The Rosetta Stone was a public monument erected in 196 BC to express the thanks of the Egyptian priesthood to the ruler Ptolemy V Epiphanes for having declared a tax amnesty. The same text appears in Greek and in two forms of Egyptian writing, hieroglyphic and demotic.

Please note that references to corn in the text are likely mistranslations from the original text, since corn had not been used in the country until much later. It is likely that the translation should be barley or another grain that was used at that time.

THE TEXT:

"In the reign of the young one who has succeeded his father in the kingship, lord of diadems, most glorious, who has established Egypt and is pious towards the gods, triumphant over his enemies, who has restored the civilized life of men, lord of the Thirty Years Festivals, even as Ptah the Great, a king like Ra, great king of the Upper and Lower countries, offspring of the Gods Philopatores, one whom Ptah has approved, to whom Ra has given victory, the living image of Amun, son of Ra, PTOLEMY, LIVING FOR EVER, BELOVED OF PTAH, in the ninth year, when Aetos son of Aetos was priest of Alexander, and the Gods Soteres, and the Gods Adelphoi, and the Gods Euergetai, and the Gods Philopatores and the God Epiphanes Eucharistos; Pyrrha daughter of Philinos being Athlophoros of Berenike Euergetis, Areia daughter of Diogenes being Kanephoros of Arsinoe Philadelphos; Irene daughter of Ptolemy being Priestess of Arsinoe Philopator; the fourth of the month of Xandikos, according to the Egyptians the 18th Mekhir.

DECREE. There being assembled the Chief Priests and Prophets and those who enter the inner shrine for the robing of the gods, and the Fan-bearers and the Sacred Scribes and all the other priests from the temples throughout the land who have come to meet the king at Memphis, for the feast of the assumption by PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, of the kingship in which he succeeded his father, they being assembled in the temple in Memphis on this day declared:

Whereas King PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, the son of King Ptolemy and Queen Arsinoe, the Gods Philopatores, has been a benefactor both to the temple and to those who dwell in them, as well as all those who are his subjects, being a god sprung from a god and goddess like Horus the son of Isis and Osiris, who avenged his father Osiris, being benevolently disposed towards the gods, has dedicated to the temples revenues of money and corn and has undertaken much outlay to bring Egypt into prosperity, and to establish the temples, and has been generous with all his own means; and of the revenues and taxes levied in Egypt some he has wholly remitted and others has lightened, in order that the people and all the others might be in prosperity during his reign; and

whereas he has remitted the debts to the crown being many in number which they in Egypt and the rest of the kingdom owed; and

whereas those who were in prison and those who were under accusation for a long time, he has freed of the charges against them; and

whereas he has directed that the gods shall continue to enjoy the revenues of the temples and the yearly allowances given to them, both of corn and money, likewise also the revenue assigned to the gods from the vine land and from gardens and the other properties which belonged to the gods in his father's time; and

whereas he directed also, with regard to the priests, that they should pay no more as the tax for admission to the priesthood than what was appointed them throughout his father's reign and until the first year of his own reign; and has relieved the members of the priestly orders from the yearly journey to Alexandria; and

whereas he has directed that impressment for the navy shall no longer be employed; and of the tax on fine linen cloth paid by the temples to the crown he has remitted two-thirds; and whatever things were neglected in former times he has restored to their proper condition, having a care how the traditional duties shall be fittingly paid to the gods; and likewise has apportioned justice to all, like Thoth the great and great; and has ordained that those who return of the warrior class, and of others who were unfavourably disposed in the days of the disturbances, should, on their return be allowed to occupy their old possessions; and

whereas he provided that cavalry and infantry forces and ships should be sent out against those who invaded Egypt by sea and by land, laying out great sums in money and corn in order that the temples and all those who are in the land might be in safety; and having gone to Lycopolis in the Busirite nome, which had been occupied and fortified against a siege with an abundant store of weapons and all other supplies seeing that disaffection was now of long standing among the impious men gathered into it, who had perpetrated much damage to the temples and to all the inhabitants of Egypt, and having encamped against it, he surrounded it with mounds and trenches and elaborate fortifications; when the Nile made a great rise in the eighth year of his reign, which usually floods the plains, he prevented it, by damming at many points the outlets of the channels spending upon this no small amount of money, and setting cavalry and infantry to guard them, in a short time he took the town by storm and destroyed all the impious men in it, even as Thoth and Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris, formerly subdued the rebels in the same district; and as to those who had led the rebels in the time of his father and who had disturbed the land and done wrong to the temples, he came to Memphis to avenge his father and his own kingship, and punished them all as they deserved, at the time that he came there to perform the proper ceremonies for the assumption of the crown; and

whereas he remitted what was due to the crown in the temples up to his eighth year, being no small amount of corn and money; so also the fines for the fine linen cloth not delivered to the crown, and of those delivered, the several fees for their verification, for the same period; and he also freed the temples of the tax of the measure1 of grain for every measure2 of sacred land and likewise the jar of wine for each measure2 of vine land; and

whereas he bestowed many gifts upon Apis and Mnevis and upon the other sacred animals in Egypt, because he was much more considerate than the kings before him of all that belonged to them; and for their burials he gave what was suitable lavishly and splendidly, and what was regularly paid to their special shrines, with sacrifices and festivals and other customary observances, and he maintained the honours of the temples and of Egypt according to the laws; and he adorned the temple of Apis with rich work, spending upon it gold and silver and precious stones, no small amount; and

whereas he has funded temples and shrines and altars, and has repaired those requiring it, having the spirit of a benficent god in matters pertaining to religion; and

whereas after enquiry he has been renewing the most honourable of the temples during his reign, as is becoming; in requital of which things the gods have given him health, victory and power, and all other good things, and he and his children shall retain the kingship for all time.

WITH PROPITIOUS FORTUNE: It was resolved by the priests of all the temples in the land to increase greatly the existing honours of King PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, likewise those of his parents the Gods Philopatores, and of his ancestors, the Great Euergatai and the Gods Adelphoi and the Gods Soteres and to set up in the most prominent place of every temple an image of the EVER-LIVING KING PTOLEMY, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, which shall be called that of 'PTOLEMY, the defender of Egypt,' beside which shall stand the principal god of the temple, handing him the scimitar of victory, all of which shall be manufactured in the Egyptian fashion; and that the priests shall pay homage to the images three times a day, and put upon them the sacred garments, and perform the other usual honours such as are given to the other gods in the Egyptian festivals; and to establish for King PTOLEMY, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS,sprung of King Ptolemy and Queen Arsinoe, the Gods Philopatores, a statue and golden shrine in each of the temples, and to set it up in the inner chamber with the other shrines; and in the great festivals in which the shrines are carried in procession the shrine of the GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS shall be carried in procession with them. And in order that it may be easily distinguishable now and for all time, there shall be set upon the shrine ten gold crowns of the king, to which shall be added a cobra exactly as on all the crowns adorned with cobras which are upon the other shrines, in the centre of them shall be the double crown which he put on when he went into the temple at Memphis to perform therein the ceremonies for assuming the kingship; and there shall be placed on the square surface round about the crowns, beside the aforementioned crown, golden symbols eight in number signifying that it is the shrine of the king who makes manifest the Upper and the Lower countries. And since it is the 30th of Mesore on which the birthday of the king is celebrated, and likewise the 17th of Paophi on which he succeeded his father in the kingship, they have held these days in honour as name-days in the temples, since they are sources of great blessings for all;

it was further decreed that a festival shall be kept in the temples throughout Egypt on these days in every month, on which there shall be sacrifices and libations and all the ceremonies customary at the other festivals and the offerings shall be given to the priests who serve in the temples. And a festival shall be kept for King PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, yearly in the temples throughout the land from the 1st of Thoth for five days, in which they shall wear garlands and perform sacrifices and libations and the other usual honours, and the priests in each temple shall be called priests of the GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS in addition to the names of the other gods whom they serve; and his priesthood shall be entered upon all formal documents and engraved upon the rings which they wear; and private individuals shall also be allowed to keep the festival and set up the aforementioned shrine and have it in their homes; performing the aforementioned celebrations yearly, in order that it may be known to all that the men of Egypt magnify and honour the GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS the king, according to the law.

This decree shall be inscribed on a stela of hard stone in sacred and native and Greek characters and set up in each of the first, second and third rank temples beside the image of the ever-living king."

this:

In the reign of the young one who has succeeded his father in the kingship, lord of diadems, most glorious, who has established Egypt and is pious towards the gods, triumphant over his enemies, who has restored the civilized life of men, lord of the Thirty Years Festivals, even as Ptah the Great, a king like Ra, great king of the Upper and Lower countries, offspring of the Gods Philopatores, one whom Ptah has approved, to whom Ra has given victory, the living image of Amun, son of Ra, PTOLEMY, LIVING FOR EVER, BELOVED OF PTAH, in the ninth year, when Aetos son of Aetos was priest of Alexander, and the Gods Soteres, and the Gods Adelphoi, and the Gods Euergetai, and the Gods Philopatores and the God Epiphanes Eucharistos; Pyrrha daughter of Philinos being Athlophoros of Berenike Euergetis, Areia daughter of Diogenes being Kanephoros of Arsinoe Philadelphos; Irene daughter of Ptolemy being Priestess of Arsinoe Philopator; the fourth of the month of Xandikos, according to the Egyptians the 18th Mekhir.

DECREE. There being assembled the Chief Priests and Prophets and those who enter the inner shrine for the robing of the gods, and the Fan-bearers and the Sacred Scribes and all the other priests from the temples throughout the land who have come to meet the king at Memphis, for the feast of the assumption by PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, of the kingship in which he succeeded his father, they being assembled in the temple in Memphis on this day declared:

Whereas King PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, the son of King Ptolemy and Queen Arsinoe, the Gods Philopatores, has been a benefactor both to the temple and to those who dwell in them, as well as all those who are his subjects, being a god sprung from a god and goddess like Horus the son of Isis and Osiris, who avenged his father Osiris, being benevolently disposed towards the gods, has dedicated to the temples revenues of money and corn and has undertaken much outlay to bring Egypt into prosperity, and to establish the temples, and has been generous with all his own means; and of the revenues and taxes levied in Egypt some he has wholly remitted and others has lightened, in order that the people and all the others might be in prosperity during his reign; and

whereas he has remitted the debts to the crown being many in number which they in Egypt and the rest of the kingdom owed; and

whereas those who were in prison and those who were under accusation for a long time, he has freed of the charges against them; and

whereas he has directed that the gods shall continue to enjoy the revenues of the temples and the yearly allowances given to them, both of corn and money, likewise also the revenue assigned to the gods from the vine land and from gardens and the other properties which belonged to the gods in his father's time; and

whereas he directed also, with regard to the priests, that they should pay no more as the tax for admission to the priesthood than what was appointed them throughout his father's reign and until the first year of his own reign; and has relieved the members of the priestly orders from the yearly journey to Alexandria; and

whereas he has directed that impressment for the navy shall no longer be employed; and of the tax on fine linen cloth paid by the temples to the crown he has remitted two-thirds; and whatever things were neglected in former times he has restored to their proper condition, having a care how the traditional duties shall be fittingly paid to the gods; and likewise has apportioned justice to all, like Thoth the great and great; and has ordained that those who return of the warrior class, and of others who were unfavourably disposed in the days of the disturbances, should, on their return be allowed to occupy their old possessions; and

whereas he provided that cavalry and infantry forces and ships should be sent out against those who invaded Egypt by sea and by land, laying out great sums in money and corn in order that the temples and all those who are in the land might be in safety; and having gone to Lycopolis in the Busirite nome, which had been occupied and fortified against a siege with an abundant store of weapons and all other supplies seeing that disaffection was now of long standing among the impious men gathered into it, who had perpetrated much damage to the temples and to all the inhabitants of Egypt, and having encamped against it, he surrounded it with mounds and trenches and elaborate fortifications; when the Nile made a great rise in the eighth year of his reign, which usually floods the plains, he prevented it, by damming at many points the outlets of the channels spending upon this no small amount of money, and setting cavalry and infantry to guard them, in a short time he took the town by storm and destroyed all the impious men in it, even as Thoth and Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris, formerly subdued the rebels in the same district; and as to those who had led the rebels in the time of his father and who had disturbed the land and done wrong to the temples, he came to Memphis to avenge his father and his own kingship, and punished them all as they deserved, at the time that he came there to perform the proper ceremonies for the assumption of the crown; and

whereas he remitted what was due to the crown in the temples up to his eighth year, being no small amount of corn and money; so also the fines for the fine linen cloth not delivered to the crown, and of those delivered, the several fees for their verification, for the same period; and he also freed the temples of the tax of the measure1 of grain for every measure2 of sacred land and likewise the jar of wine for each measure2 of vine land; and

whereas he bestowed many gifts upon Apis and Mnevis and upon the other sacred animals in Egypt, because he was much more considerate than the kings before him of all that belonged to them; and for their burials he gave what was suitable lavishly and splendidly, and what was regularly paid to their special shrines, with sacrifices and festivals and other customary observances, and he maintained the honours of the temples and of Egypt according to the laws; and he adorned the temple of Apis with rich work, spending upon it gold and silver and precious stones, no small amount; and

whereas he has funded temples and shrines and altars, and has repaired those requiring it, having the spirit of a benficent god in matters pertaining to religion; and

whereas after enquiry he has been renewing the most honourable of the temples during his reign, as is becoming; in requital of which things the gods have given him health, victory and power, and all other good things, and he and his children shall retain the kingship for all time.

WITH PROPITIOUS FORTUNE: It was resolved by the priests of all the temples in the land to increase greatly the existing honours of King PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, likewise those of his parents the Gods Philopatores, and of his ancestors, the Great Euergatai and the Gods Adelphoi and the Gods Soteres and to set up in the most prominent place of every temple an image of the EVER-LIVING KING PTOLEMY, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, which shall be called that of 'PTOLEMY, the defender of Egypt,' beside which shall stand the principal god of the temple, handing him the scimitar of victory, all of which shall be manufactured in the Egyptian fashion; and that the priests shall pay homage to the images three times a day, and put upon them the sacred garments, and perform the other usual honours such as are given to the other gods in the Egyptian festivals; and to establish for King PTOLEMY, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS,sprung of King Ptolemy and Queen Arsinoe, the Gods Philopatores, a statue and golden shrine in each of the temples, and to set it up in the inner chamber with the other shrines; and in the great festivals in which the shrines are carried in procession the shrine of the GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS shall be carried in procession with them. And in order that it may be easily distinguishable now and for all time, there shall be set upon the shrine ten gold crowns of the king, to which shall be added a cobra exactly as on all the crowns adorned with cobras which are upon the other shrines, in the centre of them shall be the double crown which he put on when he went into the temple at Memphis to perform therein the ceremonies for assuming the kingship; and there shall be placed on the square surface round about the crowns, beside the aforementioned crown, golden symbols eight in number signifying that it is the shrine of the king who makes manifest the Upper and the Lower countries. And since it is the 30th of Mesore on which the birthday of the king is celebrated, and likewise the 17th of Paophi on which he succeeded his father in the kingship, they have held these days in honour as name-days in the temples, since they are sources of great blessings for all;

it was further decreed that a festival shall be kept in the temples throughout Egypt on these days in every month, on which there shall be sacrifices and libations and all the ceremonies customary at the other festivals and the offerings shall be given to the priests who serve in the temples. And a festival shall be kept for King PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, yearly in the temples throughout the land from the 1st of Thoth for five days, in which they shall wear garlands and perform sacrifices and libations and the other usual honours, and the priests in each temple shall be called priests of the GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS in addition to the names of the other gods whom they serve; and his priesthood shall be entered upon all formal documents and engraved upon the rings which they wear; and private individuals shall also be allowed to keep the festival and set up the aforementioned shrine and have it in their homes; performing the aforementioned celebrations yearly, in order that it may be known to all that the men of Egypt magnify and honour the GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS the king, according to the law.

This decree shall be inscribed on a stela of hard stone in sacred and native and Greek characters and set up in each of the first, second and third rank temples beside the image of the ever-living king.

The Rosetta Stone was a public monument erected in 196 BC to express the thanks of the Egyptian priesthood to the ruler Ptolemy V Epiphanes for having declared a tax amnesty. The same text appears in Greek and in two forms of Egyptian writing, hieroglyphic and demotic.

Please note that references to corn in the text are likely mistranslations from the original text, since corn had not been used in the country until much later. It is likely that the translation should be barley or another grain that was used at that time.

THE TEXT:

"In the reign of the young one who has succeeded his father in the kingship, lord of diadems, most glorious, who has established Egypt and is pious towards the gods, triumphant over his enemies, who has restored the civilized life of men, lord of the Thirty Years Festivals, even as Ptah the Great, a king like Ra, great king of the Upper and Lower countries, offspring of the Gods Philopatores, one whom Ptah has approved, to whom Ra has given victory, the living image of Amun, son of Ra, PTOLEMY, LIVING FOR EVER, BELOVED OF PTAH, in the ninth year, when Aetos son of Aetos was priest of Alexander, and the Gods Soteres, and the Gods Adelphoi, and the Gods Euergetai, and the Gods Philopatores and the God Epiphanes Eucharistos; Pyrrha daughter of Philinos being Athlophoros of Berenike Euergetis, Areia daughter of Diogenes being Kanephoros of Arsinoe Philadelphos; Irene daughter of Ptolemy being Priestess of Arsinoe Philopator; the fourth of the month of Xandikos, according to the Egyptians the 18th Mekhir.

DECREE. There being assembled the Chief Priests and Prophets and those who enter the inner shrine for the robing of the gods, and the Fan-bearers and the Sacred Scribes and all the other priests from the temples throughout the land who have come to meet the king at Memphis, for the feast of the assumption by PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, of the kingship in which he succeeded his father, they being assembled in the temple in Memphis on this day declared:

Whereas King PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, the son of King Ptolemy and Queen Arsinoe, the Gods Philopatores, has been a benefactor both to the temple and to those who dwell in them, as well as all those who are his subjects, being a god sprung from a god and goddess like Horus the son of Isis and Osiris, who avenged his father Osiris, being benevolently disposed towards the gods, has dedicated to the temples revenues of money and corn and has undertaken much outlay to bring Egypt into prosperity, and to establish the temples, and has been generous with all his own means; and of the revenues and taxes levied in Egypt some he has wholly remitted and others has lightened, in order that the people and all the others might be in prosperity during his reign; and

whereas he has remitted the debts to the crown being many in number which they in Egypt and the rest of the kingdom owed; and

whereas those who were in prison and those who were under accusation for a long time, he has freed of the charges against them; and

whereas he has directed that the gods shall continue to enjoy the revenues of the temples and the yearly allowances given to them, both of corn and money, likewise also the revenue assigned to the gods from the vine land and from gardens and the other properties which belonged to the gods in his father's time; and

whereas he directed also, with regard to the priests, that they should pay no more as the tax for admission to the priesthood than what was appointed them throughout his father's reign and until the first year of his own reign; and has relieved the members of the priestly orders from the yearly journey to Alexandria; and

whereas he has directed that impressment for the navy shall no longer be employed; and of the tax on fine linen cloth paid by the temples to the crown he has remitted two-thirds; and whatever things were neglected in former times he has restored to their proper condition, having a care how the traditional duties shall be fittingly paid to the gods; and likewise has apportioned justice to all, like Thoth the great and great; and has ordained that those who return of the warrior class, and of others who were unfavourably disposed in the days of the disturbances, should, on their return be allowed to occupy their old possessions; and

whereas he provided that cavalry and infantry forces and ships should be sent out against those who invaded Egypt by sea and by land, laying out great sums in money and corn in order that the temples and all those who are in the land might be in safety; and having gone to Lycopolis in the Busirite nome, which had been occupied and fortified against a siege with an abundant store of weapons and all other supplies seeing that disaffection was now of long standing among the impious men gathered into it, who had perpetrated much damage to the temples and to all the inhabitants of Egypt, and having encamped against it, he surrounded it with mounds and trenches and elaborate fortifications; when the Nile made a great rise in the eighth year of his reign, which usually floods the plains, he prevented it, by damming at many points the outlets of the channels spending upon this no small amount of money, and setting cavalry and infantry to guard them, in a short time he took the town by storm and destroyed all the impious men in it, even as Thoth and Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris, formerly subdued the rebels in the same district; and as to those who had led the rebels in the time of his father and who had disturbed the land and done wrong to the temples, he came to Memphis to avenge his father and his own kingship, and punished them all as they deserved, at the time that he came there to perform the proper ceremonies for the assumption of the crown; and

whereas he remitted what was due to the crown in the temples up to his eighth year, being no small amount of corn and money; so also the fines for the fine linen cloth not delivered to the crown, and of those delivered, the several fees for their verification, for the same period; and he also freed the temples of the tax of the measure1 of grain for every measure2 of sacred land and likewise the jar of wine for each measure2 of vine land; and

whereas he bestowed many gifts upon Apis and Mnevis and upon the other sacred animals in Egypt, because he was much more considerate than the kings before him of all that belonged to them; and for their burials he gave what was suitable lavishly and splendidly, and what was regularly paid to their special shrines, with sacrifices and festivals and other customary observances, and he maintained the honours of the temples and of Egypt according to the laws; and he adorned the temple of Apis with rich work, spending upon it gold and silver and precious stones, no small amount; and

whereas he has funded temples and shrines and altars, and has repaired those requiring it, having the spirit of a benficent god in matters pertaining to religion; and

whereas after enquiry he has been renewing the most honourable of the temples during his reign, as is becoming; in requital of which things the gods have given him health, victory and power, and all other good things, and he and his children shall retain the kingship for all time.

WITH PROPITIOUS FORTUNE: It was resolved by the priests of all the temples in the land to increase greatly the existing honours of King PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, likewise those of his parents the Gods Philopatores, and of his ancestors, the Great Euergatai and the Gods Adelphoi and the Gods Soteres and to set up in the most prominent place of every temple an image of the EVER-LIVING KING PTOLEMY, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, which shall be called that of 'PTOLEMY, the defender of Egypt,' beside which shall stand the principal god of the temple, handing him the scimitar of victory, all of which shall be manufactured in the Egyptian fashion; and that the priests shall pay homage to the images three times a day, and put upon them the sacred garments, and perform the other usual honours such as are given to the other gods in the Egyptian festivals; and to establish for King PTOLEMY, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS,sprung of King Ptolemy and Queen Arsinoe, the Gods Philopatores, a statue and golden shrine in each of the temples, and to set it up in the inner chamber with the other shrines; and in the great festivals in which the shrines are carried in procession the shrine of the GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS shall be carried in procession with them. And in order that it may be easily distinguishable now and for all time, there shall be set upon the shrine ten gold crowns of the king, to which shall be added a cobra exactly as on all the crowns adorned with cobras which are upon the other shrines, in the centre of them shall be the double crown which he put on when he went into the temple at Memphis to perform therein the ceremonies for assuming the kingship; and there shall be placed on the square surface round about the crowns, beside the aforementioned crown, golden symbols eight in number signifying that it is the shrine of the king who makes manifest the Upper and the Lower countries. And since it is the 30th of Mesore on which the birthday of the king is celebrated, and likewise the 17th of Paophi on which he succeeded his father in the kingship, they have held these days in honour as name-days in the temples, since they are sources of great blessings for all;

it was further decreed that a festival shall be kept in the temples throughout Egypt on these days in every month, on which there shall be sacrifices and libations and all the ceremonies customary at the other festivals and the offerings shall be given to the priests who serve in the temples. And a festival shall be kept for King PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, yearly in the temples throughout the land from the 1st of Thoth for five days, in which they shall wear garlands and perform sacrifices and libations and the other usual honours, and the priests in each temple shall be called priests of the GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS in addition to the names of the other gods whom they serve; and his priesthood shall be entered upon all formal documents and engraved upon the rings which they wear; and private individuals shall also be allowed to keep the festival and set up the aforementioned shrine and have it in their homes; performing the aforementioned celebrations yearly, in order that it may be known to all that the men of Egypt magnify and honour the GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS the king, according to the law.

This decree shall be inscribed on a stela of hard stone in sacred and native and Greek characters and set up in each of the first, second and third rank temples beside the image of the ever-living king."

The term Christian writings is often used when speaking of those writings about Christianity, most commonly the early church fathers which are listed below with their writings from the web page in the Related Links below.

The only writings that can be counted on as wholly true are in the bible itself, all others are merely man's attempt to understand, add to, or comment on that holy writing.

Alexander of Alexandria [SAINT]

- Epistles on the Arian Heresy and the Deposition of Arius Alexander of Lycopolis

- Of the Manicheans

Ambrose (340-397) [SAINT] [DOCTOR]

- On the Christian Faith (De fide)

- On the Holy Spirit

- On the Mysteries

- On Repentance

- On the Duties of the Clergy

- Concerning Virgins

- Concerning Widows

- On the Death of Satyrus

- Memorial of Symmachus

- Sermon against Auxentius

- Letters

Aphrahat/Aphraates (c. 280-367)

- Demonstrations Archelaus

- Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes

Aristides the Philosopher

- The Apology

Arnobius

- Against the Heathen

Athanasius [SAINT] [DOCTOR]

- Against the Heathen

- On the Incarnation of the Word

- Deposition of Arius

- On Luke 10:22 (Matthew 11:27)

- Circular Letter

- Apologia Contra Arianos

- De Decretis

- De Sententia Dionysii

- Vita S. Antoni (Life of St. Anthony)

- Ad Episcopus Aegypti et Libyae

- Apologia ad Constantium

- Apologia de Fuga

- Historia Arianorum

- Four Discourses Against the Arians

- De Synodis

- Tomus ad Antiochenos

- Ad Afros Epistola Synodica

- Historia Acephala

- Letters

Athenagoras

- A Plea for the Christians

- The Resurrection of the Dead

Augustine of Hippo [SAINT] [DOCTOR]

- Confessions

- Letters

- City of God

- Christian Doctrine

- On the Holy Trinity

- The Enchiridion

- On the Catechising of the Uninstructed

- On Faith and the Creed

- Concerning Faith of Things Not Seen

- On the Profit of Believing

- On the Creed: A Sermon to Catechumens

- On Continence

- On the Good of Marriage

- On Holy Virginity

- On the Good of Widowhood

- On Lying

- To Consentius: Against Lying

- On the Work of Monks

- On Patience

- On Care to be Had For the Dead

- On the Morals of the Catholic Church

- On the Morals of the Manichaeans

- On Two Souls, Against the Manichaeans

- Acts or Disputation Against Fortunatus the Manichaean

- Against the Epistle of Manichaeus Called Fundamental

- Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

- Concerning the Nature of Good, Against the Manichaeans

- On Baptism, Against the Donatists

- Answer to Letters of Petilian, Bishop of Cirta

- Merits and Remission of Sin, and Infant Baptism

- On the Spirit and the Letter

- On Nature and Grace

- On Man's Perfection in Righteousness

- On the Proceedings of Pelagius

- On the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin

- On Marriage and Concupiscence

- On the Soul and its Origin

- Against Two Letters of the Pelagians

- On Grace and Free Will

- On Rebuke and Grace

- On Rebuke and Grace

- The Predestination of the Saints/Gift of Perseverance

- Our Lord's Sermon on the Mount

- The Harmony of the Gospels

- Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

- Tractates on the Gospel of John

- Homilies on the First Epistle of John

- Soliloquies

- The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

Bardesanes (154-222)

- The Book of the Laws of Various Countries

Barnabas [SAINT]

- Epistle of Barnabas

Basil the Great [SAINT] [DOCTOR]

- De Spiritu Sancto

- Nine Homilies of Hexaemeron

- Letters

Caius

- Fragments

Clement of Alexandria [SAINT]

- Who is the Rich Man That Shall Be Saved?

- Exhortation to the Heathen

- The Instructor

- The Stromata, or Miscellanies

- Fragments

Clement of Rome [SAINT]

- First Epistle

- Second Epistle [SPURIOUS]

- Two Epistles Concerning Virginity [SPURIOUS]

- Recognitions [SPURIOUS]

Commodianus

- Writings

Cyprian of Carthage [SAINT]

- The Life and Passion of Cyprian

- The Epistles of Cyprian

- The Treatises of Cyprian

- The Seventh Council of Carthage

Cyril of Jerusalem [SAINT] [DOCTOR]

- Catechetical Lectures

Dionysius of Rome [SAINT]

- Against the Sabellians

Dionysius the Great

- Extant Fragments

- Exegetical Fragments

Ephraim the Syrian (306-373) [SAINT] [DOCTOR]

- Nisibene Hymns

- Miscellaneous Hymns -- On the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh, For the Feast of the Epiphany, and On the Faith ("The Pearl")

- Homilies -- On Our Lord, On Admonition and Repentance, and On the Sinful Woman Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 265-c. 340)

- Church History

- Life of Constantine

- Oration of Constantine "to the Assembly of the Saints"

- Oration in Praise of Constantine

- Letter on the Council of Nicaea

Gennadius of Marseilles

- Illustrious Men (Supplement to Jerome)

Gregory the Great, Pope (c. 540-604) [SAINT] [DOCTOR]

- Pastoral Rule

- Register of Letters

Gregory Nazianzen [SAINT] [DOCTOR]

- Orations

- Letters

Gregory of Nyssa [SAINT]

- Against Eunomius

- Answer to Eunomius' Second Book

- On the Holy Spirit (Against the Followers of Macedonius)

- On the Holy Trinity, and of the Godhead of the Holy Spirit (To Eustathius)

- On "Not Three Gods" (To Ablabius)

- On the Faith (To Simplicius)

- On Virginity

- On Infants' Early Deaths

- On Pilgrimages

- On the Making of Man

- On the Soul and the Resurrection

- The Great Catechism

- Funeral Oration on Meletius

- On the Baptism of Christ (Sermon for the Day of Lights)

- Letters

Gregory Thaumaturgus [SAINT]

- A Declaration of Faith

- A Metaphrase of the Book of Ecclesiastes

- Canonical Epistle

- The Oration and Panegyric Addressed to Origen

- A Sectional Confession of Faith

- On the Trinity

- Twelve Topics on the Faith

- On the Subject of the Soul

- On All the Saints

- On Matthew 6:22-23

Hermas

- The Pastor (or "The Shepherd")

Hilary of Poitiers [SAINT] [DOCTOR]

- On the Councils, or the Faith of the Easterns

- On the Trinity

- Homilies on the Psalms

Hippolytus [SAINT]

- The Refutation of All Heresies

- The Extant Works and Fragments of Hippolytus: Exegetical

- Expository Treatise Against the Jews

- Against Plato, On the Cause of the Universe

- Against the Heresy of Noetus

- Discourse on the Holy Theophany

- The Antichrist

- Appendix

Ignatius of Antioch [SAINT]

- Epistle to the Ephesians

- Epistle to the Magnesians

- Epistle to the Trallians

- Epistle to the Romans

- Epistle to the Philadelphians

- Epistle to the Smyraeans

- Epistle to Polycarp

- The Martyrdom of Ignatius

- The Spurious Epistles

Irenaeus of Lyons [SAINT]

- Adversus haereses

- Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenaeus

Jerome [SAINT] [DOCTOR]

- Letters

- The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary

- To Pammachius Against John of Jerusalem

- The Dialogue Against the Luciferians

- The Life of Malchus, the Captive Monk

- The Life of S. Hilarion

- The Life of Paulus the First Hermit

- Against Jovinianus

- Against Vigilantius

- Against the Pelagians

- Prefaces

- De Viris Illustribus (Illustrious Men)

- Apology for himself against the Books of Rufinus

John of Damascus [SAINT] [DOCTOR]

- Exposition of the Faith

John Cassian (c. 360-c. 435)

- Institutes

- Conferences

- On the Incarnation of the Lord (Against Nestorius)

John Chrysostom [SAINT] [DOCTOR]

- Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew

- Homilies on Acts

- Homilies on Romans

- Homilies on First Corinthians

- Homilies on Second Corinthians

- Homilies on Ephesians

- Homilies on Philippians

- Homilies on Colossians

- Homilies on First Thessalonians

- Homilies on Second Thessalonians

- Homilies on First Timothy

- Homilies on Second Timothy

- Homilies on Titus

- Homilies on Philemon

- Commentary on Galatians

- Homilies on the Gospel of John

- Homilies on the Epistle to the Hebrews

- Homilies on the Statues

- No One Can Harm the Man Who Does Not Injure Himself

- Two Letters to Theodore After His Fall

- Letter to a Young Widow

- Homily on St. Ignatius

- Homily on St. Babylas

- Homily Concerning "Lowliness of Mind"

- Instructions to Catechumens

- Three Homilies on the Power of Satan

- Homily on the Passage "Father, if it be possible . . ."

- Homily on the Paralytic Lowered Through the Roof

- Homily on the Passage "If your enemy hunger, feed him."

- Homily Against Publishing the Errors of the Brethren

- First Homily on Eutropius

- Second Homily on Eutropius (After His Captivity)

- Four Letters to Olympias

- Letter to Some Priests of Antioch

- Correspondence with Pope Innocent I

- On the Priesthood

Julius Africanus

- Extant Writings

Justin Martyr [SAINT]

- First Apology

- Second Apology

- Dialogue with Trypho

- Hortatory Address to the Greeks

- On the Sole Government of God

- Fragments of the Lost Work on the Resurrection

- Miscellaneous Fragments from Lost Writings

- Martyrdom of Justin, Chariton, and other Roman Martyrs

- Discourse to the Greeks

Lactantius

- The Divine Institutes

- The Epitome of the Divine Institutes

- On the Anger of God

- On the Workmanship of God

- Of the Manner In Which the Persecutors Died

- Fragments of Lactantius

- The Phoenix

- A Poem on the Passion of the Lord

Leo the Great, Pope (c. 395-461) [SAINT] [DOCTOR]

- Sermons

- Letters

Malchion

- Extant Writings

Mar Jacob (452-521)

- Canticle on Edessa

- Homily on Habib the Martyr

- Homily on Guria and Shamuna

Mathetes

- Epistle to Diognetus

Methodius

- The Banquet of the Ten Virgins

- Concerning Free Will

- From the Discourse on the Resurrection

- Fragments

- Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna

- Oration on the Psalms

- Three Fragments from the Homily on the Cross and Passion of Christ

- Some Other Fragments

Minucius Felix

- Octavius

Moses of Chorene (c. 400-c. 490)

- History of Armenia

Novatian

- Treatise Concerning the Trinity

- On the Jewish Meats

Origen

- Origen de Principiis

- Africanus to Origen

- Origen to Africanus

- Origen to Gregory

- Origen Against Celsus

- Letter of Origen to Gregory

- Commentary on the Gospel of John

- Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew

Pamphilus [SAINT]

- Extant Writings

Papias [SAINT]

- Fragments

Peter of Alexandria [SAINT]

- The Genuine Acts of Peter

- The Canonical Epistle

- Fragments

Polycarp [SAINT]

- Epistle to the Philippians

- The Martyrdom of Polycarp

Rufinus

- Apology

- Commentary on the Apostles' Creed

- Prefaces

Socrates Scholasticus (c. 379-c. 450)

- Ecclesiastical History

Sozomen (c. 375-c. 447)

- Ecclesiastical History

Sulpitius Severus (c. 363-c. 420)

- On the Life of St. Martin

- Letters -- Genuine and Dubious

- Dialogues

- Sacred History

Tatian

- Address to the Greeks

- Fragments

- The Diatessaron

Tertullian

- The Apology

- On Idolatry

- De Spectaculis (The Shows)

- De Corona (The Chaplet)

- To Scapula

- Ad Nationes

- (A Fragment)

- An Answer to the Jews

- The Soul's Testimony

- A Treatise on the Soul

- The Prescription Against Heretics

- Against Marcion

- Against Hermogenes

- Against the Valentinians

- On the Flesh of Christ

- On the Resurrection of the Flesh

- Against Praxeas

- Scorpiace

- Appendix (Against All Heresies)

- On Repentance

- On Baptism

- On Prayer

- Ad Martyras

- The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity (Sometimes attributed to Tertullian)

- Of Patience

- On the Pallium

- On the Apparel of Women

- On the Veiling of Virgins

- To His Wife

- On Exhortation to Chastity

- On Monogamy

- On Modesty

- On Fasting

- De Fuga in Persecutione

Theodoret

- Counter-Statements to Cyril's 12 Anathemas against Nestorius

- Ecclesiastical History

- Dialogues ("Eranistes" or "Polymorphus")

- Demonstrations by Syllogism

- Letters

Theodotus

- Excerpts

Theophilus

- Theophilus to Autolycus

Venantius

- Poem on Easter

Victorinus [SAINT]

- On the Creation of the World

- Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John

Vincent of Lérins (d. c. 450) [SAINT]

- Commonitory for the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith OTHER WORKS

Liturgies

- The Liturgy of James

- The Liturgy of Mark

- The Liturgy of the Blessed Apostles

Councils

- Carthage under Cyprian (257) [LOCAL]

- Ancyra (314) [LOCAL]

- Neocaesarea (315) [LOCAL]

- Nicaea I (325) [ECUMENICAL]

- Antioch in Encaeniis (341) [LOCAL]

- Gangra (343) [LOCAL]

- Sardica (344) [LOCAL]

- Constantinople I (381) [ECUMENICAL]

- Constantinople (382) [LOCAL]

- Laodicea (390) [LOCAL]

- Constantinople under Nectarius (394) [LOCAL]

- Carthage (419) [LOCAL]

- Ephesus (431) [ECUMENICAL]

- Chalcedon (451) [ECUMENICAL]

- Constantinople II (553) [ECUMENICAL]

- Constantinople III (680) [ECUMENICAL]

- Constantinople/"Trullo"/Quinisext (692) [LOCAL]

- Nicaea II (787) [ECUMENICAL]

Apocrypha

- Apocalypse of Peter (c. 130)

- Protoevangelium of James (c. 150)

- Acts of Paul and Thecla (c. 180)

- Gospel of Peter (c. 190) [DOCETIC]

- The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs (c. 192) [EBIONITIC]

- Acts of Peter and Paul (c. 200)

- Gospel of Thomas (c. 200) [GNOSTIC]

- Acts of Thomas (c. 240) [GNOSTIC]

- Acts of Thaddaeus (c. 250)

- Acts of Andrew (c. 260) [GNOSTIC]

- Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena (c. 270)

- Acts of John [DOCETIC]

- Acts of Philip (c. 350)

- Apocalypse of Paul (c. 380) -- Greek and Latin forms

- Gospel of Nicodemus (Including "Acta Pilati") (c. 150-400)

- The Doctrine of Addai (c. 400) -- This is a Syriac version of the earlier Acts of Thaddaeus (s.v.)

- Assumption of Mary (c. 400)

- History of Joseph the Carpenter (c. 400)

- Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew (c. 400)

- Acts of Barnabas (c. 500)

- Acts of Bartholomew (c. 500) [NESTORIAN]

- Acts and Martyrdom of St. Matthew the Apostle (c. 550) [ABYSSINIAN]

- Arabic Gospel of the Infancy of the Saviour (c. 600)

- Avenging of the Saviour (c. 700)

- Apocalypse of John (unknown date; late)

- Apocalypse of Moses (unknown date) [JUDAISTIC]

- Apocalypse of Esdras (unknown date) [JUDAISTIC]

- Testament of Abraham (unknown date) [JUDAISTIC]

- Narrative of Zosimus (unknown date)

- Gospel of the Nativity of Mary (unknown date; late)

- Narrative of Joseph of Arimathea (unknown date; late)

- Report of Pontius Pilate (unknown date; late) -- First Greek and Second Greek forms

- Letter of Pontius Pilate (unknown date; late)

- Giving Up of Pontius Pilate (unknown date; late)

- Death of Pilate (unknown date; late)

- Apocalypse of the Virgin (unknown date; very late)

- Apocalypse of Sedrach (unknown date; very late)

Miscellaneous

- The Didache (c. 100)

- The Passion of the Scillitan Martyrs (c. 180)

- A Treatise Against the Heretic Novatian (c. 255)

- A Treatise on Re-Baptism (c. 255)

- Remains of the Second and Third Centuries (various dates)

- Apostolic Constitutions (c. 400)

- Apostolic Canons (c. 400) -- See Apostolic Constitutions, Book VIII, Chapter 47

- Acts of Sharbil (unknown date) [SYRIAC]

- The Martyrdom of Barsamya (unknown date) [SYRIAC]

- Extracts from Various Books Concerning Abgar the King and Addaeus the Apostle (unknown date) [SYRIAC]

- The Teaching of the Apostles (unknown date) [SYRIAC]

- The Teaching of Simon Cephas in the City of Rome (unknown date) [SYRIAC]

- Martyrdom of Habib the Deacon (unknown date) [SYRIAC]

- Martyrdom of the Holy Confessors Shamuna, Guria, and Habib (unknown date) [SYRIAC]

- A Letter of Mara, Son of Serapion (unknown date) [SYRIAC]

- Ambrose (unknown date) [SYRIAC]

- Canons of the Thirteen Holy Fathers (various dates)

- The False Decretals (c. 850)

En el reinado de el joven que sucedió a su padre en reinado, señor de diademas, glorioso, que estableció Egipto piadoso a los dioses, triunfante sobre sus enemigos, que ha restaurado la vida civilizada del hombre, señor de el festival de treinta años, como Ptah el grande, un rey como Ra, gran rey de los pueblos superiores e inferiores, hijo de los dioses Philopatores, a quien Ptah a aprobado, a quien Ra ha dado Victoria, la imagen viva de Amun, hijo de Ra, Ptolemy, vivo para siempre, amado de Ptah, en el noveno años, cuando Aetos hijo de Aetos era sacerdote de Alexander, y los dioses Soteres, y los dioses Adelphoi, y los dioses Euergetai, y los dioses Phiopatores y los dioses Epiphanes Eucharistos;

siendo Pyrrha hija de Philinos Athophoros de Berenice Eugetis,

siendo Areia hija de Diógenes Kanephoros de Arsinoe Philadephos;

siendo Irene hija de Ptolemy sacerdotisa de Arsinoe Philopator;

el cuarto del mes de Xandikos, de acuerdo a los egipcios el decimoctavo de Mekhir.

Decreto.

En asamblea los principales sacerdotes y profetas y aquellos que entran el santuario interior de los dioses, y aventadores (abanicos) y escribas sagrados y todos los demás sacerdotes de los templos de toda la demás tierra que han venido a encontrar al rey de Memphis, para la fiesta de la asunción de Ptolemy, siempre vivo, amado de de Ptah, dios de Epiphanes Eucharistos, en el reinado que a sucedido a su padre, en asamblea en el templo de Memphis en este día declaran:

Por cuanto:

Rey Ptolemy, siempre vivo, amado de Ptah, dios Epiphanes Eucharistos, el hijo de Rey Ptolemy y la reina Arsinoe, los dioses Philopatores, ha sido benefactor tanto de el templo como de los que allí moran, y de sus sujetos, siendo un dios nacido de un dios y una diosa como Horus el hijo de Isis y Osiris, que vengo su padre Osiris; en buena disposición con los dioses, ha dedicado ingresos de dinero y maíz (granos) a los templos y ha dado mucho para que Egipto tenga prosperidad, y para establecer los templos, y ha sido generoso con todos sus medios; y los ingresos y contribuciones de Egipto algunos a remitido y otros a alivianado, para que la gente y demás tengan prosperidad en su reinado; y

Por Cuanto: ha remitido las deudas de la corona siendo muchas en numero que Egipto y el resto de el reino debía; y

Por Cuanto los que estaban en prisión y los que estaban bajo acusación por mucho tiempo, los ha libertado de los cargos en contra de ellos; y

Por Cuanto ha indicado que los dioses continúen gozando de los ingresos de los templos y los provisiones anuales dados a ellos, tanto de dinero como de maíz (granos), igualmente ingresos asignados a los dioses de la viña y jardines y otras propiedades que le pertenecían a los dioses en los tiempos de su padre; y

Por Cuanto

ha indicado en cuanto a los sacerdotes, que ellos no paguen mas contribuciones para admisión al sacerdocio que lo que fue señalado durante el reinado de su padre y hasta el primer año de su reinado; y a relevado a los miembros de ordenes sacerdotales de el viaje anual a Alexandria; y

Por Cuanto

ha indicado que la obligación (servicio obligatorio) de la marina no se continuara utilizando; y las contribuciones sobre lino fino que los templos pagan a la corona ha remitido dos tercios; y lo que fue descuidado en tiempos anteriores ha restaurado a su propia condición, tomando cuidado como los deberes tradicionales se han dado a los dioses; y a proporcionado justicia a todos, como Thoth el gran y gran; y ha ordenado que los que regresen de la clase guerrera, y otros que fueron infavorablemente dispuestos en días de disturbios, Sean, en su regreso permitidos ocupar sus antiguas posesiones; y

Por Cuanto ha provisto que la fuerza de caballería e infantería y naves sea enviada en contra de los que invaden Egipto por mar y por tierra, aportando grandes sumas en dinero y maíz para que los templos y todos los que están en tierra estén a salvo; y habiendo ido a Lycopolis en Busirite nome, que estaba ocupada y fortificada contra sitio con abundantes armas y otras provisiones viendo que había disatisfacion entre los impíos hombres allí, que habían perpetrado mucho daño a los templos y a todos los habitantes de Egipto , y habiendo acampado en contra, los rodeo con montículos y zanjas y fortificaciones elaboradas; cuando el Nilo se levanto en grande en el octavo año de su reinado, el cual usualmente inunda los llanos, lo evito, haciendo represas en muchos puntos de los canales gastando no poca cantidad de dinero, y poniendo caballería e infantería para proteger, en corto tomo la ciudad por tormenta y destruyo los impíos hombres en ella, aun como Thoth y Horus, el hijo de Isis y Osiris, anteriormente subyugaron los rebeldes en el mismo distrito; y a los que dirigieron a los rebeldes en el tiempo de su padre y que disturbaron la tierra y daño a los templos, el vino a Memphis para vengar su padre y parientes, y les castigo come se merecían, al tiempo que vino a las apropiadas ceremonias para asumir la corona; y

Por cuanto remitió lo que se debía a la corona en los templos hasta el cuarto ano, siendo no pequeña cantidad de maíz y dinero; así todas las multas por paño de lino fino no entregada a la corona y de las entregados, los cargos por verificación, por el mismo periodo; y también liberto a los templos de contribución medida de grano de toda medida de tierra sagrada y igualmente el jarro de vino para medir viña; y

Por cuanto dio muchos regalos a Apis y Mnevis y otros animales sagrados en Egipto, porque fue mas considerado que los Reyes antes que el de lo que le pertenecía; y para su entierro dio lo que fue esplendido, y lo que fue regularmente pagado a sus santuarioes, con sacrificios y festivales y observaciones de costumbres, y mantuvo los honores de los templos de Egipto de acuerdo a las leyes; y adorno los templos de Apis con trabajo rico, gastando oro y plata y piedras preciosas, no pequeña cantidad; y

Por cuanto tras inquisición ha ido renovando los mas honorables templos durante su reinado, como conviene; por lo cual los dioses le han dado salud, Victoria y poder, y otras buenas cosas, y el y sus hijos retendrán el reinado por todos los tiempos.

Con apropiada fortuna: Es resuelto por los sacerdotes de todos los templos en la tierra aumentar grandemente los honores existentes de rey Ptolemy, siempre vivo, amado de Ptah, el dios Epiphanes Eucharistos, igualmente los de sus padres los dioses Philopatores, y su antecedente, el gran Euergatai y los dioses Adelphoi y los dioses Soteres y poner en los lugares mas prominentes de cada templo un imagen de el siempre viviente rey Ptolemy, amado de Ptah, el dios Epiphanes Eucharistos, que se llamara de 'de Ptolemy, defensor de Egipto,' al lado de el cual estará el dios principal de el templo, dándole el scimitar de Victoria, todo lo cual será manufacturado in moda egipcia; y que los sacerdotes pagaran homenaje a las imágenes tres veces al día, y pondrán sobre ellas los vestidos sagrados, y harán los otros honores usuales como son dados a los otros dioses in festivales egipcios; y establecer para rey Ptolemy, el dios Epiphanes Eucharistos, de el rey Ptolemy y la reina Arsinoe, los dioses Philopatores, una estatua y santuario de oro en cada templo, y sea puesto en la cámara interior con los santuarioes; y en los gran festivales en que los santuarioes se cargan en procesión el santuario de dios Epiphanes Eucharistos sea cargado en procesión con ellos. Y para que se pueda distinguir fácilmente ahora y por todos los tiempos, se pondrán diez coronas de oro de el rey, a lo que se añadirá una cobra exactamente como en todas las coronas adornadas de cobra como están en los demás santuarioes, en el centro estará la corona doble que se puso cuando fue al templo de Memphis para hacer las ceremonias para asumir su reinado; y será puesta en la superficie cuadrada alrededor de las coronas, al lado de ellas, símbolos de oro ocho en numero significando que es el santuario de el rey que hace manifiesto los pueblos superiores e inferiores. Y como es el trigésimo de Mesore en el cual se celebra el día de nacimiento de el rey, e igualmente el décimo siete de Paophi en que sucedió a su padre en reinado, han mantenido estos días en honor como días de nombre en los templos, dado que son días de grandes bendiciones para todos;

Además se decreta que un festival se mantenga en los templos por todo Egipto en estos días in cada mes, en el cual habrá sacrificios y libaciones y todas las ceremonias acostumbradas en los otros festivales y las ofrendas serán dadas a los sacerdotes que sirven en el templo. Y un festival se hará para rey Ptolemy, siempre vivo, amado de Ptah, el dios Epiphanes Eucharistos, anualmente en los templos por toda la tierra de el primer de Thoth por cinco días, en los cuales usaran guirnaldas y harán sacrificios y libaciones y los demás honores usuales, y los sacerdotes en cada templo serán llamados sacerdotes de dios Epiphanes Eucharistos en adición a los nombres de los otros dioses a los cuales sirven; y su sacerdocio será entrado en todo documento formal y gravado en los anillos que usen; y los individuos privados se le permitirá mantener el festival y poner tal santuario y tenerlo en su casa; haciendo estas celebraciones anualmente, para que se sepa a todos que los hombres de Egipto magnifican y honran el dios Epiphanes Eucharistos el rey, de acuerdo a la ley.

Este decreto se inscribirá en piedra dura en caracteres (lenguaje, idioma) sagrado, nativo y griego y puesto en cada uno de los templos de primero, segundo y tercer rango al lado de la imagen de el rey siempre vivo.

Text of the Rosetta StoneIn the reign of the young one who has succeeded his father in the kingship, lord of diadems, most glorious, who has established Egypt and is pious towards the gods, triumphant over his enemies, who has restored the civilized life of men, lord of the Thirty Years Festivals, even as Ptah the Great, a king like Ra, great king of the Upper and Lower countries, offspring of the Gods Philopatores, one whom Ptah has approved, to whom Ra has given victory, the living image of Amun, son of Ra, PTOLEMY, LIVING FOR EVER, BELOVED OF PTAH, in the ninth year, when Aetos son of Aetos was priest of Alexander, and the Gods Soteres, and the Gods Adelphoi, and the Gods Euergetai, and the Gods Philopatores and the God Epiphanes Eucharistos; Pyrrha daughter of Philinos being Athlophoros of Berenike Euergetis, Areia daughter of Diogenes being Kanephoros of Arsinoe Philadelphos; Irene daughter of Ptolemy being Priestess of Arsinoe Philopator; the fourth of the month of Xandikos, according to the Egyptians the 18th Mekhir.

DECREE. There being assembled the Chief Priests and Prophets and those who enter the inner shrine for the robing of the gods, and the Fan-bearers and the Sacred Scribes and all the other priests from the temples throughout the land who have come to meet the king at Memphis, for the feast of the assumption by PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, of the kingship in which he succeeded his father, they being assembled in the temple in Memphis on this day declared:

Whereas King PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, the son of King Ptolemy and Queen Arsinoe, the Gods Philopatores, has been a benefactor both to the temple and to those who dwell in them, as well as all those who are his subjects, being a god sprung from a god and goddess like Horus the son of Isis and Osiris, who avenged his father Osiris, being benevolently disposed towards the gods, has dedicated to the temples revenues of money and corn and has undertaken much outlay to bring Egypt into prosperity, and to establish the temples, and has been generous with all his own means; and of the revenues and taxes levied in Egypt some he has wholly remitted and others has lightened, in order that the people and all the others might be in prosperity during his reign; and

whereas he has remitted the debts to the crown being many in number which they in Egypt and the rest of the kingdom owed; and

whereas those who were in prison and those who were under accusation for a long time, he has freed of the charges against them; and

whereas he has directed that the gods shall continue to enjoy the revenues of the temples and the yearly allowances given to them, both of corn and money, likewise also the revenue assigned to the gods from the vine land and from gardens and the other properties which belonged to the gods in his father's time; and

whereas he directed also, with regard to the priests, that they should pay no more as the tax for admission to the priesthood than what was appointed them throughout his father's reign and until the first year of his own reign; and has relieved the members of the priestly orders from the yearly journey to Alexandria; and

whereas he has directed that impressment for the navy shall no longer be employed; and of the tax on fine linen cloth paid by the temples to the crown he has remitted two-thirds; and whatever things were neglected in former times he has restored to their proper condition, having a care how the traditional duties shall be fittingly paid to the gods; and likewise has apportioned justice to all, like Thoth the great and great; and has ordained that those who return of the warrior class, and of others who were unfavourably disposed in the days of the disturbances, should, on their return be allowed to occupy their old possessions; and

whereas he provided that cavalry and infantry forces and ships should be sent out against those who invaded Egypt by sea and by land, laying out great sums in money and corn in order that the temples and all those who are in the land might be in safety; and having gone to Lycopolis in the Busirite nome, which had been occupied and fortified against a siege with an abundant store of weapons and all other supplies seeing that disaffection was now of long standing among the impious men gathered into it, who had perpetrated much damage to the temples and to all the inhabitants of Egypt, and having encamped against it, he surrounded it with mounds and trenches and elaborate fortifications; when the Nile made a great rise in the eighth year of his reign, which usually floods the plains, he prevented it, by damming at many points the outlets of the channels spending upon this no small amount of money, and setting cavalry and infantry to guard them, in a short time he took the town by storm and destroyed all the impious men in it, even as Thoth and Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris, formerly subdued the rebels in the same district; and as to those who had led the rebels in the time of his father and who had disturbed the land and done wrong to the temples, he came to Memphis to avenge his father and his own kingship, and punished them all as they deserved, at the time that he came there to perform the proper ceremonies for the assumption of the crown; and

whereas he remitted what was due to the crown in the temples up to his eighth year, being no small amount of corn and money; so also the fines for the fine linen cloth not delivered to the crown, and of those delivered, the several fees for their verification, for the same period; and he also freed the temples of the tax of the measure1 of grain for every measure2 of sacred land and likewise the jar of wine for each measure2 of vine land; and

whereas he bestowed many gifts upon Apis and Mnevis and upon the other sacred animals in Egypt, because he was much more considerate than the kings before him of all that belonged to them; and for their burials he gave what was suitable lavishly and splendidly, and what was regularly paid to their special shrines, with sacrifices and festivals and other customary observances, and he maintained the honours of the temples and of Egypt according to the laws; and he adorned the temple of Apis with rich work, spending upon it gold and silver and precious stones, no small amount; and

whereas he has funded temples and shrines and altars, and has repaired those requiring it, having the spirit of a benficent god in matters pertaining to religion; and

whereas after enquiry he has been renewing the most honourable of the temples during his reign, as is becoming; in requital of which things the gods have given him health, victory and power, and all other good things, and he and his children shall retain the kingship for all time.

WITH PROPITIOUS FORTUNE: It was resolved by the priests of all the temples in the land to increase greatly the existing honours of King PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, likewise those of his parents the Gods Philopatores, and of his ancestors, the Great Euergatai and the Gods Adelphoi and the Gods Soteres and to set up in the most prominent place of every temple an image of the EVER-LIVING KING PTOLEMY, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, which shall be called that of 'PTOLEMY, the defender of Egypt,' beside which shall stand the principal god of the temple, handing him the scimitar of victory, all of which shall be manufactured in the Egyptian fashion; and that the priests shall pay homage to the images three times a day, and put upon them the sacred garments, and perform the other usual honours such as are given to the other gods in the Egyptian festivals; and to establish for King PTOLEMY, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS,sprung of King Ptolemy and Queen Arsinoe, the Gods Philopatores, a statue and golden shrine in each of the temples, and to set it up in the inner chamber with the other shrines; and in the great festivals in which the shrines are carried in procession the shrine of the GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS shall be carried in procession with them. And in order that it may be easily distinguishable now and for all time, there shall be set upon the shrine ten gold crowns of the king, to which shall be added a cobra exactly as on all the crowns adorned with cobras which are upon the other shrines, in the centre of them shall be the double crown which he put on when he went into the temple at Memphis to perform therein the ceremonies for assuming the kingship; and there shall be placed on the square surface round about the crowns, beside the aforementioned crown, golden symbols eight in number signifying that it is the shrine of the king who makes manifest the Upper and the Lower countries. And since it is the 30th of Mesore on which the birthday of the king is celebrated, and likewise the 17th of Paophi on which he succeeded his father in the kingship, they have held these days in honour as name-days in the temples, since they are sources of great blessings for all;

it was further decreed that a festival shall be kept in the temples throughout Egypt on these days in every month, on which there shall be sacrifices and libations and all the ceremonies customary at the other festivals and the offerings shall be given to the priests who serve in the temples. And a festival shall be kept for King PTOLEMY, THE EVER-LIVING, THE BELOVED OF PTAH, THE GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS, yearly in the temples throughout the land from the 1st of Thoth for five days, in which they shall wear garlands and perform sacrifices and libations and the other usual honours, and the priests in each temple shall be called priests of the GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS in addition to the names of the other gods whom they serve; and his priesthood shall be entered upon all formal documents and engraved upon the rings which they wear; and private individuals shall also be allowed to keep the festival and set up the aforementioned shrine and have it in their homes; performing the aforementioned celebrations yearly, in order that it may be known to all that the men of Egypt magnify and honour the GOD EPIPHANES EUCHARISTOS the king, according to the law.

This decree shall be inscribed on a stela of hard stone in sacred and native and Greek characters and set up in each of the first, second and third rank temples beside the image of the ever-living king.

(C) 1981 The Trustees of the British Museum.