DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5009#0368
342 HANDBOOK OF ABGHJEOLOQY.
their prenomen. The first sign of the oval, containing the title, is
always the disc of the sun, and this sign, as well as all the others
of ovals of this kind, is ikonographic or symbolic. In the ovals
containing proper names, on the contrary, the signs are either
entirely phonetic, or ikonographic and phonetic mixed together.
The names of Egyptian gods sometimes forming a portion of the
proper names of kings and individuals, frequently the figure itself
of the god, or his animal representative, was placed instead of
the phonetic signs which would have represented that part of
his name in the oval : thus the name of the king Thotmes is
spelt by an ibis (Thoth), and the usual signs of M and S. The
semicircle at the end of an oval denotes the name to be that of a
female.
The dates which are found with these royal legends are also of
great importance in an historical point of view, and monuments
which bear any numerical indications are exceedingly rare. These
numerical indications are either the age of the deceased on a funereal
tablet, or the number of different consecrated objects which he has
offered to the gods, or the date of an event mentioned in the in-
scription. Dates, properly so called, are the most interesting to
collect; they are expressed in hieroglyphic cyphers, single lines ex-
pressing the number of units up to nine, when an arbitrary sign
represents 10, another 100, and another 10,000.
The most celebrated Egyptian inscriptions are those of the Eosetta
stone. This stone, a tablet of black basalt, contains three inscrip-
tions, one in hieroglyphics, another in demotic or enchorial, and a
third in the Greek language. The inscriptions are to the same
purport in each, and are a decree of the priesthood of Memphis, in
honour of Ptolemy Epiphanes, about the year b.c. 196. " Ptolemy
is there styled King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Son of the gods
Philopatores, approved by Pthah, to whom Ea has given victory, a
living image of Amun, son of Ea, Ptolemy Immortal, beloved by
Pthah, God Epiphanes, most gracious. In the date of the decree
we are told the names of the priests of Alexander, of the gods
Soteres, of the gods Adelphi, of the gods Euergetse, of the gods
Philopatores, of the god Epiphanes himself, of Berenice Euergetis,
of Arsinoe' Philadelphus, and of Arsinoe' Philopator. The preamble
mentions with gratitude the services of the king, or rather of his
wise minister Aristomones; and the enactment orders that the
statue of the king shall be worshipped in eveiy temple of Egypt,
and be carried out in the processions with those of the gods of
the country; and lastly that the decree is to be carved at the
foot of every statue of the king in sacred, in common, and in
their prenomen. The first sign of the oval, containing the title, is
always the disc of the sun, and this sign, as well as all the others
of ovals of this kind, is ikonographic or symbolic. In the ovals
containing proper names, on the contrary, the signs are either
entirely phonetic, or ikonographic and phonetic mixed together.
The names of Egyptian gods sometimes forming a portion of the
proper names of kings and individuals, frequently the figure itself
of the god, or his animal representative, was placed instead of
the phonetic signs which would have represented that part of
his name in the oval : thus the name of the king Thotmes is
spelt by an ibis (Thoth), and the usual signs of M and S. The
semicircle at the end of an oval denotes the name to be that of a
female.
The dates which are found with these royal legends are also of
great importance in an historical point of view, and monuments
which bear any numerical indications are exceedingly rare. These
numerical indications are either the age of the deceased on a funereal
tablet, or the number of different consecrated objects which he has
offered to the gods, or the date of an event mentioned in the in-
scription. Dates, properly so called, are the most interesting to
collect; they are expressed in hieroglyphic cyphers, single lines ex-
pressing the number of units up to nine, when an arbitrary sign
represents 10, another 100, and another 10,000.
The most celebrated Egyptian inscriptions are those of the Eosetta
stone. This stone, a tablet of black basalt, contains three inscrip-
tions, one in hieroglyphics, another in demotic or enchorial, and a
third in the Greek language. The inscriptions are to the same
purport in each, and are a decree of the priesthood of Memphis, in
honour of Ptolemy Epiphanes, about the year b.c. 196. " Ptolemy
is there styled King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Son of the gods
Philopatores, approved by Pthah, to whom Ea has given victory, a
living image of Amun, son of Ea, Ptolemy Immortal, beloved by
Pthah, God Epiphanes, most gracious. In the date of the decree
we are told the names of the priests of Alexander, of the gods
Soteres, of the gods Adelphi, of the gods Euergetse, of the gods
Philopatores, of the god Epiphanes himself, of Berenice Euergetis,
of Arsinoe' Philadelphus, and of Arsinoe' Philopator. The preamble
mentions with gratitude the services of the king, or rather of his
wise minister Aristomones; and the enactment orders that the
statue of the king shall be worshipped in eveiy temple of Egypt,
and be carried out in the processions with those of the gods of
the country; and lastly that the decree is to be carved at the
foot of every statue of the king in sacred, in common, and in