Rosetta Stone?

Question

What important knowledge was contained on the
Rosetta Stone?

As an idiom, what is a Rosetta stone?

Answer 1

Since the Rosetta Stone was the crucial key to deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphics, it is synonymous with being "the key or code that unlocks a mystery". It's discovery turned it into a code-breaker! From its contents, we've not only learned about the language but also about the politics of a ruler's campaign to reunite & control a nation.

Ptlomy V issued a series of decrees to create a royal cult & reestablish his power & legitimacy as a ruler. His priests inscribed his decrees on stones in the 3 languages of those under his control: Greek, Demotic ( Egyptian writing), and
Hieroglyphics ...the script used for important or religious documents.(1) Carved in 196 BC, "the Rosetta stone is a copy of the decree issued in the city of Memphis." (2)

It was a huge public relations event...with the first part advertising & praising (on stones) all of the good things the Ptolemaic kings had done for the priests & the people of Egypt. "The final part of the text describes the decree's overriding purpose, the establishment of the cult of the king... saying that it is to be made known that all the men of Egypt should magnify and honour Ptolemy V ('...the priests shall pay homage three times a day...'), days when festivals, such as the king's birthday, shall be celebrated... and that the text should be set up in hard stone in the three scripts which it still bears today. It was a confirmation of the control of the Ptolemies... Greeks who had been ruling Egypt since the fragmentation of the Empire of Alexander the Great."(1)

This illustrates how forming an alliance with religious leaders can help a ruler established his legitimacy & control. (we can still see this type of religious/political alliance happening today in other countries.)

Using those stones to advertise & instruct ...in 3 different languages... was just BRILLIANT!!

Answer 2

The Rosetta Stone itself was a declaration of an event. The importance of the stone was that it had the same declaration written on it in three different languages (two known languages which were able to be read and the third was Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic). It was from studying this stone that modern scholars learn how to read Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Answer 3

I am in the process of using Rosetta Stone for Pashto. It is a very good learning aid, but that's not to say that you won't need other resource materials as well. It could be better, like providing a dictionary of said language with it, but that would in turn make it even more expensive. It is a good investment overall. I would say seriously consider using it. If the funds are not available, your local library might have a used version of the one you want without having to pay $300.

Answer 4

All the posters are correct. As an idiom a rosetta stone is one thing that helps you figure out something else.

Answer 5

One of the keys to unlocking the secrets of ancient Egyptian writing was the 'Rosetta Stone'.

Answer 6

It contained the same text in 3 languages, allowing a language expert to decipher the meaning of Egyptian hieroglyphics for the first time.

The key was that the language expert recognized that words surrounded by an oval box (called cartouches), were the names of Egyptian kings and queens, such as 'Tutankhamen'. Since the names were identified by cartouches in all 3 versions of the text, he could see which letters in one language corresponded to the same sounds in the other 2 languages.

Answer 7

the rosetta stone was the key to the hiroglyphics. it enabled scientists in the field to decipher the hieroglyphics found in egypt.

Answer 8

lol.

we learned to translate egypt's acient language with it.

there was greek on it
a form of acient egyption on it.
and hyieroglyps

it helped us to unlock the secerts in the hyieroglyps