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==Memphis decree and its context== {{Main|Rosetta Stone decree}} The stele was erected after the [[coronation]] of King [[Ptolemy V Epiphanes|Ptolemy V]] and was inscribed with a decree that established the divine cult of the new ruler.<ref name="Cracking25">[[#Parkinson69|Parkinson et al. (1999)]] p. 25</ref> The decree was issued by a congress of priests who gathered at [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]]. The date is given as "4 Xandikos" in the [[Ancient Macedonian calendar|Macedonian calendar]] and "18 [[Mekhir]]" in the [[Egyptian calendar]], which corresponds to {{Nowrap|27 March}} {{Nowrap|196 BC}}. The year is stated as the ninth year of Ptolemy V's reign (equated with 197/196 BC), which is confirmed by naming four priests who officiated in that year: [[Aetos son of Aetos]] was priest of the divine cults of [[Alexander the Great]] and the five [[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemies]] down to Ptolemy V himself; the other three priests named in turn in the inscription are those who led the worship of [[Berenice II|Berenice Euergetis]] (wife of [[Ptolemy III Euergetes|Ptolemy III]]), [[Arsinoe II of Egypt|Arsinoe Philadelphos]] (wife and sister of [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus|Ptolemy II]]), and [[Arsinoe III of Egypt|Arsinoe Philopator]], mother of Ptolemy V.<ref>[[#Clarysse83|Clarysse and Van der Veken (1983)]] pp. 20โ21</ref> However, a second date is also given in the Greek and hieroglyphic texts, corresponding to {{Nowrap|27 November 197 BC}}, the official anniversary of Ptolemy's coronation.<ref name="Cracking29">[[#Parkinson69|Parkinson et al. (1999)]] p. 29</ref> The demotic text conflicts with this, listing consecutive days in March for the decree and the anniversary.<ref name="Cracking29"/> It is uncertain why this discrepancy exists, but it is clear that the decree was issued in 196 BC and that it was designed to re-establish the rule of the Ptolemaic kings over Egypt.<ref name="ShawNicholson 247">[[#ShawNicholson1995|Shaw & Nicholson (1995)]] p. 247</ref> The decree was issued during a turbulent period in Egyptian history. Ptolemy V Epiphanes, the son of [[Ptolemy IV Philopator]] and his wife and sister Arsinoe, reigned from 204 to 181 BC. He had become ruler at the age of five after the sudden death of both of his parents, who were murdered in a conspiracy that involved Ptolemy IV's mistress [[Agathoclea (mistress of Ptolemy IV)|Agathoclea]], according to contemporary sources. The conspirators effectively ruled Egypt as Ptolemy V's guardians<ref>[[#Tyldesley2006|Tyldesley (2006)]] p. 194</ref><ref name="Clayton211">[[#Clayton06|Clayton (2006)]] p. 211</ref> until a revolt broke out two years later under general [[Tlepolemus (regent of Egypt)|Tlepolemus]], when Agathoclea and her family were [[Lynching|lynched]] by a mob in Alexandria. Tlepolemus, in turn, was replaced as guardian in 201 BC by [[Aristomenes of Alyzia]], who was chief minister at the time of the Memphis decree.<ref>[[#Bevan27|Bevan (1927)]] [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Africa/Egypt/_Texts/BEVHOP/8*.html pp. 252โ262]</ref> Political forces beyond the borders of Egypt exacerbated the internal problems of the Ptolemaic kingdom. [[Antiochus III the Great]] and [[Philip V of Macedon]] had made a pact to divide Egypt's overseas possessions. Philip had seized several islands and cities in [[Caria]] and [[Thrace]], while the [[Battle of Panium]] (198 BC) had resulted in the transfer of [[Coele-Syria]], including [[Judea|Judaea]], from the Ptolemies to the [[Seleucids]]. Meanwhile, in the south of Egypt, there was a long-standing revolt that had begun during the reign of Ptolemy IV,<ref name="Cracking29"/> led by [[Hugronaphor|Horwennefer]] and by his successor [[Adikhalamani|Ankhwennefer]].<ref name="Assmann">[[#Assmann|Assmann (2003)]] p. 376</ref> Both the war and the internal revolt were still ongoing when the young Ptolemy V was officially crowned at Memphis at the age of 12 (seven years after the start of his reign) and when, just over a year later, the Memphis decree was issued.<ref name="Clayton211"/> [[File:PepiII-DecreeOfOfficialExactionForTempleOfMin MetropolitanMuseum.png|thumb|upright|alt="A small, roughly square piece of light-grey stone containing hieroglyphic inscriptions from the time of the Old Kingdom pharaoh Pepi II"|Another fragmentary example of a "donation stele", in which the [[Old Kingdom]] [[pharaoh]] [[Pepi II Neferkare|Pepi II]] [[Coptos Decrees|grants tax immunity]] to the priests of the temple of [[Min (god)|Min]]]] Stelae of this kind, which were established on the initiative of the temples rather than that of the king, are unique to Ptolemaic Egypt. In the preceding Pharaonic period it would have been unheard of for anyone but the divine rulers themselves to make national decisions: by contrast, this way of honouring a king was a feature of Greek cities. Rather than making his eulogy himself, the king had himself glorified and deified by his subjects or representative groups of his subjects.<ref>[[#Clarysse99|Clarysse (1999)]] p. 51, with references there to [[#Quirke69|Quirke and Andrews (1989)]]</ref> The decree records that Ptolemy V gave a gift of silver and grain to the [[Egyptian temple|temples]].<ref name="Bevan 264โ265">[[#Bevan27|Bevan (1927)]] pp. 264โ265</ref> It also records that there was particularly high [[flooding of the Nile]] in the eighth year of his reign, and he had the excess waters dammed for the benefit of the farmers.<ref name="Bevan 264โ265"/> In return the priesthood pledged that the king's birthday and coronation days would be celebrated annually and that all the priests of Egypt would serve him alongside the other gods. The decree concludes with the instruction that a copy was to be placed in every temple, inscribed in the "language of the gods" (Egyptian hieroglyphs), the "language of documents" (Demotic), and the "language of the Greeks" as used by the Ptolemaic government.<ref name="Ray136">[[#Ray69|Ray (2007)]] p. 136</ref><ref>[[#Parkinson70|Parkinson et al. (1999)]] p. 30</ref> Securing the favour of the priesthood was essential for the Ptolemaic kings to retain effective rule over the populace. The [[High Priest of Ptah|High Priests]] of [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]]โwhere the king was crownedโwere particularly important, as they were the highest religious authorities of the time and had influence throughout the kingdom.<ref name="Shaw407">[[#Shaw00|Shaw (2000)]] p. 407</ref> Given that the decree was issued at Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt, rather than Alexandria, the centre of government of the ruling Ptolemies, it is evident that the young king was anxious to gain their active support.<ref name="Walker19">[[#Walker2001|Walker and Higgs (editors, 2001)]] p. 19</ref> Thus, although the government of Egypt had been Greek-speaking ever since the [[Wars of Alexander the Great#Egypt|conquests]] of [[Alexander the Great]], the Memphis decree, like the three similar [[Ptolemaic Decrees|earlier decrees]], included texts in Egyptian to show its connection to the general populace by way of the literate Egyptian priesthood.<ref>[[#Bagnall04|Bagnall and Derow (2004)]] (no. 137 in online version)</ref> There can be no one definitive English translation of the decree, not only because modern understanding of the ancient languages continues to develop, but also because of the minor differences between the three original texts. Older translations by [[E. A. Wallis Budge]] (1904, 1913)<ref>[[#Budge70|Budge (1904)]]; [[#Budge69|Budge (1913)]]</ref> and [[Edwyn R. Bevan]] (1927)<ref name="Rosetta Text">[[#Bevan27|Bevan (1927)]] pp. [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Africa/Egypt/_Texts/BEVHOP/8*.html 263โ268]</ref> are easily available but are now outdated, as can be seen by comparing them with the recent translation by R. S. Simpson, which is based on the demotic text and can be found online,<ref>[[#Simpson|Simpson (n. d.)]]; a revised version of [[#Simpson96|Simpson (1996)]] pp. 258โ271</ref> or with the modern translations of all three texts, with introduction and facsimile drawing, that were published by Quirke and Andrews in 1989.<ref>[[#Quirke69|Quirke and Andrews (1989)]]</ref> The stele was almost certainly not originally placed at [[Rosetta|Rashid]] (Rosetta) where it was found, but more likely came from a temple site farther inland, possibly the royal town of [[Sais, Egypt|Sais]].<ref name="focus14">[[#Parkinson70|Parkinson (2005)]] p. 14</ref> The temple from which it originally came was probably closed around AD 392 when [[Roman emperor]] [[Theodosius I]] ordered the closing of all non-Christian temples of worship.<ref name="focus17">[[#Parkinson70|Parkinson (2005)]] p. 17</ref> The original stele broke at some point, its largest piece becoming what we now know as the Rosetta Stone. Ancient Egyptian temples were later used as quarries for new construction, and the Rosetta Stone probably was re-used in this manner. Later it was incorporated in the foundations of a fortress constructed by the [[Mamluk|Mameluke]] [[Sultan]] [[Qaitbay]] ({{Circa|1416}}/18โ1496) to defend the [[Nile Delta|Bolbitine branch]] of the Nile at Rashid. There it lay for at least another three centuries until its rediscovery.<ref name="focus20">[[#Parkinson70|Parkinson (2005)]] p. 20</ref> Three other inscriptions relevant to the same Memphis decree have been found since the discovery of the Rosetta Stone: the [[Nubayrah Stele]], a stele found in [[Elephantine]] and Noub Taha, and an inscription found at the [[Philae|Temple of Philae]] (on the [[Philae obelisk]]).<ref name="claryssenespoulous">[[#Clarysse99|Clarysse (1999)]] p. 42; [[#Nespoulous-Phalippou|Nespoulous-Phalippou (2015)]] pp. 283โ285</ref> Unlike the Rosetta Stone, the hieroglyphic texts of these inscriptions were relatively intact. The Rosetta Stone had been deciphered long before they were found, but later Egyptologists have used them to refine the reconstruction of the hieroglyphs that must have been used in the lost portions of the hieroglyphic text on the Rosetta Stone. {{Anchor|The rediscovery}}
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