Domains & Iconography
Domains: afterlife, healing, Greco‑Egyptian
Iconography: Hellenistic male with modius
Formation & Centers
Ptolemaic policy fostered Serapis at Alexandria and Memphis, leveraging Osiris‑Apis heritage with Hellenistic aesthetics. The modius (grain‑measure) atop the head signals abundance and storage—fertility civilized.
Healing & Salvation
Inscriptions and literary notices present Serapis as healer and savior; incubation (dream cures) and vows resemble Asclepian practice while grounding in Egyptian afterlife grace (Osirian).
Iconography
Bearded Hellenistic god with modius, sometimes with Cerberus‑like companion or scepter; temple art blends Greek drapery with Egyptian symbolic registers.
Legacy
Serapis became emblematic of Roman Egypt’s religious fusion. Museum portraits and statues preserve a dialogue between styles that carried Egyptian soteriology into Mediterranean idioms.