by the honors of Serapis; and the insults
which he offered to an ancient temple of Bacchus, [4411] convinced the
Pagans that he meditated a more important and dangerous enterprise.
In the tumultuous capital of Egypt, the slightest provocation was
sufficient to inflame a civil war. The votaries of Serapis, whose
strength and numbers were much inferior to those of their antagonists,
rose in arms at the instigation of the philosopher Olympius, [45] who
exhorted them to die in the defence of the altars of the gods. These
Pagan fanatics fortified themselves in the temple, or rather fortress,
of Serapis; repelled the besiegers by daring sallies, and a resolute
defence; and, by the inhuman cruelties which they exercised on their
Christian prisoners, obtained the last consolation of despair. The
efforts of the prudent magistrate were usefully exerted for the
establishment of a truce, till the answer of Theodosius should determine
the fate of Serapis. The two parties assembled, without arms, in the
principal square; and the Imperial rescript was publicly read. But
when a sentence of destruction against the idols of Alexandria was
pronounced, the Christians set up a shout of joy and exultation, whilst
the unfortunate Pagans, whose fury had given way to consternation,
retired with hasty and silent steps, and eluded, by their flight or
obscurity, the resentment of their enemies. Theophilus proceeded to
demolish the temple of Serapis, without any other difficulties, than
those which he found in the weight and solidity of the materials: but
these obstacles proved so insuperable, that he was obliged to leave the
foundations; and to content himself with reducing the edifice itself to
a heap of rubbish, a part of which was soon afterwards cleared away, to
make room for a church, erected in honor of the Christian martyrs.
The valuable library of Alexandria was pillaged or destroyed; and near
twenty years afterwards, the appearance of the empty shelves excited the
regret and indignation of every spectator, whose mind was not totally
darkened by religious prejudice. [46] The compositions of ancient
genius, so many of which have irretrievably perished, might surely
have been excepted from the wreck of idolatry, for the amusement and
instruction of succeeding ages; and either the zeal or the avarice of
the archbishop, [47] might have been satiated with the rich spoils,
which were the reward of his victory. While the images and vases of gold