Note su Iside 'Signora del Mare' tra Egitto e Mediterraneo antico

During the Hellenistic and the Roman period, Isis became the Lady of the sea, a composite and multilayered figure. The Egyptian goddess had important relationships with the flood of the Nile and the fecundity, but not original marine features. Through the time her figure acquired some hathoric peculiarities. The goddess Hathor, since very ancient times, was identified with the Lady of Byblos, important town on the Mediterranean sea (Lebanon). Moreover Hathor was the daughter of the primordial ocean Nun and was recognized as the Phoenician Astarte and the Greek Aphrodite. The figure of deified queen Arsinoe Philadelphos, sister and wife of Ptolemy II, shows some interesting features for our research. It was elaborated in the framework of the dynastic cult and could contribute to the creation and the diffusion of the divine figure of Isis as Lady of the sea, because of her identification with Isis and Aphrodite and her cult widespread around the Mediterranean sea. At the same time, the image of the deified queen was characterized by the double cornucopia, symbol of fecundity, and she assumed also the role of Tyche. Likewise Isis as Lady of the sea acquired two important features as protector of sailors and Lady of fecundity. Alexandria was very important in the development of this divine figure, but also other Egyptian towns in the Delta could contribute to its formation and diffusion. A short excursus on the archaeological remains from some interesting sites of the Delta is presented.