Existing comment:
The Rosetta Stone
This is a plastic replica of the original 11-inch thick black basalt stone now in the British Museum. When found in 1799, the two Egyptian scripts, hieroglyphic, and demotic, had not been deciphered for centuries, but Greek had never been lost. From it Jean Champollion, a Frenchman, completely deciphered the hieroglyphics by 1832.
The stone is a copy of a decree honoring Ptolemy V at the end of the ninth year of his reign as rules of Egypt, April 4, 196 BC. The decree gives Ptolomy's titles, describes his love for his people and his country and lists benefits he had conferred on Egypt: Forgiveness of debts owed the crown; Tax reduction; Release of Prisoners; Restoration of temples and sacred buildings; etc. |