philosophic and theological one. This latter transformation
started even before Christianity. For the world to which the
leaders of thought spoke had already begun to demand a
doctrine of salvation to satisfy the needs of the human soul.^1
- The persistent zeal of the Ptolemies for Greek culture
and the gathering together of seers, sages and philosophers,
made Alexandria the foremost centre of learning. The
Ptolemies thought that by so doing they could Hellenise
Egyptian thought-the goal which Alexander the Great had
aspired to after his conquest of the Mediterranean world. A
casual student might think that they had succeeded, but any
study in depth would show that, in Egypt, they failed
completely. The Egyptians were too deeply rooted in the
traditions of their own glorious past of culture and learning
to change easily. They were willing to absorb and perfect
other cultures but never at the expense of their own
nationality, or the pride of their Egyptian heritage. This
rightful pride in their brilliant past was far stronger than their
love for Greek learning. Hence, a crisis was inevitable.
Throughout the second century B.C., the Egyptians were in
continuous revolt, and the country was a prey to fire and
bloodshed. Little is known of these internal, local conflicts
except that they were marked by severe pressures and even
atrocities. In this sad venture however, the Egyptians,
though, vanquished, were, nevertheless, not quite the losers.
If they were not up to the task of overthrowing the yoke of
Greece, they remained constantly faithful to their own
heritage and never lost their national or
cultural identity.
Realising that the spirit of Egypt was rebellious
against them, the foreign rulers tried to soothe it by offering
what they thought was the remedy: the attraction and appeal
of a humane culture. But this humane culture was only