Lettre à M. Dacier, ... relative à l'alphabet des hiéroglyphes phonétiques

17

magnificent work, thanks to the fidelity of our travelers and the wisdom that guided its execution (1).

Among these names, several belong to the Greek period of Egyptian history.

One may therefore read with us:

1st. The name of Alexander, carved twice on the buildings of Karnak. It would have been very surprising indeed not to find the name of this conqueror written on the monuments of the ancient capital of Egypt. It is spelled there as ALKSANTRS original Greek: ΑΛΚΣΑΝΤΡΣ (2) and ALKSNTRES original Greek: ΑΛΚΣΝΤΡΕΣ (3), just as it is in the demotic common Egyptian script writing. This illustrious name fills the entire capacity of the cartouches royal name frames. It is regrettable that the hieroglyphic legends preceding or following them were not copied: they would have given us the titles and qualifications of this new sovereign.

2nd. The name of Ptolemy, common to all the Lagids members of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Sometimes it occupies the entire cartouche, as seen twice in the sixth line of the hieroglyphic text on the Rosetta Stone (4), at Dendera (5), on the mo-

(1) It is known that Mr. Jomard is the government commissioner responsible for directing the execution of this work.
(2) Description of Egypt, Antiquities, volume III, plate 38, number 13. See the end of this letter, plate I, number 25.
(3) Description of Egypt, same, plate 38, number 15, and our plate I, number 26.
(4) See our plate I, number 28.
(5) Same, number 29. Description of Egypt, volume IV, plate 28, number 26.