According to the sequence of events described in The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone, what leads the scholars to believe that the three inscriptions say the same thing in different languages?
According to the sequence of events described in The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone, what leads the scholars to believe that the three inscriptions say the same thing in different languages?
In The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone, the scholars were led to believe that the three inscriptions say the same thing in different languages due to a few key findings. Here are the steps that led them to this conclusion:
1. Discovery of the Rosetta Stone: The scholars first discovered the Rosetta Stone, a broken black basalt slab, in 1799 during Napoleon's campaign in Egypt.
2. Multiple inscriptions on the Rosetta Stone: The Rosetta Stone contained inscriptions in three different scripts: hieroglyphics, demotic script, and Greek.
3. Familiarity with Greek: Scholars of the time were familiar with ancient Greek and could read the Greek inscription on the stone. This provided them with a starting point for deciphering the other two scripts.
4. Working backward from Greek: The scholars used the Greek inscription as a reference point and began comparing it with the hieroglyphics and demotic script. They realized that the three inscriptions appeared to be the same text translated into different languages.
5. Recognition of Ptolemaic decree: Through further analysis, the scholars recognized that the Greek inscription on the stone was a decree issued during the reign of King Ptolemy V in 196 BCE.
6. Hypothesis of multilingual translation: Based on their observations, the scholars hypothesized that the hieroglyphics and demotic script were translations of the same decree, just written in different languages.
7. Verification through matching texts: By comparing the three scripts, the scholars found similarities in the patterns and repetitions of certain words and names, further supporting the idea that the inscriptions conveyed the same message.
In summary, the discovery and analysis of the Rosetta Stone, combined with the scholars' familiarity with Greek and their comparative study of the three scripts, led them to believe that the inscriptions say the same thing in different languages.
To determine that the three inscriptions on the Rosetta Stone say the same thing in different languages, the scholars relied on a few key factors outlined in "The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone":
1. The identification of repeated patterns: Firstly, the scholars observed various groups of hieroglyphic symbols that occurred multiple times throughout the stone. This led them to hypothesize that these repeated patterns could represent certain words or phrases.
2. Comparison with known scripts: Since the scholars were already familiar with the Greek language, they compared the Greek inscription on the stone with the hieroglyphic and demotic scripts. By looking for corresponding patterns and symbols, they sought to link the known meaning of the Greek text with the unknown hieroglyphic and demotic texts.
3. Ptolemaic decree: The scholars recognized that the inscriptions on the stone shared similar features and structures. They determined that the texts constituted a decree issued by Ptolemy V, the ruler of Egypt at the time. This decree was likely issued in multiple languages to ensure its understanding by different groups in Egypt.
By analyzing the shared patterns, comparing the known Greek text with the unknown scripts, and deducing that the inscriptions formed a decree, the scholars concluded that the three inscriptions on the Rosetta Stone conveyed the same message in different languages.