ism could descend. A schism now produced lengthened civil war and
alienated Egypt from the empire. The distinction between religion and
politics seemed to be lost, and the government grew weaker and weaker.
The system of local government by citizens had now entirely disappeared.
Offices, with new Byzantine names, were now almost hereditary in the
wealthy land-owning families. The Greek rulers of the Orthodox faith
were unable to protect the tillers of the soil, and these being of the
Monophysite persuasion and having their own church and patriarch, hated
the Orthodox patriarch (who from the time of Justinian onwards was
identical with the prefect) and all his following. Towards the middle of
the 5th century, the Blemmyes, quiet since the reign of Diocletian,
recommenced their incursions, and were even joined in them by the
Nobatae. These tribes were twice brought to account severely for their
misdoings, but not effectually checked. It was in these circumstances
that Egypt fell without a conflict when attacked by Chosroes (A.D. 616).
After ten years of Persian dominion the success of Heraclius restored
Egypt to the empire, and for a time it again received a Greek governor.
The Monophysites, who had taken advantage of the Persian occupation,
were persecuted and their patriarch expelled. The Arab conquest was
welcomed by the native Christians, but with it they ceased to be the
Egyptian nation. Their language is still used in their churches, but it
is no longer spoken, and its literature, which is wholly ecclesiastical,
has been long unproductive.

The decline of Egypt was due to the purely military government of the
Romans, and their subsequent alliance with the Greek party of
Alexandria, which never represented the country. Under weak emperors,
the rest of Egypt was exposed to the inroads of savages, and left to
fall into a condition of barbarism. Ecclesiastical disputes tended to
alienate both the native population and the Alexandrians. Thus at last
the country was merely held by armed force, and the authority of the
governor was little recognized beyond the capital, except where
garrisons were stationed. There was no military spirit in a population
unused to arms, nor any disinclination to be relieved from an arbitrary
and persecuting rule. Thus the Moslem conquest was easy.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.--_Hellenistic Period._--See the special articles
ALEXANDRIA, &c., and especially PTOLEMIES; J. P. Mahaffy, _The Empire
of the