Serapis
Serapis
What do you do when you’re the king of Greeks and Egyptians, and you’re trying to help them get along? If you answered “invent a new god combining the biggest gods from each group,” you might be Ptolemy I Soter. (And if you are, we’d like to know—you’re what, 2300 years old now? Wow.) Serapis is a god, but he’s 100% made up, a combo of two great—and previously separate—things. Think peanut butter and jelly, but with Zeus and Osiris (and a helping of other Egyptian and Greek gods for extra goodness) instead.
Basic Information
| Name | Serapis (Osiris-Apis, Wesir-Hap, Sarapi(s)) |
| Nickname | The Unknown God, Osiris Reborn, Lord of Heaven, Big Beard, The New Boss |
| Sex | Male |
| Current city | Alexandria |
Work & Education
| Occupation | A god Greeks and Egyptians can worship together |
| Education | Osiris and Zeus are great teachers |
Beliefs
| Political views | I am lord of all |
Family & Friends (& Enemies)
| Parents | Kronos and Rhea (Greek side); Geb and Nut (Egyptian side) |
| Siblings | Horus the Elder, Seth (Typhon on the Greek side), Isis, Nephthys |
| Children | Harpocrates (Greek side), Horus the Younger (Egyptian side), sometimes Cerberus |
| Friends | Hermanubis, Dionysus (Bacchus), Amun, Hades (Pluto), Zeus (Jupiter) |
| Enemies | Typhon (Seth) |
Relationships
| Relationship status | Married to Isis |
| Interested in | Ladies |
Favorites
| Quotations | “I am the bull god.” – Kid Rock “The wine urges me on, the bewitching wine, which sets even a wise man to singing and to laughing gently and rouses him up to dance and brings forth words which were better unspoken.” – Homer, The Iliad “To cement a new friendship, especially between foreigners or persons of a different social world, a spark with which both were secretly charged must fly from person to person, and cut across the accidents of place and time.” – Cornelia Otis Skinner “When kingdom come, you ready?” – Jay-Z “Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.” – Seneca |
| Books | Medea by Euripides It’s hard to be a foreigner sometimes. "Ode on a Grecian Urn" by John Keats Greek art is rather appealing, don’t you think? The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss And now I am ready and willing to bet that Bartholomew’s not found a modius yet… The Epic of Gilgamesh by Sinleqqiunninni Now these guys know how to rock the beard. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Mmmm, grapes. Isis and Serapis in Roman Society by Samuel Dill Rome was nice. Great pizza. Religion in Roman Egypt by David Frankfurter I love reading about the temples they made for my wife, Isis. The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern Mind by Arthur Reid I miss home. Alexandria Rediscovered by Jean-Yves Empereur, Stephane Compoint, and Margaret Maehler My Alexandria sunk, but this French team is dragging it all back out of the water. How cool is that? Cleopatra Rules! The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen by Vicky Alvear Shecter She wasn’t as pretty as everyone thinks she was, but I still liked her a lot. |
| Music | "Treasure" by Bruno Mars "Isis" is my treasure. "Sail": Only way to get north from Alexandria! (Sailing, not aliens like in this video.) "Sun King" by The Beatles: Is it about Ra, or me? No idea. I still like it. "Touch Me" by The Doors: Jim Morrison reminds me of Dionysus. Would’ve been a great drinking buddy! What a gorgeous voice Lana Del Rey has. I could listen to her all day, at least until Isis starts singing. I have a soft spot for classical music, too. Have you ever listened to Tchaikovsky? The "Waltz of the Flowers" from the Nutcracker Suite is beyond beautiful. "Best Song Ever" by One Direction: Is it the best song ever? No. But it is catchy. "Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag" by James Brown: I have a brand new hat. Does that count? |
| Movies | Alexander You’re right: It's a terrible movie. These actors are far more entertaining (and beautiful) than the people they play. Troy What can I say? Isis and I love to watch the prettiest fall of Troy story ever. Harpocrates (Horus the Younger, for you Egyptians) loves to watch the Percy Jackson films, and, well, we’re happy to watch them with him. I wish we had something like Monsters University to send Cerberus to. Then again, he doesn’t seem to have a problem being scary. Pinocchio Like Pinocchio, I wished to be a real boy when I grew up. Ptolemy I Soter gave me my dream. The Scorpion King Kingship, Egyptian-style. I wanted to try out for The Avengers, but they already had a god on the team. |
| TV Shows | Rome is a big favorite in our household. Imaginative stories like Once Upon a Time are lots of fun. I had to stop watching Game of Thrones—it reminded me too much of work in Alexandria with all those Ptolemies. Duck Dynasty! Look at the beards! I’m in love. |
Activities & Interests
| Likes | Craft beers Greeks and Romans Lasagna Hiking with my son, Harpocrates Diplomacy |
| Activities | Measuring grain (with my handy modius hat) Ballroom dancing with my elegant wife, Isis Grape stomping with Dionysos and Pan on the weekends in the fall Walking my three-headed dog Ruling everything and everybody |
| Interests | World peace Exotic pets Syncretic gods Beards Opera |
| Groups | Ancient Egyptian Gods Egyptian Mythology Serapis (band) The Library of Alexandria Syncretism |