St Pancras New Church — Attraction in London

An iconic Greek revival architecture near/within the premises of University of London.

Excerpts on Ptolemy I Soter (Saviour)

Soter (acoxrip): saviour The Greek term soter meaning saviour is an epithet referenced to Ptolemy, one of the four diadochs (successors) to Alexander the Great who conceived ‘a new artificial Macedonia’ that became the Ptolemaic Dynasty in Egypt (Bevan 1927: 9).

We cannot know for sure who first called Ptolemy acoxrip] and the consensus is still the Rhodians, who were following Athenian precedent. However, it is more likely that it was his own people who did so, in 306, after the army proclaimed him king…He thus became acoxrip for saving his kingdom from the Antigonids - just as, by way of analogy, Antiochus I was named acoxrip for rescuing his people from the Gauls in 275 (Worthington 2016: 130).

Lagos (laagos): leader of the people Ptolemaic Egypt was rooted in ‘that same Greek civilization which is the parent of the modern civilization of Europe’ (Bevan 1927: 38). All the subsequent pharaohs bore the name Ptolemy after Ptolemy Lagos to distinguish the different epithets (Bevan 1927; Escolano-Poved 2023).

Collins (1997) also notes that ‘the poem of Theocritus is thus the earliest, official seal of approval of a connection between Ptolemy I and the patronym “Lagos”. It also confirms that, according to his son Ptolemy II, Ptolemy I was not fathered by Philip (457).

This genealogy does not claim that ‘Ptolemy I was fathered by Philip II’ but does prove ‘their Heraclid descent. This links them with the family of Alexander the Great, but not directly to Philip II’; ‘[a]s can be seen from translation below, Satyrus notes that Ptolemy I was of Heraclid descent through his mother Arsinoe, who was descended in the twentieth generation from Heracles’ (Collins 1927: 460).

The divine title soter (acoxrip) of Greek origin sheds light to the term saviour in the biblical history of Christianity. In the Book of Daniel, King of the South refers to Ptolemy of Egypt.

The king of the South [Ptolemy I; the South is the Ptolemaic kingdom with its chief city in Alexandria, Egypt] will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger [Seleucus, the founding king of the Seleucid kingdom with its chief city in Antioch, Syria.

And the King of the South shall be mighty, and one of his princes, and shall prevail against him, and bear rule: his dominion shall be a great dominion (Daniel 11:5 1599 Geneva Bible).

P.Eleph. 2 and P.Hib. I.84A document that the cult of Alexander was prominent at Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy. ‘Ptolemy I had possession of Alexander's corpse, presumably the centre of the cult, we can surely conclude that he shipped the body to Alexandria before his death in 282’ (Hazzard 1992: 53).

Sources: Bevan, E. R. 1927. Ptolemy I (Soter). In The House of Ptolemy. https://penelope.uchicago.edu/thayer/e/gazetteer/places/africa/egypt/_texts/bevhop/2*.html

Collins, N. L. 1997. The various fathers of Ptolemy I. Mnemosyne, 50(4), 436–476. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4432755

Daniel 11:5. n.d. Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%2011%3A5-19&version=EXB,GNV

Escolano-Poveda, M. n.d. Cleopatra VII: scholar, patron, queen. https://arce.org/resource/cleopatra-vii-scholar-patron-queen/

Hazzard, R. A. 1992. Did Ptolemy I get his surname from the Rhodians in 304? Zeitschrift Für Papyrologie Und Epigraphik, 93, 52–56. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20188734

Ptolemy I Soter I. n.d. British Museum. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG55387

Ptolemy. n.d. Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Ptolemy

Werner, R. Ptolemy I Soter. 2025. Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ptolemy-I-Soter

Worthington, I. 2016. Ptolemy I as Soter: The silence of epigraphy and the case for Egypt. Zeitschrift Für Papyrologie Und Epigraphik, 198, 128–130....

St Pancras New Church was one of the churches I had been eager to visit, as I have a deep love for exploring places of worship. While I was initially in awe of the stunning architecture and intricate interior design, there was an unsettling feeling I couldn't quite shake off. I took time to admire the beautifully crafted arched altar and the exquisite ceiling, but when I stepped onto the altar for a closer look, I was politely told off by a woman. I apologised immediately and stepped off, though I do think a clear sign indicating where not to step would have been helpful to avoid any confusion.

Despite this, I continued to explore the church, reading what I could, but my experience was further dampened when I came across a corner with a furniture for kneeling and a Bible placed before a Roman figure. As a Christian, I found this deeply troubling, as Exodus 20:4-5 clearly states: "You shall not make for yourself a carved image... you shall not bow down to them nor serve them." Bowing or kneeling before anything other than God goes against our faith, and this moment really detracted from my experience.

The crypt area at the back also felt somewhat off to me, and at that point, I decided to leave. I pray that my perceptions are mistaken, because churches should be sacred spaces that solely honour Christ. While the church’s beauty is undeniable, the experience left me feeling conflicted, and I hope future visitors find a sense of peace here that I...

The St. Pancras Parish Church is an interesting church to see if you happen to be in the Euston / King's Cross area of London. Not to be confused with the St. Pancras Old Church, which predates this church by several centuries, the St. Pancras New Church was built more recently between 1819-1822 by William and Henry William Inwood.

This church was constructed as a Greek revival style based on the design of the Erectheum on the Acropolis in Athens. It features a western portico fronted by six large ionic columns and a octagonal shaped tower, which is supposed to be a copy of the Greek building - the Tower of Wings. On the northern side of the church, best seen from Euston Road, are four caryatid statues, a classic Greek image of draped female figures. You can see the originals from Erectheum (Acropolis) in the nearby British Museum if interested.

The interior of the church is less memorable but worth a quick look as well. The nave is simple and humble in decor, featuring nice stained-glass windows, an unpretentious wooden pulpit and alter area. There is also a crypt on the premises.

Overall, we liked our quick stop at the St. Pancras Parish church. Having seen the Acropolis collection found in the nearby British Museum, it was sort of interesting seeing Greek influences on this early 19th...