|
|
Alexandria's District of
Beta
The Beta district was reserved for the Greek aristocracy.
Plutarch likened the shape of Alexandria to the shape of a Macedonian military cloak.
Laid out in a grid, its design was essentially Greek.
With wide avenues designed for the driving of chariots, it was divided into five districts named after the first five letters in the Greek alphabet: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon.
The Alexandrian district of Beta was where the Greek aristocracy resided.
Scientists, philosophers, politicians and the like were found in its streets. Men such as Eratosthenes, who was the royal librarian of the Great Royal Library of Alexandria, resided in this place.
He spent his days not only preserving the vast numbers of scrolls in the library but with his work on planets and our surrounding solar system.
He was the man who became known for calculating the circumference of the earth as close to the actual number as to only being 185 miles of the actually circumference. He claimed that the earth was 24,675 miles.
Eratosthenes also argued that a ship could sail from what became Spain either around Africa or directly westward and eventually reach India. This was an idea that remained unproven until the fifteenth century.
Although the religious situation of Alexandria was one that was coloured by a multitude of religions and cultures the main God of this particular Sepat remained Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of feminine love, motherhood, joy and she was also the goddess of music, dance, foreign lands and fertility; who helped women in childbirth.
She was the one of the most important and popular deities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt and she was worshiped by both Royalty and common people alike.
Hathor was also often times depicted as the “Mistress of the West” welcoming the dead into the hereafter as well as a cow goddess with head horns in which is set a sun disk with Uraeus.
The cult of Hathor pre-dates the historical period and the roots of devotion to her are therefore difficult to trace though it may be a development of predynastic cults who venerated the fertility and nature in general, represented by cows.
For a larger view of this district of Alexandria, click on the picture.
Horus Henuttawy
Credits:
Dr. Alten Müller. 1998. Ägypten Die Weltder Pharaonen.
McKay-Hill. 2004. A History of World Societies.
Background: Roseta Stone →
Images: Egyptian Clip Art→
|
The Articles of Beta:
Write an article for Beta...
The Discussions of Beta:
|
