Decree of Canopus

Last updated
Decree of Canopus
Kanopos Kararnamesi detay.jpg
Material Granodiorite
Size7 feet 4 inches in height
Writing Egyptian hieroglyphs, demotic, and Koine Greek script
Created238 BC
Discovered1866
Tanis, Egypt
Discovered by Karl Richard Lepsius
Present location Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt

The Decree of Canopus is a trilingual inscription in three scripts, which dates from the Ptolemaic period of ancient Egypt. It was written in three writing systems: Egyptian hieroglyphs, demotic, and koine Greek, on several ancient Egyptian memorial stones, or steles. The inscription is a record of a great assembly of priests held at Canopus, Egypt, on 7 Appellaios (Mac.) = 17 Tybi (E.g.) year 9 of Ptolemy III = Thursday 7 March 238 BC (proleptic Julian calendar). Their decree honoured Pharaoh Ptolemy III Euergetes; Queen Berenice, his wife; and Princess Berenice. [1]

Contents

Ancient Copies of the Decree

In 1866, Karl Richard Lepsius discovered at Tanis the first copy of this Decree (this copy was originally known as the 'Şân Stele'). Another copy was found in 1881 by Gaston Maspero at Kom el-Hisn in the western Nile Delta. Later on, some other fragmentary copies were found.

In March 2004, while excavating at Bubastis, the GermanEgyptian 'Tell Basta Project' archaeologists discovered yet another well preserved copy of the Decree. [2]

Importance for the decipherment of hieroglyphs

This is the second earliest of the series of trilingual inscriptions of the "Rosetta Stone Series", also known as Ptolemaic Decrees. Having a greater number of different hieroglyphs than the Rosetta Stone, the Canopus Stone has proved crucial in deciphering them. There are four such decrees:

  1. The Decree of Alexandria from 243 BC;
  2. The Decree of Canopus of Ptolemy III in 238 BC;
  3. The Decree of Memphis, for Ptolemy IV in 218 BC;
  4. The Memphis Decree (whose best-known copy is the Rosetta Stone), inscribed for Ptolemy V in 196 BC.

Contents of the inscription

The inscription touches on subjects such as military campaigns, famine relief, Egyptian religion and governmental organization in Ptolemaic Egypt. It mentions the king's donations to the temples, his support for the Apis and Mnevis cults, which enjoyed huge success in the Macedonian – Egyptian world, and the return of divine statues which had been carried off by Cambyses. It extols the king's success in quelling insurgencies of native Egyptians, operations referred to as 'keeping the peace.' It reminds the reader that during a year of low inundation, the government had remitted taxes and imported grain from abroad. It inaugurates a solar calendar with 365¼ days per year (the most accurate in the ancient world). It declares the deceased princess Berenike a goddess and creates a cult for her, with women, men, ceremonies, and special 'bread-cakes'. Lastly it orders the decree to be incised in stone or bronze in both hieroglyphs and Greek, and to be publicly displayed in the temples. [3]

The Decree of Canopus attested the existence of the ancient city of Heracleion, which is now submerged, and has only recently been excavated. The Decree informs, in its Greek version, that a synod of priests was held in the city of Heracleion during the reign of King Ptolemy I. [4]

Calendar reform

The civil Egyptian calendar had 365 days: twelve months of thirty days each and an additional five epagomenal days. According to the reform, the five-day "Opening of the Year" ceremonies would include an additional sixth day every fourth year. [5] The reason given was that the rise of Sothis advances to another day in every 4 years, so that attaching the beginning of the year to the heliacal rising of the star Sirius would keep the calendar synchronized with the seasons. [6]

This Ptolemaic calendar reform failed, but was finally officially implemented in Egypt by Augustus in 26 or 25 BC, now called the Alexandrian calendar, [7] with a sixth epagomenal day occurring for the first time on 29 August 22 BC. [8] Julius Caesar had earlier implemented a 365+14 day year in Rome in 45 BC as part of the Julian calendar.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosetta Stone</span> Egyptian stele with three versions of a 196 BC decree

The Rosetta Stone is a stele of granodiorite inscribed with three versions of a decree issued in 196 BC during the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, on behalf of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The top and middle texts are in Ancient Egyptian using hieroglyphic and Demotic scripts, respectively, while the bottom is in Ancient Greek. The decree has only minor differences across the three versions, making the Rosetta Stone key to deciphering the Egyptian scripts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ptolemy III Euergetes</span> 3rd pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt (r. 246-222 BC)

Ptolemy III Euergetes was the third pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt from 246 to 222 BC. The Ptolemaic Kingdom reached the height of its military and economic power during his kingship, as initiated by his father Ptolemy II Philadelphus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ptolemy V Epiphanes</span> 5th Pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt

Ptolemy V Epiphanes Eucharistus was the King of Ptolemaic Egypt from July or August 204 BC until his death in 180 BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of Egypt-related articles</span>

Articles related to Egypt include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canopus, Egypt</span> Ancient Egyptian town

Canopus, also known as Canobus, was an ancient Egyptian coastal town, located in the Nile Delta. Its site is in the eastern outskirts of modern-day Alexandria, around 25 kilometers (16 mi) from the center of that city. Canopus was located on the western bank at the mouth of the westernmost branch of the Delta – known as the Canopic or Heracleotic branch. It belonged to the seventh Egyptian Nome, known as Menelaites, and later as Canopites, after it. It was the principal port in Egypt for Greek trade before the foundation of Alexandria, along with Naucratis and Heracleion. Its ruins lie near the present Egyptian town of Abu Qir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deshret</span> Red crown of Lower Egypt

Deshret was the Red Crown of Lower Egypt. When combined with the Hedjet of Upper Egypt, it forms the Pschent, in ancient Egyptian called the sekhemti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raphia Decree</span> Ancient inscribed stone stela dating from ancient Egypt

The Raphia Decree is an ancient inscribed stone stela dating from ancient Egypt. It comprises the second of the Ptolemaic Decrees issued by a synod of Egyptian priests meeting at Memphis under Ptolemy IV of the Hellenistic Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt from 305 BC to 30 BC. The slab dates itself to 217 BC, and celebrates Ptolemy IV's victory at the Battle of Raphia.

Articles related to Modern Egypt include:

The Ptolemaic Decrees were a series of decrees by synods of ancient Egyptian priests. They were issued in the Ptolemaic Kingdom, which controlled Egypt from 305 BC to 30 BC. In each decree, the benefactions of the reigning pharaoh, especially towards the priesthood, are recognised, and religious honours are decreed for him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philae obelisk</span> Obelisk found at Philae, Egypt

The Philae obelisk is one of a pair of twin obelisks erected at Philae in Upper Egypt in the second century BC. It was discovered by William John Bankes in 1815, who had it brought to Kingston Lacy in Dorset, England, where it still stands today. The Greek and Egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions on the obelisk played a role in the decipherment of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heracleion</span> Ancient Egyptian city

Heracleion, also known as Thonis and sometimes called Thonis-Heracleion, was an ancient Egyptian port city located near the Canopic Mouth of the Nile, about 32 km (20 mi) northeast of Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea. It became inundated and its remains are located in Abu Qir Bay, currently 7 km (4.3 mi) off the coast, under ca. 19 ft (5.8 m) of water, and near Abukir. The sanctuary of Neith of Sais was located in Thonis. A stele found on the site indicates that late in its history the city was known by both its Egyptian and Greek names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mast (hieroglyph)</span> Egyptian hieroglyph

The ancient Egyptian Mast hieroglyph is one of the oldest language hieroglyphs from Ancient Egypt. It is used on a famous label of Pharaoh Den of the First dynasty, but forms part of the location hieroglyph: Emblem of the East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Man-prisoner (hieroglyph)</span> Egyptian hieroglyph

The ancient Egyptian Man-prisoner is one of the oldest hieroglyphs from Ancient Egypt. An iconographic portrayal from predynastic Egypt eventually led to its incorporation into the writing system of the Egyptian language. Not only rebels from towns or districts, but foreigners from battle were being portrayed.

In ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the hand symbol represented the phoneme /d/, and was also used as a determinative for actions performed as if with the hands.

The ancient Egyptian Dua hieroglyph is one of a series of language and visual hieroglyphs used from the earliest dynasties of Ancient Egypt, and that portrays men, women, ideology, and some occupations.

The ancient Egyptian Papyrus stem hieroglyph is one of the oldest language hieroglyphs from Ancient Egypt. The papyrus stalk, was incorporated into designs of columns on buildings, also facades, and is also in the iconographic art portrayed in ancient Egyptian decorated scenes.

The ancient Egyptian Branch hieroglyph, also called a Stick, is a member of the trees and plants hieroglyphs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosetta Stone decree</span> Decree passed by a council of priests, inscribed on the Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone decree, or the Decree of Memphis, is a Ptolemaic decree most notable for its bilingual and tri-scriptual nature, which enabled the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Issued by a council of priests confirming the royal cult of Ptolemy V in 196 BC at Memphis, it was written in Egyptian hieroglyphs, Egyptian Demotic and Ancient Greek. It mentions the Egyptian rebellion against the Greek rulers, otherwise known only through Greek sources and remains of graffiti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nubayrah Stele</span> Copy of the Decree of Memphis (Ptolemy V) on a limestone stele

The Nubayrah Stele is a mutilated copy of the Decree of Memphis on a limestone stele. The same decree is found upon the Rosetta Stone. From 1848, it was known that a partial copy of the Decree was on a wall at the Temple of Philae, but overwritten in many places, by scenes, or damaged.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arms-in-embrace (hieroglyph)</span> Egyptian hieroglyph

The ancient Egyptian Arms-in-embrace hieroglyph, Gardiner sign listed no. D32 is a portrayal of the embracing human arms. The hieroglyph is in the large Gardiner sign list category of Parts of the Human Body.

References

  1. Robinson Ellis, A Commentary on Catullus, Adamant Media Corporation 2005, ISBN   1-4021-7101-3, p. 295
  2. Tietze, Christian; Lange, Eva R.; Hallof, Klaus (2005). "Ein neues Exemplar des Kanopus-Dekrets aus Bubastis." Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete 51, 1, pp. 1–29.
  3. "Egyptian Texts: Canopus Decree". attalus.org. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  4. PDF file Research by Franck Goddio
  5. "Egyptian to Julian conversion: Canopic reform analysis". www.instonebrewer.com. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  6. Pfeiffer 2015, pp. 79–80 and 85–86.
  7. Marshall Clagett, Ancient Egyptian Science: A Source Book, Diane 1989, ISBN   0-87169-214-7, p. 47
  8. Chris Bennett, Egyptian Civil Calendar and table note 372

Sources