Mortality and Transience

The pyramids, crumbling palaces, and the priest's lament that 'everything vanishes, all is vanity' underscore the theme of impermanence, as even the mightiest civilizations and rulers are swallowed by time and desert sands.

The ancient ruins and tombs evoke reflections on the passage of time and the impermanence of human achievements.

The pilgrims lie motionless under dreaming-nets like mummies, awaiting dreams from Serapis who rises from the underworld, emphasizing the boundary between life and death.

The decay of Memphis and the cycle of Apis's death and rebirth highlight the transience of civilizations and life itself.

Lucius reflects on the age-old past swallowed by sands, feeling small and transient in the face of centuries of history.