Marcus Aurelius and the Mysterious Serapis Cult

Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History · Oct 9, 2026 · 7m · transcript

While most histories focus on Marcus Aurelius’s wars on the Danube or his internal philosophical struggles, this episode explores a different kind of battle: one fought in the temples of Rome. We dive into the rise of the Serapis cult during his reign, examining how this syncretic deity—blending Egyptian Osiris with Greek Zeus—became a central figure in imperial religion. Through the lens of the Temple of Serapis in Rome and its counterpart in Alexandria, we look at how Marcus navigated the tension between traditional Roman state religion and these newer, more personal mystery cults. We…