Wilkinson, John Gardner: Topographie of Thebes, and general view of Egypt: being a short account of the principal objects worthy of notice in the valley of the Nile, to the second cataracte and Wadi Samneh, with the Fyoom, Oases and eastern desert, from Sooez to Bertenice (London, 1835)

Chap. I.] ERRORS IN READING PTOLEMAIC NAMES. 87

whose form bears so sepulchral a character, and which
could not have been introduced at a later period.

On examining the sculptures of this building,
every one acquainted with hieroglyphics, and the
succession of the Ptolemaic kings, will be surprised
at the following remarks of M. Champollion*:—
" It is established," says that savant, " that the
dedication of this edifice was made by the fifth
of the Ptolemies," and that the name of the " king
Ptolemy Epiphanes, in whose reign the dedication
of the monument took place" is contained in the
dedicatory formula on " the frieze of the pronaos,"
commencing, " The king, the god Epiphanes"
&c, though he allows the " restoration" of the
sanctuary to contain the name of " Euergetes II.
and his two wives" mentioned above. I must first
observe, that these ovals of Euergetes II. are pre-
cisely the same as those contained in the dedication.
Secondly, that the title of Epiphanes is not that in
the oval, where the Ptolemaic cognomens, as I have
before observed, are not admitted; and that this
title, like all those of the Ptolemies, should have
followed the oval, if it alluded to Epiphanes, instead
of which, we find that of gods Philometores,
translated by M. Champollion " cherished of the
gods and of the goddess mothers." And, lastly, that
the circumstance of Philometor having, as usual, in-
troduced that title, which when following the oval

* Literary Gazette, 135.