The Roman Emperors continued to use the religion to affect the Egyptians and stabilize their rule in Egypt, although they were not ruling from Egypt as there was the praefectus who was usually represented in the Egyptian form. During the Roman period the practices and beliefs of the sacred animals in Egypt continued but less than the Ptolemaic period and vanishes with the appearance of the Christian religion. To the eyes of the Romans, the representation of the gods in an animal form was inappropriate, in truth a scandal. This is testified by a scene by Virgil, talking about the last battle against Cleopatra, about the confrontation between the venerable divinities of Rome and the barber Orient, which is also a victory of a religious universe …show more content…
This reached us through the Acta Alexandrinorum that told us about a disputation occurred between the Alexandrians, and the Jews during the reign of Emperor Trajan. The Alexandrians here sent a deputation to Rome with some complaint against the Jews, as the latter had immediately also sent a deputation of their own. We knew also that the Alexandrians took with them the bust of Serapis. It seems that the emperor was on the side of the Jews, especially that the Empress Plotina approached the senators in order that they oppose the Alexandrians and support the Jews. The papyrus told us that while Hermaiscus was speaking to the Emperor who was talking improperly, the bust of Serapis that they carried suddenly broke into a sweat and Trajan was astounded when he saw it. Crowds soon gathered in Rome and numerous shouts rang forth, and everyone began to flee to the highest parts of the hills. This accident probably emphasizes the power of Serapis as against that of Yahweh or to show the disastrous effect that he could have on the Roman people if the Alexandrian envoys were scorned. In any case, this is a proof of using the religion in gaining a political