The Depiction of Apis in the Greco- Roman Tombs of Egypt

The bulls‟ cult was well known during the Greco-Roman in Egypt, especially the bull Apis. Memphis was his main cult
center, where his cult was associated with the chief god Ptah, and a priest responsible for both cults. Furthermore,
Memphis also contains subterranean galleries for the dead mummified bulls as Osir- Apis. The Ptolemies paid a great
attention to the cult of Apis and shared the coronation of the New Apis, and the funeral of the dead one. They integrated
the cult of Serapis, the chief god of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, as the Hellenization form of the Egyptian Osirified Apis
bull. Moreover, The Romans paid respect to the cult of Apis inside Egypt, and outside either. Apis‟s prominence during
the Greco-Roman period added him new aspects in both funeral and burial customs. The research tries to identify the
new attributes of Apis in the Greco-Roman tombs as a funerary god, besides, other roles initiated from his integration
with other gods. Apis was a main figure not only in the decorated Greco-Roman tombs of Egypt, but also upon the
stelae, the Mummy Coffins and Mummy Cartonage of Egypt. He appeared as a burial god; equated with Osiris and
Dionysos. His association with Serapis in the Hellenistic Egypt represented him as the protector of the kingship of
Egypt. Ptolemaic and Roman rulers depicted themselves under his respect, and either spread to the Hellenistic world
with Isis as her husband. In addition, his cult appeared in the Roman Isaeums in Rome, and the other Hellenistic
temples consecrated for her with the Egyptian figure as a bull. Apis was the carrier of the deceased in the netherworld,
and he appeared in the judgment‟s court of the deceased. He either performed the role of Isis and Nephtys as the
deceased ‟s guardians in his tomb, as they did with Osiris, and as protectors of the fetish of Abydos.