ABSTRACT
Being the masters of Egypt by conquest, the Ptolemies looked to the doctrine of divine right for a legitimate foundation of their power. So they entered on the road opened by Alexander, and followed the traditions of the country quite naturally. For, since the earliest days of her history, Egypt had worshipped her Kings. In the Middle Kingdom (2160–1660 B.C.), the dogmas of the royal religion, probably formed chiefly under the preponderant influence of the priests of Heliopolis, were established, and were handed down from generation to generation almost unchanged, to the very end of Paganism. These dogmas have already been set forth and analysed in this series with perfect precision and clarity. 1 Here it will be sufficient to show to what extent they were adopted by the Lagids.
