The Decrees of Memphis and Canopus: Vol. II (Routledge Revivals)

The Rosetta Stone

E. A. Wallis Budge

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN:
  9781138789746
• eBook ISBN:
  9781317654872
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Ancient History
• Index: History

This is the second of three volumes exploring some of the most remarkable insights into Ancient Egypt to have come to light in modern times. The first two volumes deal with the Rosetta Stone, an outstanding archaeological discovery which has supplied the basis for Egyptian decipherment; the final volume explores the "Stele of Canopus", discovered in 1866.

The significance of the Rosetta Stone lies in the three different languages inscribed on it: Koine Greek, Demotic Egyptian, and, crucially, Hieroglyphic. This has facilitated a vast increase in our understanding of the sacred language of Ancient Egypt, as well as enhancing our understanding of the nature of kingship at a time of immense cultural transformation.

First published in 1904, this title provides an accessible general introduction to this fascinating subject, useful for the amateur enthusiast as well as undergraduate students.

THE

ROSETTA STONE

CHAPTER I.

ROSETTA STONE.

THE FRAGMENTS OF THE LAST FOURTEEN LINES OF THE HIEROGLYPHIC TEXT AND THEIR EQUIVALENTS IN GREEK COMPARED

CHAPTER II.

LATIN AND FRENCH TRANSLATIONS OF THE HIEROGLYPHIC TEXT OF THE ROSETTA STONE

I.—BRUGSCH’S LATIN TRANSLATION.¹

2 sanctitas sua regia in duobus mundis (i.e. Aegypto) pariter a vestibus byssinis datis regis domo a templis ……… dies, et constitutae vestis illis …….

3 …… sacellum domini gubernatoris. Praeterea dandis iis ….. Cor ejus ivit pro sanctis rebus eorum per omne tempus, dedit omnia alia, quibus indigebant (?) ad condienda corpora eorum, magna et magnifica, dedit divitias illis et domos divinas …..

4 argentum frumentum multa, et omnia alia secundum multitudinem eorum pro domo nutrimenti (i.e. horreo) Apidis viventis et facta est (domus) splendida per sanctitatem suam exstructione (aedificiorum) confecta in pulchritudine et bonitate ilia (et) velaminibus pretiosis; fecit illustrem Apidem erigendo illi domos divinas, adyta, altaria ……

5 ….. venerabiles, imitantes dederunt ei dii (et) deae ditionem, victoriam, vitam, valetudinem, robur et omnia alia bona in magnitudine eorum, ut potestas ejus magna maneat apud eum et liberos ejus semper. Atque fortuna bona ivit in cor sacerdotum templorum Aegypti superioris et inferioris secundum multitudinem eorum …..

6 et illos deorum Soterum genitorum patrum eorum per legem, ut collocetur imago regis Aegypti superioris et inferioris (Ptolemaei viventis semper, a Ptah amati) dei manifest}, domini optimi, ut appelletur nomen ejus : Ptolemaeus ultor terrae Ug’a (i.e.) videtur in qui Ptolemaeus …….

7 domibus terrae totius in nomine suo faciant ministeria his imaginibus tribus vicibus per diem, et (ut) faciant dare cult am divinum penes eas, (ut) perficiant caerimonia constituta in iis colendis, sicuti fiunt diis terrae canalium in panegyribus templorum terrarum et die(bus) festis etiam fiat dies in nomine ejus, per statutum (ut) Alius gubernator regis Aegypti [Ptolemaei] …..

8 [aediculam] venerabilem in puro auro et refertam duro lapide?? in portis clomus terrae totius in nomine suo … in cella sancta cum aediculis deorum terrarum canalium; quando est dies panegyrium magnarum, (quo) conspicitur deus in cella sua venerabili, in suo die ducentibus (eum), per statutum (ut) fiat visio aediculae venerabilis dei manifesti, domini optimi, cum iis, atque (ut) distinguatur aedicula haec in tempus ……

9 …… auri supra hanc aediculam ad similitudinem insignium regiorum facta, quae sunt supra aediculas; sit diadema in medio, quia sanctitas divina fulgebat eo intrans in domum dei Ptah quum fieret, ut darentur illi caerimonia quando rex iniit templum ad accipiendam potestatem suam magnam ; per statutum, ut detur in loco superiori tetragoni, quod est circa has coronas in medio diadematis hujus ……..

10 …… ornata, apparet hie dominus diadematum, qui fecit illustrem Aegyptum superiorem et inferiorem. Quo...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Original Title Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Illustrations
• Chapter I. The Fragments of the Last Fourteen Lines of the Hieroglyphic Text on the Rosetta Stone and Their Equivalents in Greek Compared
• Chapter II. Latin and French Translations of the Hieroglyphic Text of the Rosetta Stone
• Chapter III. The Demotic Text of the Rosetta Stone
• Chapter IV. English Rendering of the Demotic Text of the Rosetta Stone
• Chapter V. German and French Translations of the Demotic Text of the Rosetta Decree
• Chapter VI. The Greek Text of the Rosetta Stone
• Chapter VII. The Greek Text of the Rosetta Stone—in Uncials
• Chapter VIII. English Translations of the Greek Text of the Rosetta Stone
• Chapter IX. French, Latin, German, and Italian Translations of the Greek Text of the Decree of Rosetta