III THE
GREATassumed control when he defeated the Persians.
PTOLEMY I SOTER(r. 304–284 B.C.E.) captured Cyprus in a
naval battle. He bequeathed it to the Ptolemaic govern-
ment, and Egypt ruled there until Rome made it part of
the province of Cilicia in 58 B.C.E.
TUTHMOSIS III(r. 1479–1425 B.C.E.) brought minerals
and wood from Cyprus to Egypt during his reign. Lion
hunting SCARABSof AMENHOTEP III(r. 1391–1353 B.C.E.)
were found in a Cyprus tomb.Cyrene A Libyan city founded by the local king Battus
and Greeks from Thera c. 630 B.C.E., the successor of Bat-
tus ruled the city until c. 440 B.C.E., with a brief period of
Persian control (525–475 B.C.E.). A democratic system of
government flourished on Cyrene after 440 B.C.E., but
ALEXANDER III THE GREATassumed control and gave the
area to the Ptolemies. In c. 74 B.C.E. the Roman province
of Cyrenaica was formed, and Cyrene became part of the
empire. Cyrene possessed a medical school and other aca-
demic institutions and attracted outstanding scholars,
such as Aristippus, the philosopher, and Erasthenes, the
geographer.Cyrene 91