ngue, remained, in
a modified form, as Koptic, but at about the beginning of our era the
classical Egyptian had become a dead language. No one any longer wrote
in the hieroglyphic, hieratic, or demotic scripts; in a word, the
hieroglyphic writing was forgotten. The reader of Professor Maspero's
pages has had opportunity to learn how this secret was discovered in the
nineteenth century. This information is further amplified in the present
volumes, and we see how in our own time the native Egyptian has regained
something of his former grandeur through the careful and scientific
study of monuments, inscriptions, and works of art. Thus it will appear
in the curious rounding out of the enigmatic story that the most ancient
history of civilisation becomes also the newest and most modern human
history.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

It should be explained that Doctor Rappoport, in preparing these
volumes, has drawn very largely upon the authorities who have previously
laboured in the same field, and in particular upon the works of Creasy,
Duruy, Ebers, Lavisse, Marcel, Michaud, Neibuhr, Paton, Ram-baud, Sharp,
and Weil. The results of investigations by Professor W. M. Flinders
Petrie and other prominent Egyptologists have been fully set forth and
profusely illustrated.

[Illustration: 001.jpg PAGE IMAGE]

[Illustration: 002.jpg PAGE IMAGE]

_EGYPT UNDER THE PTOLEMIES_

_ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND THE CONQUEST OF EGYPT--THE REIGNS OP THE
PTOLEMIES--GRADUAL GROWTH OF ROMAN INFLUENCE--INTRIGUES OF CLEOPATRA
WITH POMPEY, CAESAR, AND ANTONY_

_Alexander the Great in Egypt--Alexandria founded--The Greeks favour
the Jews--Ptolemy Soter establishes himself in Egypt and overcomes
Perdiccas--Struggles for Syria--Beginning of Egyptian coinage--Art and
Scholarship--Ptolemy resigns in favour of his son Philadelphus
--First treaty with Rome--Building of the Pharos--Growth of
Commerce--Encouragement of Learning--The library of Alexandria--Euclid
the geometer--Poets, astronomers, historians, and critics--The
Septuagint--Marriage of Philadelphus to his sister Arsinoe--Ptolemy
Euergetes plunders Asia--Egyptian temples enlarged--Religious
tolerance--Annual tribute of the Jews--Eratosthenes the
astronomer--Philosophy and Science--Culmination of Ptolemaic rule--The
dynasty declines under Philopator--Syrians invade Egypt; Philopator
retaliates; visits Jerusalem--The Jews persecuted--The king's
follies--Riots at Alexandria--Inglorious end o