ANCIENT EGYPT. 21 



Aridaeus, seized the crown on his demise, and founded the 

 long and remarkable xxxiiird. dynasty. 



The Gr^eco-Egyptian dynasty covers a period of about 275 

 years. Letters flourished, and the celebrated library of 

 Alexandria was founded. In the reign of Ptolemy Phila- 

 delphus, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, known 

 as the Septuagint, was accomplished, and the History of 

 Egypt, written by Manetho ; and many beautiful temples were 

 built. After B.C. 205 Egypt began to come under the influence 

 of Rome. This dependence gradually strengthened, and on 

 the suicides of Antony and Cleopatra, in B.C. 20, Egypt 

 became a Roman province. The period from the accession 

 of Augustus, B.C. 27, to 640 in our era, when the Saracens 

 under Amer conquered the country, is one of great interest, 

 and more especially so in regard to the history and develop- 

 ment of the early Christian Church ; but this subject is too 

 complex and far-reaching to be even touched upon this 

 evening. 



Architecture. 



The architecture of ancient Egypt is stiff, monotonous, and 

 conventional, rather than graceful; and while massive, colossal, 

 and impressive, it lacks the beauty of outhne and sense of 

 proportion which eminently distinguishes that of Greece ; and 

 this is especially the case with all buildings of a later date 

 than those of the xiith. and xiiith. dynasties. Probably 

 there existed some priestly censorship in Egypt which would 

 tend towards rigidity and conventionality. The forms of 

 Grseco- Egyptian times would appear to have been fettered 

 and constrained by a politic regard for national types and 

 prejudices, and it is not before the Roman domination that we 

 get lighter and more graceful outlines in the palm-leaf and 

 acanthus volutes. Egypt had no definite orders of archi- 

 tecture. 



The Egyptian idea of building for all time comes nearer 

 realization than is the case with the work of any other people. 

 The office of temple architect was hereditary in Egypt. 



