Abstract
Abstract
Sarapis (Serapis in Latin), a god of creation, eternal life, secret knowledge, and healing, combined the cults of Osiris and Apis (Oserapis). The new cult emerged during the Egyptian Late Period and, with the cults of his wife Isis, son Horus, and other Egyptian gods, spread across the Greco‐Roman world. Sarapis was assimilated with Dionysos, Zeus, Helios, and Asklepios, and usually was represented in Greek form as a bearded man wearing a
kalanthos
, seated on a throne, and accompanied by Cerberus. Ancient literature, inscriptions, offerings, and sanctuaries in Saqqara, Alexandria, Rome, Delos, and Carthage, provide evidence for the cult.