Schiller's ballad, dating from 1795, treats an Egyptianizing motif very much en vogue at that time: the mysteries of Isis and the 'Egyptian initiation'. The plot of the ballad, however, is not traditional, but Schiller's own combination of several Classical passages. What drew Schiller's attention to ancient Egypt which does not seem to play any role his other works? What could it mean to him? The lecture tries to show that Schiller treats the 'veiled image at Sais' as an allegory ...