ogmatic
disputes--Council of Nicaea and the first Nicene Creed--Athanasian
and Arian controversies--Founding of Constantinople--Decline
of Alexandria--Imperial appointments in the Church--Religious
riots--Triumphs of Athanasius--Persecution by Bishop George of
Cappadocia--Early mission work--Development of the monastic
system--Text of the Bible--The monks and military service--Saracenic
encroachments--Theodosius overthrows Paganism--Destruction of the Great
Library--Pagan and Christian literature--Story of Hypatia--The Arabs
defeat the Romans--The Koptic New Testament--Egypt separated from
Rome--The Council of Chalcedon--Paganism restored in Upper Egypt--The
Henoticon--The writings of Hierocles--Relations with Persia--Inroads of
the Arabs--Justinian's fiscal reforms--Coinage restored--The Persians
enter Egypt. The Life of Muhammed--Amr conquers Egypt--The legend of
Omar and the Great Library--The founding of Fostat--The Christians
taxed--Muhammedan oppression in Egypt--The Ommayad and Abbasid
dynasties--Caliph Harun er-Rashid--Turkish bodyguards--Rise of the
Tulunite Dynasty--Office of Prince of Princes--Reign of Muhammed
el-Ikshid--War with Byzantium--Fatimite Caliphs--The Ismailians and
Mahdism--Reign of Mustanssir--Turkish Rapacity--End of the Fatimite
Rule._

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CHAPTER I--EGYPT UNDER THE ROMAN EMPIRE

_The Roman dominion on the Nile: Settlement of the Egyptian frontiers:
Religious developments: Rebellions._

Augustus began his reign in Egypt in B.C. 30 by ordering all the statues
of Antony, of which there were more than fifty ornamenting the various
public buildings of the city, to be broken to pieces; and it is said
he had the meanness to receive a bribe of one thousand talents from
Archibus, a friend of Cleopatra, that the queen's statues might be
left standing. It seems to have been part of his kingcraft to give the
offices of greatest trust to men of low birth, who were at the same time
well aware that they owed their employments to their seeming want of
ambition. Thus the government of Egypt, the greatest and richest of the
provinces, was given to Cornelius Gallus.

Before the fall of the republic the senate had given the command of the
provinces to members of their own body only; and therefore Augustus, not
wishing to alter the law, obtained from the senate for himself all those
governments which he meant to give to men of lower rank. By this legal
fiction,